Invisible Scars

You survived a stroke, but now you’re dealing with the painful uncertainty, anxiety, and depression left in its wake. You’re ready to take control and take back your mental health—you just need a little help. You never had this level of anxiety or depression before, but your stroke changed everything. That was my story, too. Until I reached my breaking point and had to get help.

A host of new fears emerged that you never had to deal with before—the fear of not being able to recover, losing your career, your independence, and not being able to look after your family. You panic about having another stroke and just the thought of it causes agitation, overthinking, and many restless nights. Some days, you feel overwhelmed with anger and frustration that you cannot do the things you previously took for granted, and the support you need is sometimes hard to find.

However, the solutions are within reach. By tracking your mood and keenly identifying your triggers, you can stop panic, anxiety, and depression from interfering with your journey back to a fulfilling life. Consider this book a guide that will provide you with key steps for taking control of anxiety, stress, and depression, so you can once again be the captain of your own ship of thoughts and emotions. Inside, you will discover:

• The physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges you may face as a stroke survivor—and some powerful tools for identifying the situations that set you off
• Physical rehab—from strength exercises to key home recommendations—and why it is vital for speeding up the recovery process
• Powerful cognitive strategies, plus brain exercises you can do at home
• Post-stroke anxiety: symptoms, therapeutic approaches, and what to do when panic strikes “out of nowhere”
• Post-stroke depression: gold standard therapies and DIY therapies to embrace to stay positive and present
• Additional therapies for quelling the symptoms of anxiety and depression, including CBD, supplements, and natural therapies