When Aphasia Doesn’t Go Away: Some Thoughts on Living With It
by Audrey Holland on June 23, 2010
You had a stroke and became aphasic about 6-8 months or more. You have done everything that rehab specialists have asked you to do. You have gotten much better, probably more than you can recognize, but you still have aphasia. Now what?
Never ever give up
Nobody WANTS aphasia. But there it is. It is easier to get better if you take the first step… figure out that it won’t go away easily. This means acknowledging that it is IN YOUR LIFE. Try thinking, “I have aphasia. It sucks, but I have it!” Then you can take the next BIG step—moving on. It might seem odd, but acknowledgment and acceptance actually put aphasia in its place. It really does.
Acknowledgment is active. It permits YOU to be the boss of YOU instead of letting APHASIA be the boss of YOU! And then you can choose to move on (or not if you choose). For some people, moving on might mean:
- Stopping the fight for words, and beginning to learn strategies for getting around the fight
- Noticing again all the good things that are still in your life
- Picking up a new skill or hobby, like painting, that helps you forget about the aphasia for a little while
- Spending more time with the grandkids who probably don’t even pay any attention to aphasia and love you just as hard as ever.
- Getting over mourning your losses. (It’s a new you! You can get Handicapped Parking!)
- Continuing to seek improvement in your speech and language. But now you should be able to see that small changes are victories; You don’t have to wait for the return of language before you can celebrate!
I believe strongly in never giving up. But I also believe in living each day for itself, and if aphasia is in the picture, that means giving it respect, and moving on. This is the first step in living successfully with aphasia! CAN YOU TAKE THIS STEP?