In treating patients with cognitive dysfunction, from stroke, I often have to struggle to explain an answer to the question, “will I return to my normal level of functioning after therapy?”
A quote I read recently from the actress Sharon Stone’s most notably know for starring in Basic Instinct (1992) and Cassino (1995), discussed the “new normal” after a stroke she suffered at the age of 43 and succinctly described the experience,
“it’s a new you. There’s no pretending your going to recover the old you. The old you is gone. There is too much you have had to go through. With luck, the new you is going to be better.”
I like what Ms. Stone said because it speaks to the magnitude of the challenge or recovering from a stroke and gives a positive outlook on becoming even better. Ms. Stone’s quote came after years of perseverance and work to get back to her craft of acting at her current age of 60. She used many of the same therapy and lifestyle changes that I recommend in therapy. Continue reading to see some of these examples:
Participating in a goal directed program to improve memory, attention, processing speed, people skills, and connectivity to the community is critical to recovery. Therapy is often recommended following seeing a neurologist and or neuropsychologist.
Incorporating meditation into your life has benefits for Stroke Recovery such as reducing depression, tiredness, and fatigue, improving attention, emotion regulation, and mental flexibility.
Eating well after a stroke is the key to recovery. Choosing foods that are low in fat and salt and high in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk factors for another stroke.
Social interaction with others is important as it helps reduce depression and isolation that are common after stroke. Stay connected with others and it is difficult to recover alone.
Having supports in place to help you on your journey of recovery and who are positive will be an important part of your recovery. It will be an up and down road to recovery and you will need to fight the feelings of negativity which is why it is important to surround yourself with friends and family that believe in the goal of recovery to remind you to be positive.
Connecting with other people with similar situations can be rewarding and motivate others as they hear your story. You can share recovery and rehabilitation experience with other survivors on the American Heart/American Stroke Association’s Support Network at suuportnetwork.heart.org
Where you can share your story with others; comment on other’s stories and give feedback; get answers to your questions from healthcare professionals; speak to others on you own forum; and learn about regaining independence.
I let patients know that recovery is what happens when they work hard inside and outside of therapy on a lifestyle changes for good health, and keep the big picture goal in mind so they can become a better version of themselves. Sharon Stone made great improvement in her life by adopting the attitude of her being in a "new normal" situation and getting to work and improving other aspects of her life. You can do the same thing by believing in yourself and making changes for the better taking it one day at a time.