It's very common to experience depression or anxiety after a stroke, beyond the expected fear and early sadness. But as challenging as these conditions are, they can be treated, and recovery is common.

In this podcast, we talk about out why people experience depression and anxiety after stroke, what it feels like, and how to get help that works.

Our guests are:

• Associate Professor Maree Hackett from the George Institute for Global Health, who conducts research on depression in cardiovascular diseases such as stroke.

• Luke Webb, a young stroke survivor and stage, television and film actor.

• Simone Russell, occupational therapist from StrokeLine.

To mark Nutrition and Hydration Week 2017, we’re taking a look at how to make sure you eat and drink well after a stroke.

Our guest is Alana Stewart from the Stroke Foundation. Alana is a speech pathologist with a Masters in Human Nutrition, who currently runs the StrokeConnect Follow-up service in Victoria.

Thanks also go to Jacqui Heward, Accredited Practising Dietitian and member of the Dietitians Association of Australia, who provided some of the content.

This podcast was brought to you by Nestlé Health Science.

Pain is common after stroke. It can start while the body is healing, but it can also stick around long term. When it does, it makes daily life difficult, and can wear you down over time. But even if you can't make your pain go away, it's still possible to do something about it.

Sex. We all think about it, but many of us find it difficult to discuss, which means it's a part of life that is often neglected in stroke rehabilitation. But while it is a big part of relationships, it's also not the only thing. There are many ways that stroke can challenge the dynamics between partners. In this episode, we're going to break the silence on these important aspects of a fulfilling post stroke life

The internet is full of health information, and there are so many people offering treatments for stroke, that it can be hard to know what to trust. Especially when you're well and in need of help, you can be very vulnerable to misinformation. So how do you find information that's based on real evidence, and how do you know someone claiming to be a health professional is genuine?

We're going to try to find out how to find evidence-based information and how to sort the good from the bad.

Our guests for this episode are:

• Professor Tammy Hoffmann, a clinical epidemiologist from Bond University who specialises in evidence-based practice.

• Dan Englund, who had a stroke at 38-years-old but who has recovered enough to complete a 1000-km run.

• Jude Czerenkowski, a social worker and national manager of Stroke Connect for the Stroke Foundation.

Communication is a very important part of life. This means that losing the ability to speak can have very big impact. About one-third of stroke survivors have speech and language problems, such as aphasia.

In this podcast, we talk about what it's like living with a communication disorder and what can be done to help.

Fatigue is one of the biggest disabilities that stroke survivors face. It’s more than just regular tiredness that can be relieved by a good night’s sleep. Fatigue can hold back your recovery and keep you from getting your life back to normal. It’s also an invisible disability, meaning it can be hard to get support. But there are things that can be done: we look at the latest research evidence and advice about dealing with post-stroke fatigue.

People often associate stroke with muscle weakness. After all, that’s one of the F.A.S.T. signs. But after a stroke you can sometimes find your muscles are too tight, leading to stiffness in your legs, arms and fingers. This is what is known as spasticity, and it can cause spasms, it can affect your limb positions and it can be painful.

For anyone who’s had a stroke, one of the biggest fears is whether it will happen again. We speak to general practitioner and author Dr Bill Williams, stroke survivor Nikki Mennel and occupational therapist Simone Russell about how not to let that anxiety hold you back. And with Australia’s Biggest Blood Pressure Check underway, we discuss what you can do to reduce your risk.

The number one topic stroke survivors ask us about is neuroplasticity, and how to take advantage of the brain’s amazing potential to change itself. But there’s still a lot of confusion about what it actually entails, what to expect, or even who can help you with it. We speak to physiotherapy lecturer Michelle McDonnell, neuroscientist Lavinia Codd, stroke survivor Karen Bayly and occupational therapist Simone Russell about their experience of retraining the brain.