Stroke can cause variety of physical and emotional secondary effects. One of the most common emotional challenges after stroke is anxiety. Coping with anxiety after stroke can be difficult and challenging.
This topic will among other things consider how to identify anxiety disorders, and the various treatment options available. These options will include both medications and natural alternatives.
Understanding Anxiety After Stroke
Anxiety is generally a physical and psychological response to a frightening situation. It can result in constant feelings of fear, worry or uneasiness, in addition to various physiological effects.
After a stroke, individuals may experience anxiety associated with their health conditions. According to a new study about “twenty five percent of stroke survivors experience moderate to severe anxiety. This anxiety can occur anywhere between two to eight weeks after a stroke”.
The following are some of the most common feelings that stroke survivors reports:
- Having another stroke or TIA, especially when out in public or when asleep.
- Being unable to communicate during an emergency
- Feeling embarrassed in social situations
- Being unable to drive
- Worried about never feeling better
Most of these fears are understandable and are even normal and healthy. However, if anxiety continues and becomes overwhelming, this may indicate a serious sign of anxiety disorder. In the next section, we will discuss how to identify anxiety disorders.
How To Identify Anxiety Disorders After Stroke
Anxiety disorders can cause more than just a constant feeling of worry. However, what makes anxiety disorders different from normal anxiety is their intensity.
Everyone feels nervous at times, but for individuals with anxiety disorders after stroke, this nervousness usually overwhelms them. It can even stop them from doing the things they love.
Additional signs of anxiety disorder includes:
- Feeling irritable
- Difficulty concentrating
- Constant fatigue and sleep problems
- Persistent thoughts about the things that worry you
- Continual feelings of impending danger, with physical sensations such as restlessness and rapid heart rate
Most anxiety disorders after stroke are caused by psychological and biological changes in the brain. This means they may require more complex treatment techniques than others.
Some Treatment And Coping Techniques Of Anxiety After Stroke
The first step that is needed to cope with anxiety after stroke is to seek for information. This will require that you talk to a doctor or psychologist. These experts can help you clear away some uncertainty in your feelings, and give you back some sense of control.
In addition, there are more specific coping methods for anxiety, which are discussed below:
- Mindfulness
One of the best ways to cope with anxiety after stroke is to practice a technique known as mindfulness.
Mindfulness put simply, means focusing on the present moment. This helps individuals to stop dwelling on what the future may hold or the unknown, which are often the sources of anxiety.
To do this, it helps to have just one point of focus at a time that pulls attention to the body. For most people, this point of focus is their breath. When individuals focus on their breath, it is much harder for thoughts and worries to sneak in.
How you can do it:
Step one
To focus on your breath, close your eyes and inhale slowly. Imagine the air entering through your nose, filling your lungs, and expanding your abdomen. Then, as you exhale, picture the air flowing out the same way.
Step two
When you have done this a few times, try expanding your awareness to take note of the sensations you feel. What sounds do you hear? How do your feet feel on the ground? What emotions do you feel?
Step three
Practice progressive muscle relaxation to increase awareness of your body and reduce muscle tension, which often builds up with anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation involves the gradual tensing of muscle groups, followed by relaxing them.
Starting at the feet, curl the toes and hold for a few seconds, then relax. Move to the ankles, bending them upward and holding, then again relaxing.
Continue to move up the body until you reach the head. When you are finished, your muscles should feel more relaxed, and you will have spent time building awareness of each area of your body.
Step four
Try to keep yourself present like this for at least five minutes each day. If you have trouble practicing mindfulness independently, there are various apps and videos online that can help you remain mindful of your breath and guide you through progressive muscle relaxation. You will notice your anxiety decreasing the more you practice.
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
If practicing mindfulness is still too difficult, cognitive-behavioral therapy may help you cope with anxiety.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most scientifically verified treatment for anxiety disorders. There are several studies that have shown its effectiveness. It has been successively used on a wide variety of disorders, including stroke.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on three core principles:
- Beliefs create feelings
- Feelings dictate behavior
- Behavior reinforces beliefs
To get to the root of anxiety, most Cognitive-behavioral therapy treatments focus on uncovering unhealthy thinking patterns.
For example, if an individual has anxiety after stroke, a cognitive therapist can help him or her identify the thoughts that are fueling the anxiety. Then, they will teach the individual helpful techniques to stop those thoughts from consuming him or her.
They can also show patients effective ways to distract themselves from anxiety. Therefore, if you have problem finding good coping methods for anxiety, seek the help of a cognitive-behavioral therapist.
Cognitive-behavioral therapists may suggest the following coping strategies:
- Exercise
- Spending time outdoors
- Journaling
- Yoga
- Listening to music
- Taking a break for personal time each day
- Medications
In some cases, anxiety after stroke is caused by damage to the parts of the brain that controls emotions. In such cases, medications can be helpful and beneficial.
Below are some of the most common medications that can be recommended for post-stroke anxiety:
- Benzodiazepines, which treat anxiety directly
- Buspirone
- Antihistamines such as hydroxyzine
The above medicines are usually used only on a short-term basis. For example, they can help get a person’s anxiety under control if it is severe.
However, they are not suitable for extended use, as their effectiveness do not last for long. They can also cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms that promote addiction. In addition, long-term use may even impair recovery.
Instead of using these medications for chronic anxiety, doctors prefer to prescribe antidepressants such as venlafaxine.
Because anxiety medications are so powerful, they should only be used when natural alternatives are not effective. Do not start, alter the dosage, or stop any anxiety medication without consulting your doctor first.
- Diet Changes
Finally, certain foods can increase anxiety. As a result, dietary changes may help reduce or even eliminate anxiety after stroke.
Some common anxiety-inducing foods include sugary foods and others such as:
- Processed foods
- Gluten (wheat, barley, rye)
- Caffeine
- Dairy
- Alcohol
However, not all of these foods will necessarily cause anxiety. It is possible that some individuals may have food sensitivities to only a few of them. The best way to determine which foods are contributing to anxiety is to try an elimination diet.
An elimination diet involves removing all possible trigger foods from diet. Then, once you have eliminated all these foods for a few weeks, you can add one food back at a time.
For example, if your anxiety reduces after eliminating dairy foods but returns when you add it back, then try following a diary-free diet onwards. It could probably mean that it’s making your anxiety worse.
Anxiety After Stroke – important points to remember
Anxiety is a common emotional effect of stroke. In fact, most patients experience some feelings of worry after their stroke. However, if these feelings persist for weeks and affect your daily life, you may have developed an anxiety disorder.
The best treatment for anxiety disorders usually involves a combination of mindfulness, cognitive therapy, and diet changes. But medication may be necessary in severe cases.
We hope this guide to coping with anxiety after stroke will help you find ways to manage your worries.
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