American Stroke Foundation

Post-stroke depression is a common condition that often goes untreated. About 1 in 3 survivors of stroke experience post-stroke depression at some point in their recovery. In this video we are going to discuss post-stroke depression, common symptoms, and common treatments. We will also explore how we can use coping strategies in our daily lives to manage symptoms of depression.

Identifying and understanding symptoms of depression is an important part of learning how to manage them. In this part of the video we will go over common symptoms of Post-Stroke Depression (PSD).

Depression can impact your recovery process and make it more difficult to participate in your daily life. Once you can identify your symptoms, you can begin to come up with a plan to manage them so you can get back to enjoying the meaningful activities in your daily life.

Post-stroke depression can be difficult to identify due to overlapping symptoms with other symptoms that occur after surviving a stroke. Post-stroke depression is a treatable condition once identified. Treatment can help improve mood and boost physical and cognitive recovery.

• Depending on your unique situation, coping strategies may be only one piece of the puzzle.
• Coping strategies can be used in combination with other treatment methods like medication or counseling.
• It can be beneficial to have familiar coping strategies to refer to when you are going through a tough time.
• Don’t hesitate to get the treatment you need to get back to living your life to the fullest.
• Seek out the supports available to you. You are not alone!

If you find yourself in crisis and need emergency support, there are many support lines available to contact. Calls are free and confidential. You may also make non-emergency calls to ask questions about the organization and the resources they provide.