While strokes can be deadly, millions of people do survive. But the impact on their lives is often devastating. Stroke can affect quality of life on so many levels: physical, psychological, social, and emotional. It is usually sudden and unexpected, making it all the more debilitating and traumatic, plunging the sufferer into an alien and often terrifying new existence. Friends and family members are also impacted & share in the trauma. All who are involved face an emotional battle to accept a life that is changed, perhaps irrevocably, but still very much worth enhancing and enjoying.
The good news is that a huge amount of expertise has gone into the study of improved living for stroke survivors and those close to them. Many quality of life studies involving physicians, neurologists and rehabilitation researchers have yielded a wealth of knowledge about improving quality of life following a stroke.
Whether you are a victim or carer, you may not be surprised to learn that one of the most significant keys to survival is hope. This deceptively simple word can mean the difference between a virtual living death, and a life truly worth living. Hope derives from the awareness of steady, perceptible progress toward regaining and maintaining a workable, and even enjoyable, day-to-day life pattern.
But it doesn't always come easily. Stroke victims face multiple obstacles that seem to stack up against them, including impaired functional ability, psychological alterations, or significant difficulty in communicating. Losing control of bodily function can feel like losing control of your life, with a return to any kind of normalcy seeming an insurmountable goal. This leads to fear, and a kind of psychological paralysis to accompany the physical handicap.
So the first goal must be progress itself. Finding your way back to stability and enjoyment will require a great deal of time and patience. Expecting overnight results only leads to disappointment and deflation. But by deciding for yourself that you will embrace patience, and focus on one small milestone at a time, you can derive enjoyment from the actual journey. Once you begin to sense that progress, the greater shining goal starts to beckon, and you believe that real improvement in quality of life is actually possible. That hope drives you from one milestone to the next, slowly creating a snowball effect, lifting you up and away from the crippling depression.
We can see a parallel in the way that sport develops us physically and mentally. When we play to win, we really enjoy putting in serious effort. The tougher the challenge, the greater the absorption, and concentration. We readily accept the triumphs and setbacks, so long as we can see ourselves moving closer to the goal. While dealing with the effects of a stroke can be a serious matter, seeing it as a sporting challenge can be an effective psychological booster and help eliminate that inner paralysis.
A Stroke of Genius: Messages of Hope and Healing From a Thriving Stroke Survivor
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Surviving-a-Stroke---Hope-and-Progress&id=3716618] Surviving a Stroke - Hope and Progress
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