New, need advice

Hi, I believe I may have had an anxiety attack today. It's never happened before, so I'm not sure. A little background: I am 57, and had a stroke 3 years ago. Since then, I don't handle stress well. Today, I needed to make a phone call that really stressed me out. When I held my phone in my hand with the number ready, I started to shake badly, cry, became short of breath, and my blood pressure shot up. I felt a slight tightness in my chest, and generally had a sense that things were "different". This lasted for several hours. I tried to take deep, calming breaths, and told myself aloud to stop. It finally eased up, but now I feel sore all over. Is that what it was? Thank you to anyone for any advice.

Hi MarieD and welcome.

I am sorry to hear of your experience today :( That does sound like a panic episode, but as lesweet mentioned...consulting with your doctor should be your next step.

Anytime there is a new or worsening physical response...even if it is anxiety related, it is safe protocol to get it checked out medically.

if you find that it was indeed anxiety related, please feel free to check out our Resources here (main page, 1st post) there are great stress relieving exercises to be found there. Also keep talking with us for support!

I hope you find the answers that you need and feel better soon.:)

Scaredy Cat