Anxiety and nerves

Emotional effects
21

Hi Linda, I had a Cerbellar stroke in October 2018. I was adament that it affected my eyesight, so I had quite a few tests done that proved me wrong.Appears to be anxiety that's affects mine. 
 

At the time I couldn't walk into a supermarket, without the lights going brighter, room starting to spin, body feeling sweaty and heart pounding. In my head I would always think, oh no I am having another stroke. I use to run out of supermarkets in bags of tears. 

On a night, I would struggle to get to sleep because my body was aching so much. Could Feel, what felt like to me, my blood flowing through my body and I even went back to the doctors who said try a CBT course through work. 
 

It was the best thing I did.It allows you to understand more of why your body reacts like it does & in time you become better prepared in how to cope.
 

The best explanation I heard about anxiety was imagine a lion suddenly appears and your trapped in a room with it. Automatically you see this threat & are feared for your life. How do you think your body would react?  As that is what's happening with your anxiety now, constantly seeing threats after your stroke.. which is only natural. In time things start to become back the norm aslong as you fight your anxiety. 

Dont get me wrong, i still suffer a bit here and there. But I recognise now when it's happening & they never seem as bad as they did at the start. 

I also use calming/nature music to help me drift off after a hot bath/shower. 

I hope this helps x

22

I had my stroke 7 years ago and still get anxiety - especially at night or when things change without warning. I have no depression so that ties in with the diagnosis of where I had the stroke. I find the only thing that helps and allows me to sleep is breath meditation. It takes a while but I usually drop of to sleep easily then. It is more difficult to deal with when plans are changing and a lot is going on.

23

I had my stroke in November 2019. I was lucky to recover completely, apart from the lethargy aspect. I find that if I do too much in a day the lethargy & anxiety kicks in. Despite taking an anti depressant each night to help me sleep, they don't always work. I also use a 'sleep spray' when I have bad days/nights to calm me. I find that talking about my anxiety helps. It may sound like a broken record to my family, but it helps them to understand what's going on with me. 

24

My daughter had a stroke in March 2020. She was treated over the weekend, and sent home on the Sunday morning. Her treatment was excellent, she was struggling to talk, left sided paralysis very confused. We appreciate that the hospital was coping with Covid, when she went home there was absolutely no support from anywhere. Fortunately I'm a retired nurse and have nursed stroke patients, so her husband and I managed to do a care plan.She is now so much better, and able to care for her two young boys. She was seen by a consultant in September 6 months later. No after care, no physio. She's 42 and dread to think how she would be had it not been for her family, with the help of my stroke guide. I dread to think how other stroke victims cope.Thank you my stroke guide. 

25

I had a stroke in July 2020 and i was in hospital for a month the physio in hospital was excellent but since I have been home I havent had any. Your daughter is very lucky to have you to help her. 

 

26

Going back five years, the after care, in my area, for six weeks was top class. Then pretty much zero. But i could access a GP plus i went for yoga and counselling. And the stroke forum was better than today.
Since March 2020 i have felt quite distressed for recent stroke survivors . 

I think it is up to us to make the effort, my view is that no one else can get us recovery, we need to do it ourselves. However, my theory assumes there is back up when we need it. The current situation is alarming.

I found the stroke association leaflets excellent.

Stroke is the cinderella disability. Thank goodness for nurses and other medical staff.

colin

 

 

27

It certainly sounds as though your daughter was extremely fortunate to have your care and support, thank goodness for that, but ... how sad that she was sent home so quickly without a support package, and even now it sounds as though she is still being left to her own devices.  

Stroke is such a lottery, in every respect, but particularly in the care a stroke patient receives at all stages of the process.  I'm horrified at the stories I read on this site, where people have been so neglected.  I wonder what it will take for stroke to have a higher profile and gain recognition for the impact it has on lives.  

Thank you for your post, and it's so good to hear that your daughter has made such good progress.  With all good wishes for this to continue ??

28

I also had a stroke in November last year. I was lucky to make a good recovery and had excellent support from the stroke support team who suggested to try 'mindfullness' for anxiety. i found the breathing very helpful and use it when i feel worries coming up. Talking to a therapist was also very useful. Just having somebody say that what one feels is quite normal after a stroke is very helpful. you don't always want to burden th family with it all. Lack of confidence and constant tiredness and exhaustion were hard in the bginning but they are getting better. there is hope!

29

There are lots of videos on YouTube on mindfulness, which I have found very useful.

30

hi. 4 years on and its not like it was in the first year but its never far away. fatigue is the main catalyst, its really difficult to pace yourself. i returned to full time work and suffer daily. 

31

Hello two eyes,

It does take a fair amount of discipline to keep focussing on life's positives, especially when you're pushing yourself to work full time, which is demanding in itself. You are at least acknowledging that something is off-balance, which is good - recognition is the first and sometimes biggest step.

