Hi everyone, I had a stroke in early march, 1 week after my 30th birthday. Almost 8 weeks have passed and I feel so lost and hopeless. Everyday is different for me, some with extreme fatigue when doing nothing, others extreme paranoia and anxiety, others complete frustration and anger. My life has changed so much, I’m not working anymore, barely go outside and feel a general hopelessness for life. Any tips for recovering would be appreciated 
my left side and arm has no sensation or feeling, I have distorted taste and smell, struggle with balance, emotional and as I mentioned fatigue. How do I accept I’ve had a stroke and stop thinking the more I push my body and brain I will miraculously recover and be back to my old self, when my old self is gone 
Laura from Glasgow
Mention to your doctor or consultant that you are struggling.
What you are experiencing is what most people go through immediately after stroke.
Contact the Stroke Association who will help you with advice and can put you in touch with someone in a similar situation to yours.
Talking and communicating is excellent therapy.
You will discover you are not alone. Others are going through the same ups and downs. There is a way forward, you are still there and over time you will begin to make sense of it all.
Best wishes
for a brighter tomorrow.
Hi @Laura95
Welcome to the Online Community, I’m sorry to hear about your stroke and how your struggling at the moment.
I would suggest having a read through of some of our information we have on our webpage. You can read more about fatigue, anxiety, emotional changes and much more.
I would also encourage you, if you can, to get out to a support group. If there isn’t one in your area there are also lots of online groups and the Stroke Association run Online Activities which will help you meet people going through similar experiences.
I hope that you’ll also find this community helpful, there is a wealth of knowledge here so please do ask any questions that may arise for you and if you need anything whilst you’re using the Online Community, please don’t hesitate to tag me using the @ symbol and my username.
Wishing you well.
Anna
Hello Laura - Welcome to the community, where perhaps you will feel found 
What you are experiencing is likely not easy and with you being young it may even be harder to accept the new enforced state you find yourself in.
Acceptance might be a good starting point, then a review of what has happened, where you’re at and where you would like to be. Then you can start planning towards achieving your goal(s).
Like anything in life, it will not be straight forward, there will be ups and there will be downs. You may take two steps forward and then one step back. But this is not so unusual and happens in all walks of life and to all sorts of people.
If I may suggest, and it may not be relevant to you, try not to think of yourself as a stroke victim. Stroke has happened, and yes it is probably one of the worst things that can happen to anyone, but perhaps if you accept that it is another medical condition and there are things that you can do to help yourself to live with the condition and to improve the quality of your life.
Each of us react and cope in different ways and we have to find what works for us. Others can advise and suggest but ultimately it is for us to find what works for us and importantly what does not work for us. If something does not work, do not despair - ditch it and find something new.
There are so many different roads you can follow on the journey that is ahead of you. Your will make choices, some of which will be good and help, others less so. But remember, nothing you do is ever wrong as you always get something out of it and you will learn from it.
You can push your body and mind as much or as little as you want. The choice is yours. You can push a lot or push a little. Either way, your body and your mind will respond - you will get feedback. It is for you to use that feedback to decide what to do next. Do you want to push more or less? Do you want to stay on the road, or change direction?
You are here, now where do you want to go?
Namaste|
@Laura95 hi & welcome to the community. Sorry to hear about your stroke & your subsequent struggles.
First thing I would say is all that you are feeling is normal. You are very early days & have had a major event happen. That takes some understanding & getting your head around.
Secondly at this stage your brain needs plenty of rest so it can do its repair work. Pushing too hard will have the opposite affect to what you want. Instead of getting better quicker you’ll likely not progress because the brain will shut down when it has had enough.
Take it one step, one day at a time. Small goals. Don’t try & do everything at once. Recovery from a stroke takes months / yeara not days / weeks. learn to work with your hrain / body and the rest will follow.
Best wishes
Ann
Hi @Laura95 and welcome to the forum and you are certainly not alone here. 
But what a crap birthday present to give to yourself 
Oh I remember those feelings and experiences so well, just as I’ve no doubt everyone else does on here
But the good news is that it can and does get better! And you have the added bonus of time and youth on your side, so you can do a happy dance inside your head 
The brain loves positivity, believe me, it responds so much better to positive vibes 
One thing is for sure, there is no miraculous overnight fix!
The first 6mths is all about healing and mop up in the brain and getting what it can up and running again. And all the things you mention such as sensation or feeling, distorted taste and smell, struggle with balance, emotion, fatigue, they are all affected/impacted. And that in itself is fatiguing! Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean you haven’t done a full day’s hard graft. Because your brain has! It’s currently working double time because it still has to maintain all current functionality too. So it’s really working phenomenally hard and doesn’t take too kindly to being put like that, it’s no slacker I can assure
So yes, every day will be different! And recovery doesn’t stop at the 6mth mark, it just slows down a bit. It can be a bit of a rollercoaster ride at times, 2 steps forward, 1 step back. But progress is always being made, it’s just some of it you won’t necessarily notice because it’s all on the inside. And it takes years, not months, to recover what can be recovered.
You may not even realise this, or feel it, but you have just be through a major life threatening trauma. Your brain needs lots and lots of rest! Believe it or not but your brain is extremely grateful that you’re barely going out just now. Because it takes a huge amount of energy to do those repairs.
So for the moment the brain is only running the most vital of emergency services while it does that mop up and repair. It just can’t cope well with lots of activity, crowds, loud noise for at least the next 6mths. I’m afraid it’s going to be a very simple, quiet life for the time being, depending on the extent of your stroke damage. All activities should be kept to minimum, small bites. Even just being a passenger is a car if fatiguing; that’s because just looking out the window is taking in a lot of data for the brain to process. I bet just going to medical appointments or the dentist takes a lot out of you doesn’t it? That’s brain fatigue!
The best bit of advise I can offer for the time being is to not think beyond tomorrow. Just take it one day at a time! Don’t put your brain under any more pressure than it already has. It will thank you and reward you in time for your patience and consideration. And then you will be eternally grateful that you did 
I won’t lie, your old self and old life are gone! But this is a new chapter in the making for your new self and future. You had a stroke and lived. You have the rest of your life to live and celebrate
And you will do that! I’m 63yrs and 4yrs post stroke. I can drive, I can drive people round the bend, I attend fitness classes every other day, I can garden, I can party, cook, clean and do pretty much everything I want to do. I can still get fatigued but I believe I manage it very well. I can rabbit on and on here while I figure out how to stop long enough to give someone else a turn 
So I think I shut up now and I won’t take offence if you can only read my post in short bites, I to tend to pack a lot in
Lorraine
Each month the Stroke Association offer an online zoom call for young stroke survivors like yourself. Come along to that and meet us. It’s a really relaxed session where others can help you feel more comfortable with what has happened to you. I know it feels like you’re never going to be comfortable with it but these online activities were such a help for me and it does get better.
Hello @Laura95. Like others have said, accepting that life has changed and will not return to how it was is a short cut to preventing lost time and energy striving after something that can’t be.
That said, improvements will happen, they require energy, they will come from your persistent efforts to reach goals that are achievable but at the same time allowing yourself a realistic time frame that incorporates rest and recovery. Step by step. You are young and early in your recovery, the potential is bigger than you may know.
You have lived through a life changing event. This is not how your life was meant to plan out. Redefining your future is a big task but choose to take it on. Don’t be afraid of asking for help, friends, family, GP, Stroke Association, this forum, you do not need to do it alone.
Wishing you well, Julia