Becoming normal: a grounded theory study on the emotional process of stroke recovery

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to examine the emotional process of stroke recovery, personally experienced by stroke survivors. Nine stroke survivors living in Atlantic Canada participated in this study. Data collection came from formal unstructured interviews and one group interview. The central problem experienced by these stroke survivors was being less than 100%. The basic social process used to address this problem was becoming normal, which is composed of three stages: recognizing stroke will not go away, choosing to work on recovery, and working on being normal. Each stage has several phases. Being less than 100% is the emotional result of being unable to do certain things that serve to form individuals' identities. A critical finding was that physical and emotional recovery is inseparable, and recovery is directed towards regaining the ability to perform these certain things. Becoming normal was influenced both positively and negatively by the following conditions: personal strengths and attributes, past history, family support, professional support, faith and comparing self to peers. The results of this study have implications for nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research. It adds to nursing knowledge by illuminating the close relationship between physical and emotional recovery, the duration of the stroke recovery process, and the necessity for survivors to make a deliberate choice to recover.