I'm ten years post-stroke and have learnt to better switch off anxious thoughts, sometimes willing myself to stop dwelling or thinking about a single thing. This does usually work but I supplement it with having a good exercise routine. take a low dose of antidepressants and do breathing exercises several times a week.

Exercise has probably been the biggest single method of overcoming this. it helped with the fatigue and my full-time working was four hours of commuting, ten hours of working, five days a week and occasional weekends too.

 

Take care now and keep us all updated on how things are going for you,

 

Damian

 

32

I lost my mother and father within a year of each other 2019 then my wife passed away in April this year after a battle with bowel cancer for a year. I suffered mini stroke in May...few side effects other than sudden tiredness just have to give in to it..

33

I also had mini stroke May this year. On blood thinner no support from gp or hospital due to current restrictions. Keep taking the pills... 

34

Thats a long time two eyes. I am coming up five years and SF was always the big issue.

i got a lot better when i had the right amount of sleep. It took many,many months to achieve good sleep. I also realized it was no good fighting SF, i just had to rest whenever it started up.

research might be trying to help all the fatigue/exhaustion that affects several illnesses.

Just a thought ; are you certain that your fatigue is from the stroke ? 
after three and a half years i now grasp that the fatigue changed ever so slightly. After four and a bit years i discovered i had aortic stenosis, which felt just like SF except it was worsening not easing.

sorting the stenosis (replacing the valve) and at last the SF left me.

colin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35

My anxiety is horrendous at the moment it's been a year since my stroke ? 

I have no idea why it's so frustrating it's just constant waves of anxiety that does not let up ?

36

One idea is to concentrate on getting good night time sleep, 7   or  8  hours perhaps. Then get out of bed and do not go back during the day. You need relaxation sessions, perhaps it needs to be online.

you must be exhausted with all this anxiety. Its draining.

best wishes

colin

37

I suffer from terrible anxiety at the moment,  worry about my family ,Covid,hospital visits .I am scared. Try and keep myself busy but they are long days.....

38

Keeping busy is a very good idea.

relaxation techniques are also highly beneficial.

and getting adequate sleep is helpful.

and exercise.

i will not have time to return to work or its equivalent !
 

i have had spells of anxiety in the past, but this time i am genuinely frightened. 
this latest lockdown has to be a benefit. Lets just get through winter then review where we all stand.

keep strong June. Keep strong.

best wishes

colin

39

Hi June 

you are not alone with your anxieties, I think we are all suffering from them to some degree. I know my stroke survivor husband is paranoid about covid.  My anxiety is trying to get in contact with a GP about the blood test I have just had.  I saw a letter in Saga magazine where a retired Doctor had referred to all GPS  as Dr Doolittles.  I am sure they are all very busy but I don't like it when attempts to contact them are met with ' We are not taking anymore calls today'.  It makes me feel abandoned and very worried.  Our NHS is not quite quite broken but it is creaking badly.  I do think talking about one S worries does help, so keep posting to us all.  Marylin

 

40

Hi June, Pipgran is right, everyone is suffering from a certain amount of anxiety at the moment, but keep posting and checking in with the folks on this site - you are not alone.  I'm trying not to freak out, as I have a niece and nephew who work in ICU, and A&E in a tier 4 area, they have a 4 year old child and I'm so worried for them as they're exhausted.  

Yesterday I watched an amazing DVD.  I had been sent it for C'mas, but never thought I'd watch it!  It's called "The Sleigh Ride", it's a BBC production, and basically it's a journey following two female reindeer herders, crossing the landscape within the Arctic circle.  There's no music, no commentary, nothing - just the video of the journey.  Guess what?  I was absolutely mesmerised!!!  It sounds crazy, but just watching these girls walk their reindeer across the snow was just a beautiful distraction!!  (Or maybe I'm just going a little ga-ga!).  As it's a BBC production I'm wondering if it's possible to find it on the i-player or YouTube.  If you can access it, it's very soothing and captivating.  If it buys you some time away from your worries it's worth it !!  

Also the breathing exercises, which are well publicised, will help if you are able to practice them regularly.  I've used the technique with lots of children over the years in teaching, if you focus on your breathing for 10 minutes you will find that you feel calmer.  

I don't want to venture into any political arena, but people like to feel in control of their lives, to make plans etc, when everything seems so uncertain, and guidelines keep changing, it makes us all wobbly.  We can only control our own environments, we can't worry about the bigger picture.  Make a decision to try some breathing exercises, or to watch the birds for 20 minutes, something simple, and hopefully this will give you a focus ( I don't have any beautiful camelias, but my brave little daffodils are poking their heads above ground, so I'm watching them!!)

Ooo-er, I've gone OTT again!!!  Don't be lonely, we're always here.  Try the sleigh ride, I'm sure you'll enjoy it ?  xxxx