- We can think about stroke as being a chronic disease, a chronic condition where there can be some associated disability where patients aren't physically or cognitively the way they were prior to the event. And the stress associated with that can lead to increased depression and also increase thoughts about, you know wanting to hurt themselves or feeling like they don't want to be around anymore. And so it's not uncommon for stroke survivors because of these things to have those feelings. And that's something that's important to recognize.