My father had a mini-stroke two years ago and since then things have declined; more rapidly in the last few months. He is 80 now. He is not the same man he was prior to the stroke in many respects. His emotional change has been stressful on us all (for the life of me I don't know how my stepmom manages). It has affected every relationship he has/had. Frankly, he is difficult to be around. I miss my dad.

I mentioned this all to my psychiatrist. He actually knew my father professionally. He mentioned he noticed this all too. My psychiatrist happens to work with people with neurological problems - especially those with head injuries - which have triggered mental health disorders. He says absolutely that a mini-stroke can permanently injure the brain causing physical and mental disorders. All we can do is try to be supportive and understanding. Meanwhile, I have encouraged my stepmom to go ahead and travel as she and my dad used to.

rtlane, I also want to comment on your mother's belief she has a stomach issue. For the last 4-5 years of my mother's life she had something called diabetic stomach. It is really hard to diagnose as things generally appear normal. She herself did not eat - she was afraid to as she insisted it caused a great deal of pain. She lost a massive amount of weight as a result and the doctors were throwing their hands in the air with frustration. They too got psychiatric help involved. The conclusion was that if they could find a way to treat her fear of eating that the problem would be solved. By this time the woman weighed less than 100lbs. So what they did was treat her with anti-psychotics ---- and cannabis. She was reluctant to do so but it worked. The added side effect of the munchies was a bonus as she then wanted to eat. She put on 50lbs which in turn alleviated other health issues. Frankly, she was a much better person to be around.