Coping with Anxiety After a Stroke

By: Alison Shapiro, Guest Contributor
Stroke Survivor, Mindfulness Teacher, and Author of Healing into Possibility: The Transformational Lessons of a Stroke

It’s not at all unusual for stroke survivors and their family members to feel anxious after a stroke. So much changes so suddenly. As a stroke survivor myself, I certainly experienced anxiety: in the hospital, at the rehab center, and after I returned home. Not only were my physical and mental abilities different, but my family had to adjust as well.

Recovery is a journey, and things continue to shift along the way. One of the hardest parts for me was realizing how unpredictable day-to-day life had become. That unpredictability made me feel uneasy and anxious.

If you’re feeling anxious after a stroke, please don’t fault yourself for what you feel. If you’re feeling anxious after a stroke, please don’t blame yourself. Talk to the people you love and to your care providers. Getting the right support can help you better focus on your healing and recovery.

For me, understanding the different causes of post-stroke anxiety helped me feel less alone and more in control. Here are some of the things I experienced and what helped:

1. Let Go of Overthinking

After my stroke, I found myself constantly asking, “Why did this happen to me?” I’d loop that question in my mind until I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. The truth is, I couldn’t change what happened. Learning to let go of that question helped me focus on the present and on taking care of myself.

2. Slow Down

I often felt physically agitated — as though my mind or body were racing. Even now, more than 20 years post-stroke, I still get anxious when I feel like everything is going too fast. Slowing down, taking deep breaths, and doing one thing at a time helps ground me. It’s a habit I practice regularly.

3. Stay Present

It’s easy to worry about what might happen next. But I learned that I can only work with what’s happening right now. Worrying about an imagined future didn’t help me — it only increased my anxiety. Staying present helped my brain rewire and gave me the best shot at recovery.

4. Reconnect with Others

After my stroke, I couldn’t go to the places I loved or spend time with many of the people I cared about. That sense of isolation was painful. But I kept working on recovery, and gradually, I found new ways to connect. Over time, I rebuilt my social life and now my relationships are even deeper and richer than they were before. With a little planning, I can go where I want and be with the people I love.

5. Learn to Accept Help

One of the hardest changes was going from someone who helped others to someone who needed help. At first, I resisted it. But with time and practice, I learned when to ask for help — and when to say, “I’ve got this.” Finding that balance made things easier for me and for those around me.

6. Allow Yourself to Grieve

A stroke changes a lot. And with change often comes grief. I needed to give myself permission to feel that sadness, not to wallow, but to honor what I had lost. Sometimes I needed support and comfort from others to process those feelings. And once I did, I could turn my attention back to recovery with more strength and clarity.

7. Face Your Fears — Safely

After a stroke, it’s common to fear falling or getting hurt again. I certainly did. And it made sense; any injury could interfere with recovery. What helped was acknowledging those fears and learning to work with them. By thinking through tasks and practicing them step-by-step, I built both confidence and safety. Facing my fears helped me relax, reduced my anxiety, and made me more flexible and resilient.

8. Find New Ways to Do Things

After a stroke, we often have to relearn how to do everyday tasks — or discover completely new ways to do them. Recovery is both a science and an art. For example, I now use a walking stick on uneven ground and go up stairs differently. A friend of mine, who loves to cook, now uses a one-handed cutting board and still makes amazing meals! There’s no one “right” way to do anything. Recovery invites us to be creative and adaptable. I’ve actually had fun inventing new ways to get things done.

Anxiety is a normal part of the stroke recovery journey. But with awareness, support, and practice, we can learn to work with it, not be ruled by it. You are not alone in how you feel, and there is help out there. Recovery takes time, patience, and kindness — especially toward yourself. But it’s worth it.

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