Anger management issues

alicia
aliciaon Friday, December 18 2015
1 Comment

Hi Everyone, my Dad had a stroke two weeks ago.  It was a multi focal stroke affecting the left side of his brain and the right side of his body.  He has made huge progress physically and as such was sent home on Tuesday as he lives with my mum who is caring for him.  However, we have noticed a change in his behaviour.  He has some expected memory problems, but also appears to obsess over minor things.  For example, when in hospital he was convinced that the stroke was caused by an ongoing  unrelated neck and shoulder pain (most likely arthritis), even though the doctor's tried to explain to him that they were unrelated, he couldn't accept it and lost his temper with them.  Recently, he has been obsessing over a billing error made by the water board here. He has rang them twice (both times becoming quite angry and shouting at them) and went in to see them today and according to mum came out wagging his finger at them and shouting.  Another incident today was when he was out getting groceries with mum and got into a screaming match with the parking inspector who was marking tyres in the car park.  He has always been a tad short tempered and anxious, but nothing like this.  It is like he can not control himself.  Does anybody have any advice, as I am new to this.  Should I contact his local GP, the stroke doctors from the hospital or his outpatient rehab providers?  Any help will be gratefully received.

 

1 Responses
StrokeLine avatar
StrokeLine

Hi Alicia,

 

We are sorry to hear about your dad's stroke and his recent behaviour. Personality changes can occur after stroke and previous personality traits can also be exacerbated. Your dad may also be experiencing frustration and denial that this has happened to him and responding accordingly with his emotions and anger. This may be his way of coping or a direct result of the damage from the multi-focal stroke or a combination of both. Difficulty controlling emotions (laughter, tears, anger) is not uncommon after stroke. 

 

You might like to start by reading our information on emotional and personality changes after stroke here and here and also check out our fact sheet. There are also some good resources on the Synapse website about personality changes. Is your dad open to communicating how he is feeling? Do you or your mum feel comfortable mentioning that you've noticed these changes and see if he has any awareness of his behaviour or want to talk about how he is feeling? 

 

It would be a good idea to discuss these changes you've observed with his rehabilitation Doctor, the outpatient therapists and the GP. If your dad is agreeable he could be referred to a psychologist if there is one in the rehab team for an assessment and therapy. Otherwise the GP can refer him to a private psychologist using a mental health care plan. You can find a psychologist in your area here.

 

I'm sure there will be other stroke survivors and their family members who will be able to contribute to this discussion from their personal experience as well.

 

Please don't hesitate to call us on StrokeLine to discuss further on 1800 787 653 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). Please note we will be closed from the 24th December and reopen on Monday 4th January. 

 

Best wishes,

 

Simone (occupational therapist for StrokeLine)

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