Corona Anxiety - How to stop spiralling?

[SlightyJaded]

Just looking for some advice really.

Although I would never have said I officially have 'health anxiety' - I always have had on some level. I had a very bad couple of years of panic attacks when I was much younger that were all around health issues and for a while it impacted my lifestyle.

I am older and calmer nowadays and having two young teenage dc means that I have had to step up and squash all the old silliness but I"ve felt myself starting to spiral again, and today I had to shut myself in the bathroom and try and get myself together (I can't even cry and I am so tense) It's pathetic. I'm an adult and have no serious symptoms at the moment - slight sore throat, slightly tight chest, but broadly I am fine. But it does seem that we will all be exposed at some point, and I am not coping with this fact.

I don't care that I feel panicked but it's not fair on my family and I am getting to the point where I am having to physically withdraw because I feel so anxious and don't want it to show. The things that have completely sent me down the abyss are:

I turned 50 this year
I am blood group A+
I've put on weight since heading to menopause (gone from size 12 to size 16)
I live in London.

The blood group one is the worst for me. because I can't do ANYTHING about that.

I have been trying to meditate and focus on the positives, and that usually works for me, but it's not at the moment.

I know this is selfish and needy when I'm not currently ill, but can anyone offer me any reassurance or advice on coping with the anxiety? Especially about the blood group thing? I"m scared to google and I'd be very grateful.

And sorry again - there are people who are ill and going to work - this is ridiculous but I feel a bit desperate. I want to be a rock for my family like all the other mums I know (and like I usually try to be).

Hi there, sorry you are feeling like I can relate on so many levels.

My honest advice (I mean this genuinely) is to stay off MN and stick to the advice provided by the NHS and PHE.

Try to stick to reading the main points of the news once or twice a day.

When I did this my life was so much better.

I won’t be on this site this week.

Take care

I have health anxiety and with CBT ( I was scared to try medication) this last two years I have started to really improve....and then THIS. I feel right back where I started.
I'm in the early 40 age bracket but my main worry is that I'm a smoker (20yr)
You can't change your blood group.I can't change the damage that smoking has already done to my lungs.
Almost everybody will have factors whether that's an underlying health problem, their weight, ethnicity, age, blood group, lifestyle choices, the fact they are keyworkers and need to go to work etc that they feel puts them at a greater risk so please know that you are not alone.
Those strong mum's you talk about will also have worries just as you do and they are probably feeling just like you and I. Some people are just better at hiding it and people deal with things in different ways. It doesn't mean they are coping.
We are all equal in this and muddling through the best we can.
Just know you are not alone.

One thing that really helped my anxiety over these last couple of years was keeping off Google.
Also give the Calm app a try.
Best wishes

Thank you both.

I feel very selfish and self-absorbed. I think it's good advice to cut down on my information intake. I definitely feel overloaded and overwhelmed. I think I will try this as a starter.

People are putting themselves in danger every day and I am so aware of this, and yet as I am talking to my family, it's like a voice in my head won't shut up about my weight/blood group/whatever. It's like it won't be happy until I am terrified.

I have found that listening to an audio book at night helps distract me a little then, but I wake up most nights worrying myself sick.

There will be so many fall-outs from this pandemic in terms of mental health I fear.

As you said, there are things you can't do anything about so I would suggest focusing on the things you can. If you are at a weight which puts you at risk, focus on getting more exercise and controlling your diet. Both will help you feel better, both in terms of feeling in control and the general mental health benefits offered by exercise.

It's much easier to give your brain something else to focus on and the more capacity focusing on the alternative involves, the less capacity you'll have to focus on what's worrying you; this is why active activities (as opposed to passive, like watching television) are better for coping with stress.

May sound silly but try to talk to yourself as you would a friend.
What would you say to your friend who was worrying about their blood group?
What would you say to your friend worried about their weight? ( Tbh I don't think you being a size 16 is much of an issue in the scheme of things).
I've heard about all sorts about hair colour and skin tone etc etc etc. You could go on forever. Most of these studies are unrelatable, use small sample sizes etc. All are up for interpretation and usually, for every study there are studies that oppose the findings.
Worrying about having it and what will happen if you get it could well be worse than actually having the virus. In fact, it's like you already do. ( This is what I tell myself)

I know how you feel. I'm a size 18/20... too scared to eat and have been on my treadmill for at least 40 minutes everyday. Have lost 12lbs since lockdown but so scared it's too little, too late. I am glued to my sofa or bed with fear.

