[EvertonDiehard]

Has anyone witnessed emotional and personality changes in loved ones or acquaintances after a stroke? I have a friend who reacts to insignificant things that would not annoy the average person, is verbally aggressive, has a tendency to say and do things that are socially inappropriate, as well as indulge in sudden and socially inappropriate actions including sharing his sexual fantasies to the embarrassment of those present.       

[Tiny Tim]

Probably onset of dementia coupled with delusions.

[pinkpanther]

Side effects of his medication

[EvertonDiehard]

Probably onset of dementia coupled with delusions.

Now that he is unemployed and his wife left him, he goes around telling his friends and acquaintances that he is living the life of a swinging bachelor dating pretty young girls. When we asked how he affords to since he is jobless, has no home and car and is near the official retirement age, he claims that these sweet young things pay for their dates. He sounds 100% deluded.   

[EvertonDiehard]

Side effects of his medication

He doesn't sound coherent in most of his WhatsApp messages to his group of friends, who keep saying that he is living in his own world. I actually feel sorry for him because he is only in his early 60s. 

[Alice Alicia]

The long-term effects of stroke depend on which part of the brain was damaged and by how much.

A stroke can cause permanent loss of function. The long-term effects of stroke depend on which part of the brain was damaged and by how much. Early treatment and rehabilitation after stroke can improve recovery and many people regain a lot of function.

The most recent data for Australia shows that after a stroke, slightly more than one third of people have a disability that has affected their daily activities. Of the people with a disability after stroke, 88 per cent are cared for in households and 12 per cent in residential care.

The most common types of disability after stroke are impaired speech, restricted physical abilities, weakness or paralysis of limbs on one side of the body, difficulty gripping or holding things, and a slowed ability to communicate.

If you are living in a household after a stroke, the types of people who can help you and your carers with recovery and long-term effects of the stroke include:

If you have suffered a stroke, it is common to have changes in your mood and personality. Some emotional changes may be caused by damage to the brain from the stroke, but you can also experience a range of emotions, as well as depression, as a response to the change in your situation.

Depression is common in the first year after a stroke, but it is particularly common in people who have trouble understanding, finding words and communicating (aphasia) after a stroke.

The symptoms of depression include:

feeling sad most of the time
feeling tired
feeling worthless
finding it difficult to concentrate
finding it difficult to manage everyday life
having difficulty sleeping
losing a sense of pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
losing interest in food or eating too much
losing weight or gaining weight.
After a stroke, people can also have anxiety either on its own or with depression. Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed. People who are anxious can:

find it difficult to calm down

feel worried most of the time

feel frightened by intense panic

have recurring thoughts that increase their anxiety
avoid situations that can cause them to be anxious.

Personality and behavioural changes are also common and can include:

irritability – reacting to things that would normally not annoy you

aggressiveness – physical or verbal

apathy or lack of motivation

repetitive behaviour – becoming stuck in the repetition of words or behaviours

disinhibition – tendency to say and do things that are socially inappropriate

impulsiveness – can also include sudden and socially inappropriate actions.

A stroke can change your thinking and memory, and also how you see, hear and feel the world. This can affect how you feel about yourself, your family and friends.

Thinking and memory skills are also known as cognitive skills. Cognitive skills can be affected by your emotional state or tiredness, but a stroke can also cause different cognitive changes, including your:

ability to learn new skills

ability to plan

ability to problem solve

attention – being able to concentrate and focus

orientation – knowing the day and time

short-term memory – knowing what happened recently.

Perception is the term that describes how you see, hear and feel the world. After a stroke, your perception can include changes to:

feeling contact, pain, heat or cold on the side of your body affected by stroke

judging distance

performing certain movements even without physical disability (apraxia)

recognising shapes and objects, or even your own body

seeing or feeling things only on one side – which can cause you to bump into things

watching TV or reading – can become difficult

vision – some people lose half their vision in each eye (hemianopia).

Communication after stroke
For some people, the stroke affects the part of their brain that helps speaking, reading and communication. Symptoms of these strokes may include:

difficulty in finding the right words or understanding what others are saying (aphasia or dysphasia)

weakness in the muscles that help speech (dysarthria)

dysfunction of the nerve connection between your brain and mouth, making speaking difficult (dyspraxia)

reading and writing problems caused by a weak writing hand or problems thinking or seeing.

Everyday life after stroke
Having a stroke can mean changes to your everyday life. This includes changes in:

living arrangements – you may need to move to residential care or modify your home

sexual function and relationships

your ability to handle complex skills such as driving

your ability to work – if you were working before your stroke

your level of independence – you may need to rely on carers at home.

Stroke rehabilitation can help you to get the most out of your life after a stroke.

[WhatDoYouThink!]

He doesn't sound coherent in most of his WhatsApp messages to his group of friends, who keep saying that he is living in his own world. I actually feel sorry for him because he is only in his early 60s. 

Did he get any help from friends, church or government? Some organisations may assist him

[EvertonDiehard]

Did he get any help from friends, church or government? Some organisations may assist him

His employer was heartless and let him go while he was in rehab after discharge from the hospital. He dug deep into his savings, sold his flat and shifted back with his parents, and then resorted to borrowing from friends a few years later. I believe that he applied for some govt assistance. He seems to harbour a lot of resentment at his predicament, and lashes out at his small circle of friends whom he does not appear to be that close with any longer. After all, how many friends are willing to continue putting up with his negative energy?

[WhatDoYouThink!]

You know he’s sick and needs help, not criticisms

[EvertonDiehard]

You know he’s sick and needs help, not criticisms

I have been lending him money when I know he has no means to repay me.

[Tiny Tim]

Now that he is unemployed and his wife left him, he goes around telling his friends and acquaintances that he is living the life of a swinging bachelor dating pretty young girls. When we asked how he affords to since he is jobless, has no home and car and is near the official retirement age, he claims that these sweet young things pay for their dates. He sounds 100% deluded.   

From your detailed descriptions, I have no doubt that your buddy is suffering from some sort of mental illness and needs to see a doctor. 

I'm speaking from my own experience with my uncle. For example, whenever he heard the door bell, he would get agitated and say that the police is coming for him, etc.....he even armed himself with a pair of scissors!

You would need to take him to a hospital as he wouldn't be able to describe the scenarios that you'd mentioned to the doctor. You may have to cook up an excuse to coax him to go to the hospital with you. 

As for my uncle, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and given medication.

Hope this helps.

[EvertonDiehard]

From your detailed descriptions, I have no doubt that your buddy is suffering from some sort of mental illness and needs to see a doctor. I'm speaking from my own experience with my uncle. For example, whenever he heard the door bell, he would get agitated and say that the police is coming for him, etc.....he even armed himself with a pair of scissors! You would need to take him to a hospital as he wouldn't be able to describe the scenarios that you'd mentioned to the doctor. You may have to cook up an excuse to coax him to go to the hospital with you. As for my uncle, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and given medication.Hope this helps.

Thanks for your advice which is based on personal experience with your uncle. This friend used to be close to the others in our group, but they are giving him the cold shoulder after his inappropriate comments and actions alienated the rest. Nobody likes a person who gives out negative vibes, and since he is down and out, also approaches his acquaintances for money.