Health anxiety and my aunties cruel comment.

[APositiveMind]

I was over my mum's yesterday evening for a NYE party with some drinks and games.
I have health anxiety and my family are long term aware of this and often make comments about being a hypochondriac.

I had a beer last night and my younger cousin asked to try it with my aunties permission I let her take a sip. I carried on drinking my beer and then my aunty pointed out to me that my cousin had been up all the night before being sick and on the toilet.

I immediately thought of all the norovirus going around and I am now absolutely convinced I'm going to get poorly.

I have a horrible fear of being sick and having a upset tummy.

On a humorous note my aunties a veggie and I had a dream last night that I rubbed one of my pigs in blankets on all her veggie options because I was annoyed. If only!

Health anxiety IS hypochondria.

@MrsXx4 I take it then that you don't ever kiss your husband on the lips (let alone you know, pash) and have never swapped saliva, lol.

@WorraLiberty.
My therapist left her job, she said I could self refer myself to see somebody else but I spent a good 4/5 months on the list waiting to be seen when referred by the GP so I never bothered. I felt a bit better by that point and had useful information to manage my anxiety so I didn't feel the need to go back I guess.

I was prescribed setraline(antidepressant) but one read of the pamphlet and I couldn't touch them from fear I might have an allergic reaction. yes, you do need to go back to CBT or whatever you find helps you. If you're avoiding medication because of fear of allergic reactions, then you're heading down a route whereby your health anxiety will itself make you ill.

I know someone whose concern about food production standards has led them to an extremely restricted diet and malnutrition.

Doesn't alcohol kill off germs?

You will not get the novovirus, trust me. Try some relaxing techniques.

You took yourself off the waiting list because it was long?

Seems like some are almost doubting the ops health anxiety for sharing a bottle, I’ve had severe diagnosed health anxiety for most of my life, along with social and generalised anxiety. I don’t have germ fear at all, I’m not scared of everyday bugs. I’m more worried that my headaches mean a tumour or my heartburn means heart attack, basically I’m scared of dying. Everyone’s anxiety is different

I can see how this is a debilitating condition but it is funny for other people as well. It reminds me of some of Woody Allen’s films where everyone laughs at his constant fear of getting ill or death.

@WorraLiberty.
No I never self referred myself. She said I could if I wanted to, I just never ended up doing it because the GP referral took 5 several months before I even had a response.

@SugarTwist
You have just summed it up. Thank you for understanding

maybe she doesn't believe in your health anxiety? Because you were happy to share your drink.

i don't have any health anxiety, i wouldn't let anyone drink my drink out of my cup. If someone (even one of my kids or my husband) swigged out of a bottle I wouldn't drink out of it again.

SugarTwist The OP says I have a horrible fear of being sick and having a upset tummy.

Therefore she needs to take responsibility and minimise this happening.

I think that's why so many people are surprised (rather than doubtful).

Seems like some are almost doubting the ops health anxiety for sharing a bottle

I'm not. I'm doubting her willingness to take responsibility for herself and her condition.

Unlike you, however, the first place the OP's mind ran to on being told of her cousin's sickness was the nonovirus, she clearly feared cross contamination if her cousin had the NV and subsequently being sick herself.

No I never self referred myself. She said I could if I wanted to, I just never ended up doing it because the GP referral took 5 several months before I even had a response.

Again though, self responsibility.

You need to get all the help you can rather than expect other people to act differently for you.

Especially if you perceive your aunt possibly forgetting about her DD and then suddenly remembering, as 'cruel'.

A little bit of saliva doesn't scare me, but that if someone who has a stomach bug does. Why would anyone want to catch that?

I'm more than happy to kiss my family, my OH ect. But like coldsorws, if they have germs that can make me ill I wouldn't.

you probably will be ok op, it is a bit nasty though.

Your aunt should have left your cousin at home for the 24hour D&V rule. I don't have health anxiety but I wouldn't want to be in the room but a D&V bug on the loose.

I doubt your cousin had norovirus if she was out and socialising and only puked once in the night.

I've had norovirus and I can assure you, you ain't socialising or trying beer if you've got it. Your repeatedly projectile vomiting and going sod all place.

I always take responsibility for myself and my anxiety.
I have exercises and steps in place to help when going through a particularly difficult patch. I make my family well aware of my mental health, because often they'll ask why I'm fidgety, quiet or not getting involved. So I tell them directly now, it's just part of the anxiety.

I make them aware of it, so they can't she do me a favour and let me know there's a higher than normal risk because she has a stomach bug?

I'm fine with sharing food and drinks with otherwise healthy people.

Health anxiety can be a really debilitating MH condition and some of the comments on here are awful. Funny for other people? WTAF.. Yes lets all sit around and laugh at someone's mental health condition. Why stop at anxiety, bipolar and schizophrenia are fucking hilarious too!!!!

OP, it sounds as if your aunty was being a complete bitch waiting until your cousin had had a sip before gleefully telling you that. Love your dream

For example.
If Person A has HIV or Hep B. Is it Person B's responsibility to know? If they haven't told them how can you possibly know?

I don't invite people over and say "Oh hi, do you happen to have a stomach bug today?"

I would naturally expect someone to let me know, wouldn't you?

I make them aware of it, so they can't she do me a favour and let me know there's a higher than normal risk because she has a stomach bug?

Because you're a grown adult who doesn't seem to realise that sharing drinks can lead to a higher than normal risk of catching all sorts of illnesses.

And because no-one knows whether it was infact a stomach bug.

I'm fine with sharing food and drinks with otherwise healthy people.

Again, you really don't seem to want to understand that 'otherwise healthy people' can be ill or coming down with an illness, without yet displaying symptoms.

I'm surprised to learn you're a dentist because I really thought you'd know this.

"Gleefully"? Do you think making things up is going to be in any way helpful to the OP, XiCi?

@WorraLiberty. I'm not a dentist I work in dentistry.
Not that I expect a full medical history report from my family but often when people are suffering with a contagious illness they tend to let you know about it out of common decency?

I haven't always seen eye to eye with my aunt. So it might be why i feel it may have been done in spite.