Try to calm down, chances are good it's not a stroke, especially given your age... look in the mirror and smile. Seriously. If your smile is crooked, if one side of your mouth will not curve up to form a smile, that's a sign of a stroke. Raise both arms. If you cannot lift one of them without difficulty, that's a sign of a stroke. Speak out loud. Say anything. Read out loud, whatever. Are your words garbled, or are they clear? Garbled words are a sign of a stroke. If you have none of these signs, chances are excellent you've just scared yourself really badly, and your reaction is caused by anxiety.

just kinda calm down there. i know there are sometimes where I get something and I get scared thinking it's major when it's just another side effect of anxiety but getting yourself even more worked up will not help. just take calm deep breaths and maybe try to do some things that relax you during anxiety. good luck and I hope you're alright.

I was able to do all those things that you listed. So does that mean im not having a stroke... My left side still feels weaker than my right.... but i can smile and i can raise both arms over my head, and i can talk good. I can also balance on my left leg fine..... Gosh i hope this is just anxiety :(

Yes, it's just the anxiety. You will be fine. All of us on this site will be. Some of us know how to handle anxiety effectively and others (myself included) do not. It is a very scary feeling. I have no words of wisdom because I am still fairly new to this and I feel like the things I do DON'T HELP me one bit. It could be because I am scared I will always be this way and therefore my mind is not able to tell my body to calm down. WE HAVE TO BELIEVE WE WILL BE OK. If we don't this can ruin us. I pray you will find peace. I pray I will find peace.

Christine

I am so glad I found this site I have had anxiety about everything for years as far as I can remember. I find I have a lot of physical problems as well and go so far as to make the doctors check me constantly even though my health is normal. Hang tight and get a good therapist.

Hugs
Jenn

Is this the first time you have had these symptoms and did they occur after the anxiety attack or before? Stress and anxiety can effect us in many ways. Watch your symptoms and rest and see if they begin to resolve and you may be feeling better. If they get worse you may want to contact your doctor.

:-) Patricia

Just remember, if you are typing, you are not having a stroke.

It is SO rare for somebody of your age to have an issue like a stroke or a heart attack or cancer or any type of serious illness. That is why most people your age die of accidents. Luckily for people with anxiety.......we are VERY careful, so odds are in our favor for that one too! ;)

Sounds like a full blown panic attack. You are able to type and it's not garbled. If you were having a stroke I don't think you would be typing. A panic attack will make you feel like you're having a heart attack(most common), going crazy(second most common) or stroke(least common). You will not die from a panic attack, so rest assured you are not going to die. This is known as the fight or flight response. Your adrenal glands have just dumped adrenaline into your blood stream, the blood is moving away from your head and pooling in the center of your body to protect the organs and your heart rate has increased to probably double your resting rate and your muscles are tensed for fight or flight. All this happens in a perceived threat of physical danger. The surreal sense you're feeling(like you're going crazy or cluttered and not making sense) is called dissociation or dissociative event, because you're body feels it's in danger and the main focus is to fight or run. So in another protective manner, the brain disengages a bit to focus on the perceived danger. Only thing is, there is no danger. The muscles will feel weak on one or both sides, arms, legs or both. Sometimes there will be tingling in the left hand or left side of face. This is a result of hyperventilation. The muscle weakness is due to lactic acid release from overly tensed muscles. Too much oxygen, without releasing enough carbon dioxide. You have to thin your mixture, so to speak. Slow you're breathing down, in through nose out through mouth. Breathe with your diaphragm, not your chest. Lie down while dong this. Get your breathing down to about three to four breaths a minute. Focus on nothing else. No dying, no stroke, no visions of the emergency room. Only breathing. Focus on the parts that feel weak. Let the oxygen get back into the muscles. Think calm,"I am having a panic attack. I am not dying. This will pass". Focus on breathing. Your heart rate will come down. Your muscles will relax. Do this until it has passed. Rise slowly when you get up. The more you learn breathing techniques, the more rapidly you will be able to recover from or avert an attack altogether. If you feel your panic is getting the best of you, see your doctor and discuss treatment options, such as medication, therapy or both. You're very young. The sooner you make a plan for feeling better, the sooner you will feel better. Take it slow, and smile. You did not die, and you are not crazy. You just scared yourself. You are not alone. You are going to be fine. You are among those who care and understand. If you message me, I have some very good tips, CDs on biofeedback and reading material that are well known, highly regarded that I would love to share with you.

There is truth to breathing. I follow Dr. Weil's breathing technique called the calming breathe. He says to first exhale or sigh and then inhale throught your nose (lips are closed) to a count of 4. Hold the breathe to a count of 7, then blow the air through your mouth to a count of 8. He also says to put the tip of your tongue on the hard part of your palate behind your front teeth as you are blowing out.

Do this exercise 4 times. I do mine in the morning on my daily drive to work. You can work your way up to 8 times when you feel comfortable.

I wish you peace.