I can’t cope with this worry :(

[tollyfeeder]

I’m m seriously struggling to cope with the worry of corona virus.

I have a 4 week old baby and I’m asthmatic and the thought of me or my baby getting it is petrifying.

I can’t sleep because I’m so anxious.
I haven’t left my house for over a week and I’m refusing to let anyone come and visit.

I suffer so badly with health anxiety and this has just made it worse.

Yesterday I plucked up the courage to leave the house and nip to the supermarket but it made me feel so much worse because all of the shelves were literally empty!!

I feel like it’s heading to some sort of apocalypse with how the supermarket was yesterday.

I’m already having CBT for anxiety. I just don’t know how I’m ever going to get over this.

I spend most of my day in tears and panicking which isn’t good for me or my baby, but I physically can’t help how utterly petrified I am.

My hands are red cracked and sore from the amount of times I wash and sanitise them I’m becoming obsessed 😔

I'm sorry you feel so bad. Are you on any medication? You might find that SSRIs could help (they do wonders for my anxiety)

I have a young baby too so I understand how worrying it is but it tends to affect older people.

We are not heading for an apocalypse- it's just that people in the west can't cope very well when something alters the balance of things. Imagine living in some countries where there is war all the time.

Anxiety is very tough and it can be difficult to get things in perspective.

Stay in and get your shopping delivered. Your anxiety is justified, so don’t give yourself a hard time. And don’t make yourself go out if you don’t need to.

Bless you, health anxiety is horrible.

I am practicing slow deep breaths, grounding exercises, and an attitude of what will come will come.

We can't avoid whatever happens to us now, and we can only prepare. I try to let the odd panicky thought was through me. I also know this could last all year and I just can't stay in panic mode that long.

Talking it out can help - can you say your thoughts out loud and try to talk yourself down, like you would a scared child? Have a calming bath with baby?

I keep reading that most people have "mild" symptoms and hold on to that as much as possible. Children especially seem to shake it off which is good news.

If the shops are temporarily empty, can you buy some things off amazon? Including some good moisturiser for your hands.

How are you doing OP?

@Oxyiz honestly, terrible.

I can’t even explain the complete and utter fear I am feeling.

I have a hospital appointment for my new born tomorrow and I really really don’t want to go.
There’s been 1 confirmed case in the area where the hospital is.

I want to cancel but it’s for my baby and it won’t look good 😔

take steps op, speak to someone.

I know what you mean OP. I think that it's a fairly logical response to be worried. I'm asthmatic, my parents are old, luckily my kids are teens, but still, how can anybody look at what's happening and not be worried.

I'm worried, and I was asked at work today ''are you okaaaaaaaay'' and the inference was that there must be something ELSE. No. I'm not anxious, I"m content, I'm not living on a knife edge, I'm not that type. I'm easygoing, but it is logical to worry about this.

Have a read through the Positive Mental Health Coronavirus thread - it's very grounding.