Stroke and Depression

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About the Disease

According to the American Stroke Association, "A stroke occurs when a vessel in the brain is blocked by a blood clot or ruptures. A stroke caused by a clot is called an ischemic stroke, making up about 85 percent of all strokes in the United States. Face drooping, arm weakness and difficulty speaking" should trigger a 911 call." Alteplase IV r-tPA may improve the chances of recovering from a stroke. Or an endovascular procedure could dissolve the blockage. But, trouble walking, headache, confusion, aphasia and emotional anguish may linger. During and after the stroke event, tissue regions suffer from lack of blood flow and no longer function or are severely impaired. Patients suffer from a variety of symptoms based on location of this tissue loss - mood, balance, behavior, speech, memory, sensory response - the more damage the greater the impact on daily living.

Why There Is Hope for Stroke

Rehabilitation and recovery after stroke requires measurement, rebuilding, consistent effort, support and patience. The person suffering from the aftermath experiences impairment on cognition, memory, nutrition, vision, balance and communication. Reliable data reveals success in sensorimotor activity in 8-12 weeks if the individual dedicates time to a physical therapy, dialectical therapy, play therapy, speech therapy and neuromodulating stimulation (TMS and MeRT) routine. Deficits can improve, but it's critical that the individual receive encouragement from loved ones, cardiovascular treatment + monitoring, neurological care and psychological tools and processing. Every person is different in terms of mood, grief, loss, coping, ataxia, language and so forth, thus treatment should be tailored to the individual.

Helping A Loved One with Stroke

Although stroke is more likely after the age of 65, children can have a stroke as well. Regardless of age, prompt diagnosis and treatment can make all the difference in preserving brain function. It's overwhelming to support the needs of someone who feels helpless. Fighting back to counter hopelessness is critical in the midst of loss, grief and the changes to deliver efficient, targeted rehabilitation. Post-stroke assessment helps providers standardize care and detect needs. Your cardiologist will examine physiological and neurological ability at different milestones after stroke. Needs change with time, especially if the individual is given whole person care after the event. Loved ones need to utilize the tools given alongside the recovering person - even small progress is celebrated. It's important that your family and friends divide the work to protect your own self-care while building up the courage, functions and/or freedoms of their loved one. Comorbidities are common after stroke, but prevention is possible and we highly encourage teamwork to support a few simple goals. Even small wins will make a big difference in quality of life for your whole family.

How We Treat

Solstice Pacific takes a whole person approach to neuroscience. Stroke victims might recall numbness in the face, arm, leg or trouble speaking, walking and seeing clearly. Everything from fatigue, mental confusion to pins and needles to lack of coordination and reduced sensation can affect a stroke victim before the event and after. The condition created after stroke is complicated, often leading to depression. Solstice Pacific created a bundle of 3 services to respond to the need: Psychotherapy, Family Therapy and Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT). This is a treatment that uses magnetic stimulation to help the brain restore healthy wave patterns, releasing inflammatory heat and restoring hormone balance in the brain then body. The combination of Psychotherapy, Family Therapy and MeRT treats the stress and depression in the stroke victim. Concurrently loved ones are heard, educated and encouraged. Over time, the central nervous system benefits from just a few healthy patterns, improving quality of life and slowing the decline that follows these changes in blood flow and improving the body's ability to communicate effectively.

MeRT helps optimize the tissue surrounding the dead tissue to offset the lack of function. Through repetitive, regular stimulation, the post-stroke brain can re-learn brain wave patterns that ultimately help to decrease inflammation, nutrient depletion, and boost efficiency in the brain overall. Combined with psychotherapy and family therapy, coping, living and experiencing gains after stroke are possible. In fact, in psychiatric and neurological medicine, it is encouraged to seek a combination treatment like this, to reduce depression and maintain healthy human connection.