Curious on anxiety after aneurysm

Anyone else had severe anxiety attacks after their aneurysm rupture experience? Recently i’ve gotten at least two anxiety attacks that have made me end up in the hospital due to me thinking i was having a stroke and losing feeling on my left side. Feelings and sensations were SO real to me… but everything was fine…

1 Like

@jar1997, anxiety attacks can put a damper on things, can’t they? Are you able to seek out a therapist? My Neurologist recommended a CBT which is why I’m working with one over the phone. We don’t have any for adults in our county. The one thing that has been my saving grace is relaxation breathing. I’ve been doing it religiously since I learned it in 1976. Many of our members suffer from PTSD following a rupture. I hope some will come on here and tell you how they’ve managed. I recall some have written mantras down and posted them around the house reminding them of positives.

All the best,
Moltroub

1 Like

My anxiety and panic attacks were starting to get the best of me when I was in stores I started talking with a therapist for those issues and depression and my Dr put me on meds which has helped. I tried the breathing technique that my therapist recommended was fine while at home but not out in public. Hope this helps not saying mine has completely gone but not as bad as it was

1 Like

It’s been over a year with severe anxiety and it has been a challenge, so I can relate with you and others. Talking to a therapist first helped guide me in the right direction. Meditation, mindfulness & breathing techniques were the most helpful. The internet has many options with phone applications that could be of some benefit. I will admit that I never believed in those techniques before, but it reduced my anxiety to a certain degree. There are other options such as meds, CBD, virtual anxiety classes, or acupuncture but everyone is unique. Continue to reach out to others that you can depend on. Take care & wishing you the best.

1 Like

I never had them before surgery (did not rupture, had bypass around my annie); but I have them now when I’m under stress, at night in the form of realistic nightmares. I wake up still seeing them and thinking it’s real, then when I’m fully awake my heart is still racing and pounding and I can’t calm down.

I was actually going to post about this too!! I wonder if the trauma on the brian makes us have these attacks.

1 Like

Hello
This subject resonates with me
as well…I was a slightly anxious previous to my rupture and coiling 3 years ago and certainly became very anxious afterwards and still am nervous of exercise as my very minuscule 2mm aneurysm ruptured during a session on the Elipse at the gym. I have another 2mm aneurysm they are monitoring .They can’t explain why such a tiny aneurysm ruptured???
The Neuro docs said people can live an entire life with 2mm aneurysms never erupting. I worry about the other one erupting.Luckily it has not grown at all in the last 3 years since the first rupture.I do find that overall in time I have less and less anxiety I try very hard to relax with walking music baking reading and connecting with friends and family and try be GRATEFUL THAT I HAVE SURVIVED 95% INTACT.I just start each day trying to live it to the fullest.I have reevaluated my life and have reduced and in some cases eliminated things (food/drinks)and people that are toxic and just try to live with grace and joy and humor that’s it SIMPLE!!! Nobody knows what the future holds …We only have this moment and this day.I count my blessings and I tell people how important they are to me.I don’t hold back.From something very epic and scary came something truly wonderful!!
Cheers, Alice

1 Like

Welcome @Alice28! What wonderful advice you have given! Our members always seem to be challenging the knowledge of Neurosurgery. I spoke to a man the other day whose fiancé had ruptured 5 months prior to their marriage. I believe she also had a small aneurysm. She pulled through and the marriage went as planned. They too have the same feelings of gratitude, purpose and appreciation for life. I look forward to your interactions with other group members.

@trekhard the brain is a wonderful, complex, ever changing organ. It has always fascinated me. I tend to push mine as much as I can, haven’t figured out if that’s good or bad and probably never will. There’s many things that can cause anxiety. For me, it’s a matter of figuring out the 5 W’s (Where, What, When, Why, Who) and resolving it with the How. In psych speech it would be identifying the triggers and learning how to control them. I recall learning our brains resolve issues through dreams and there have been many books written on the subject. Maybe one can help you.

All the best,
Moltroub

Yes, I had anxiety issues post rupture and SAH. I had to eat facing the wall in restaurants and couldn’t handle crowds of people. It went away but it took some time. Be gentle with your self - it gets better.

2 Likes

Thanks for everyone who replied! glad to know i’m not alone! this is just a journey of some self-discovery and education of my aneurysm. thanks guys :slight_smile:

1 Like

My ruptured aneurysm was almost 4 years ago. Constant and horrible anxiety now. Finally went on some meds and I’m able to tolerate it. I will say that everything around me seems louder and faster. I no longer drive highways, and only short distances and backroads. Unfortunately my husband lost much of his vision last year so I am the sole driver now. Very difficult to find mental health int he area I live.

@Annc my driving skills keep improving, or I guess I should say the ability to be in busy traffic, I don’t much drive the freeways, but backroads are good. I stayed out of town when it’s busier and don’t speak when I’m driving, I also have to turn the radio off, too much stimuli.

Also, I don’t know your insurance, I’m on Medicare and opted for United Health. A company called Able To reached out to me and offered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy over the phone! It’s something as a rural dweller to look into. And it’s free to me for 8 weeks, which is really nice.

All the best,
Moltroub

1 Like

Thank you for the reply. I’m just seeing this now. I too need the radio at a minimum. No highway, just short distances on backroads. My rupture was almost 4 years ago. Unfortunately, my husband just lost vision so he is not able to drive. We are early 60’s and no driving. Was the therapy worth your time? I may look into availability. My daily anxiety is at an all time high and I have meds for that, but still when driving everything around me seems so fast and loud!

Thank you for your reply. Sorry for the delay. Trying to figure out this group!

@Annc , sorry to hear about your husband’s vision, that sucks. Early on, I was getting my psych testing done in our county’s “big city”. The Psychologist felt sure I could drive to him, it was after all less than ten miles I suppose. It did not go well that day, a couple emergency vehicles, an accident and some construction coupled with a busy time made me a blubbering idiot. He decided to just talk to me and delayed the testing until another day. What I did the next appointment was to reach out to our county bus transportation. They have special buses, I call them the “short bus”, because they’re short, I could go to appointments at no charge even though I had not yet received my disability. The other thing our county has through one of the Adult Programs is volunteer drivers who will take folks to appointments, or shopping. Even our little city has a place that has volunteer drivers as well as volunteer handy people to do small jobs for folks over 50, I think it is. Of course with the pandemic, everything slowed down to a grinding halt, but they’re getting back up as the numbers drop.

Yes, the therapy has been a great help. I did start a topic on it. You can find it here One way to obtain a therapist

Therapy isn’t a pill that makes things better overnight, it’s a bit of work. The therapist and coach are able to tell when things aren’t good for me and slow down my homework or tweak it. When we decide to go into therapy of any sort, we have to be willing to invest our time and effort into it.

Hoping the best for you both!
Moltroub

2 Likes

Yes definitely had to hold on to someone everytime I went anywhere it gets better with time.