“I am never depressed,” 68-year-old Malcolm Myatt says

Aug 13, 2013 20:01 GMT  ·  By

68-year-old Malcolm Myatt from Cannock, Staffordshire is incapable of experiencing sadness. Oddly enough, this is not because he has figured out how to control his mood with the help of one wacky meditation technique or the other.

On the contrary, this real-life Mr. Happy, as some have called him, lost his ability to feel down in the dumps after suffering a major stroke.

Specialists explain that, when Malcolm was hit by the stroke back in 2004, his brain's frontal lobe was severely damaged.

Since said part of the brain is the one in charge of controlling emotions, it makes sense that Malcolm soon found that he was immune to feelings of sadness and depression.

The retired truck driver argues that, as shocking as this may sound, he is quite pleased with this status quo, and doesn't mind that he feels happy or at least neutral all the time.

“I am never depressed. I would rather be happy all the time than the other way round,” he maintains.

Then again, since he is incapable of experiencing sadness or depression, it is no wonder that he does not feel the need to complain about how the stroke has affected his life.

Wife Kath explains that the rest of the family has also come to terms with the situation and enjoys spending time in Malcolm's company.

“He’s very childish now. It’s infectious. When Malcolm starts laughing everyone in the room does. If he’s in hysterics, everyone else is too,” Kath says.

“It’s worst when we go to a funeral. He’ll still be smiling and telling jokes while everyone else is completely sombre,” she adds.

The Mirror informs us that, in the aftermath of the stroke, Malcolm's short-term memory has taken a turn for the worse.

Thus, the man has difficulties remembering recent events, but has no issues recollecting things that happened in the distant past.

“It has affected his short term memory. He can remember things he did 20 years ago but cannot remember the last week,” wife Kath explains.

Specialists say that it is not uncommon for stroke victims to experience changes in their behavior or in the way they see the world.

Depending on what part of the brain has been affected, one can wake up to find that they are no longer able to pin down the emotions felt by others, or that they can no longer feel certain emotions themselves.