>From your description, it sounds to me like the "patient" is feeling angry,
helpless, and depressed -- not from any intrinsic psychological disorder,
but reactionary to her health condition(s). The aggressiveness, denial,
etc. could be an attempt to gain control; our perception that we do have
control over our bodies is essentially destroyed in the face of catastrophic
illness. Think how frustrating it would be to have a mind that works
perfectly well inside, but the "signals" get mixed up on the way out -- so
people perceive you as "less" than you know you are. ( I have just learned
about this firsthand, and it's enough to turn anyone "mean".)
Is she receptive to counseling, physical rehab, occupational therapy?
A book you might find helpful is "The American Psychiatric Press Textbook of
Neuropsychotherapy". It contains a wealth of material on cerebrovascular
disease, focusing on the psychological aspects of the post-CVA patient.
Best of luck to you both.
Delphine Ricci wrote in message ...
>I need guidance, information (books, web sites; forum) and advice for a
>patient, female, age 64, with a endomyocardic fibrosis (with a serious risk
>of further embolic episodes) who had several micro strokes and a major
>episode in 1996 which left her aphasic and hemiplegic.
>snipped<
>Can you suggest readings, or any other form of support for cases like this?
>Do you know of any centre which treats cerebral stroke survivors with
>support therapies?
>>Thanks for your help Andrea RICCI
>--
>Reply to andrea.ricci at wanadoo.be>