Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming opens up about her grief over his diagnosis

Emma Heming Willis has admitted that grief over her husband Bruce Willis' aphasia diagnosis is "paralysing" at times.

The 46-year-old star took to Instagram to reflect on her summer as she copes with her husband's diagnosis with the condition – which affects language and speech – and his decision to step away from acting in March.

Emma captioned a video montage: "This was the summer of self discovery – finding new hobbies, going out of my comfort zone and staying active.

"My grief can be paralyzing but I'm learning how to live along side it. As my step-daughter @scoutlaruewillis told me, grief is the deepest and purest form of love. I hope you find some comfort in that too (sic)"

The model's montage was set to Aretha Franklin's song I Say A Little Prayer and featured clips of her using a fitness mirror, gardening, playing tennis and doing some painting.

Emma finished her post with a shout out for National Grief Awareness Day, which takes place on 30 August every year.

The star previously explained how caring for Bruce had "taken a toll" on her mental health.

Emma, who has been married to the Die Hard actor since 2009 and shares daughters Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, eight, with him, said: "I struggle with making the time for self-care every day. I put my family’s needs above my own, which I found does not make me any kind of hero. That amount of care for everyone else within my household had taken a toll on my mental health and overall health, and it served no one in my family.

"Someone told me not long ago that when you over-care for someone, you end up under-caring for yourself. That stopped me in my tracks and really resonated with me."

What is aphasia?

According to Mayo Clinic, aphasia can begin with trouble communicating. Someone with aphasia might have trouble finding the correct words, substitute the wrong words for each other or speak in short sentences that are difficult or impossible to understand.

These issues are related to brain damage in the left side of the brain, which controls language, Johns Hopkins University says.

While its presentations can vary, aphasia is usually a symptom of a broader medical issue. It may result from a stroke, head injury or tumour, or develop due to a degenerative brain condition.

While potential drug therapies are being tested, current treatment options are limited. Patients may undergo language and speech rehabilitation, which are focused on restoring as much language as possible and finding other ways to communicate in order to replace language that is lost for good.

"Recovery of language skills is usually a relatively slow process," Mayo Clinic says.

"Although most people make significant progress, few people regain full pre-injury communication levels."

- Bang! Showbiz, additional reporting by NZ Herald