Health anxiety at Christmas

[thaegumathteth]

Does anyone else panic about being ill or your family members being ill at Christmas? Logically I know there's no point worrying but anxiety is a bastard and as much as I normally have it relatively well controlled I'm really really struggling right now.

FWIW we've had 2 Christmasses where the kids have been really unwell and one of them has ended up in hospital but really I suffer health anxiety anyways and particularly around big occasions.

Anyone sympathise? Empathise? Advise?

Maybe having a plan as to what you would do if they were unwell would help. So who could help with childcare; having plenty of food in the house; otc medicines for common illness etc.

I kind of do have all fhat in place anyways - dh is around over Christmas although we don't have other family nearby. Although I always suffer anxiety I'm normally quite independent and capable and I just feel like I'm going to pieces

no advice but sympathise OP

Have literally just started a thread about how anxious I am about my DH having a tummy bug (hopefully just a hangover) after having just one episode of runny poo and some chills and generally feeling tired and crap. I totally sympathise, I'm with you x

This is the only thing that's helped me so far - I read a quote on here ..

"Don't suffer it twice"

Essentially meaning, yes it might happen but be miserable about it when it actually happens, not now. I say that to myself and just try to stop my thoughts

@partysong that's really good advice

Sorry other people suffer too but glad I'm not alone if that makes sense?

I know about not suffering it twice logically but I just can't convince my brain to sort itself out!

Spent the day worrying about 'what if's'.
I have health anxiety. Have been much better and more rational lately but it does step up a notch around 'events'.

I'm exactly the same @Spied

Yes in the same!

I'm keen to get presents wrapped in case we come down with something Xmas can still go on!!

One dd is coming down with something...

Yes I suffer with health anxiety really badly at the best of times, but Ds1 is currently in bed with a high temperature, tummy ache and nausea so, as you can imagine, I'm through the roof because noro is doing the rounds here.

I hope it's not @TheMostHappy in my experience of it the vomiting starts out of nowhere so hopefully it isn't that.

As I said I'm glad I'm not alone but not glad you all go through this too. I just want to enjoy Christmas and time with the family and the kids but I'm always catastrophising and trying to think how I could fix things if X Y air Z happened. It's exhausting.

Yes you are right it is absolutely exhausting and draining. Anxiety is an absolute nightmare to live with and my positive thoughts go out to both you and everyone else on this thread who are going through it. It's hard to explain to people who don't suffer with it just what it can be like.

Yes I completely sympathise I worry about someone in the family getting ill and also my health anxiety goes into overdrive before Christmas and summer holidays. It's exhausting.

And yes it's so hard to explain to anyone who has never had it.