Have you ever had your brain stop working when in a stressful situation?

[oregoncoastlady]

It happened to me yesterday. I took my dad to his first chemo treatment. Mind you, my stress level has been pretty high anyway with my dad's cancer stuff and surgery, but I thought I was handling it pretty well. And, the whole chemo thing has been freaking me out a bit. So, we go into the chemo room and it is filled with happy, old people chatting and smiling and eating snacks and cookies...and they are all hooked up to their chemo treatments. My dad sits in a recliner and he is calm. My legs got wobbly, my heart was pounding, I was lightheaded. I knew it was anxiety and tried to breathe through it. It didn't work. Once my dad was settled in I told him I was going to get  some air and cup of decaf. I wanted to run out of there, but my legs were too wobbly! I drove to the coffee shop and got my latte and then called my mom to let her know how things were going. I'm still feeling pretty stressed out at the time. She starts asking me a hundred questions and all of a sudden my brain just stops. It goes completely blank. I'm aware of my surroundings, but my brain just didn't want to work! It lasted for about five or ten seconds. I got off the phone and drove back to the cancer center. (My dad slept though his chemo treatment!) It didn't happen again.

I was busy today and forgot about the brain thing. Then it popped into my head and sort of scared me. Was it a seizure???? Or just stress overload?

[TJE123]

Wow I posted a very similar thing happening to me, except with short term memory. It is probably all just anxiety, right?

[mollyfin]

When my dad had his heart attack, I completely shut down.  Luckily my legs and mouth still worked so I could make the 911 call but my brain was a total blank.  I think it's adrenaline, but I'm not sure. 

[oregoncoastlady]

I was just reading about stress and the brain freezing up. Sometimes the internet can be helpful. Of course, I would still feel better hearing about what others have experienced. Adrenaline definitelyplays a role.

[bertybotts]

Of course this is stress. Stress releases DOZENS OF CHEMICALS (yes, many!!) into your blood. It will play with hormones, chemicals, neurotransmitters, vital hormones, and every bodily system.
Try to calm down. I've had my brain stop working dozens of times. It can be scary, but it's more of a WTF moment.

[gcalex]

Look at it logically.  You were under extreme stress and having a panic attack.  Do you think that's the reason, or do you think just coincidentally out of the blue you had a seizure at that exact moment? 

[Evap]

I posted a thread about this a month or two back. I was at work one day, very stressed. I sat down at my computer, and for about 10 seconds, I was completely gone. I had no clue who or where I was. And then it just came back after a second, and hasn't happened since. I think we just reach points in our brains where they have to shut off for a second and breathe.

[oregoncoastlady]

Good point, gcalex. Of course, I could argue that the stress brought on the seizure...though it is pretty unlikely at 52 years old  for it to suddenly occur. Stress is a pain in the butt and my brain is tired.

[gcalex]

Good point, gcalex. Of course, I could argue that the stress brought on the seizure...though it is pretty unlikely at 52 years old  for it to suddenly occur. Stress is a pain in the butt and my brain is tired.

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I seriously doubt panic could cause an actual seizure.  You're just overstressed.

[oregoncoastlady]

I know. Fatigue and anxiety don't mix well. It weakens all the HA barriers. HA is ridiculous and frustrating and it will pass. It usually does.