I was feeling awful with anxiety and depression so I phoned my gp on Monday and she’s put me on sertraline. I can feel a different already, more calmer. Tired with getting used to the medication though. I was panicking at everything before. Standing in the queue at Tesco in tears as I felt so awful with anxiety

Have lost 12lbs since lockdown but so scared it's too little, too late.

Congratulations. Don't view it in terms of absolutes one way or the other, view it in terms of making steps towards improving your chances, not just for CV but for a lot of other diseases too. Being overweight isn't a guarantee of death any more than being a healthy weight is a guarantee of survival.

I have been v anxious as well. Like you, bmi over 25, 50, blood group o though but i have asthma.

I was a lot more worried to begin with. A few of my friends have had it and one got through it in 9 days, another 30 days approx but i think the average age of the people who have died makes it very unlikely that you wouldnt get through it.

@Gronky thank you

If it helps - far more people have recovered from this than got very ill or died. I know 7-8 people who are sure they’ve had it and are now ok. We tend to only hear bad stuff. You are more likely to get it and not notice than get it and feel awful. Hope that helps x

I feel envious of my two friends who have had this. Even the one who had it for 30 days. I hope that doesnt sound disrespectful to what they went through,but theynow have it behind them.

I feel like im just living in fear of it, like my entire 2020 will be spent living in fear of catching it!!

I work in the NHS and I find working as hard as possible takes my mind off my own problems, I'm too knackered at the end of the day to worry about anything I just flake out in bed.
My sister is at home throughout in another country where lockdown is much much stricter and she says the only way to cope is to have a very strict routine with two work outs everyday, to get up and go to bed at the same time and have goals, things to do to get through the day.
I've got a couple of days off so I get up at 8am, workout to youtube, take a shower, put makeup on and put my tracksuit on, I don't slob about in PJs all day. Today I'm doing all my household admin and letters.
Tomorrow I have shrubs to prune and the flower beds to dig.
I've taken to tying letters to relatives instead of emailing because it gives them something to look forward to and is a written history of the "plague" times.
My sister is leaning how to use a sewing machine and I'm learning to crochet.
Keep to a strict routine and you will feel better and if all fails there are always meds for a temporary fix. I'll bet loads of people have gone onto them over this period.

I am terrified and have just had a stay in hospital as an emergency. Can someone explain the blood group thing please

Can someone explain the blood group thing please

Those with blood group A seem to be more susceptible to infection than those with blood group O but this is a very preliminary observation and certainly nowhere enough to draw any solid conclusions on relative risk. This is likely similar to the proposed reason why men experience the disease more severely than women: different proportions of surface antigens (proteins on the outside of the cell) responsible for the virus finding and entering cells.

Have they tried giving the plasma of recovered people to those in ICU?
That is safe and doesnt need 12 months of testing.

@CollaborativeBee - I get the envy thing. It's ridiculous but I totally get it. Although we don't yet know what the liklihood is of infection giving you robust antibodies.

The blood group was an observation made on a group of 2000 in China(?). The indication seemed to be that those with Blood Group A got a worse dose than the others. This is the thing that tipped me over I think.

I do realise that it's a tiny proportion of people and that there are all kinds of theories flying around but I haven't seen anyone 'medical' or 'official' discredit the theory yet, and until I do, I will believe it. And worr myself stupid about it. :(

I feel your pain, OP. Mid fifties here, blood group A neg, I've lost weight but not quite in "healthy" yet. Had a sore throat on and off for 3-4 weeks now, and awful dizziness one morning.

Today I've had trouble getting a full breath - but I know it's 'just' anxiety. I feel I'll be a pro at dealing with that part of and when I do get cv!

I do find too much time on my phone doesn't help - I'm making an effort to do other stuff round the house when I can, or read, sew etc.

@blueskys72 Yep that's me exactly - right down to the dizzy spells as well. A pos though - not neg. No idea if that is relevant.

I am going to try and stick to one glance at BBC News in the morning and one in the evening. I'm going to stick the 5pm briefing for a while and try not to click on threads that seem to offer new things to fear...

I've been painting, baking, gardening and trying to do 'things' but I just haven' been able to focus at all. I can feel myself peering over the precipice. So I"m starting with limiting media. Thank you all.

Also please feel free to use this thread to voice any anxieties - rational or otherwise - I will definitely have to keep coming back to it. I know that.

*stick
*skip

Madcatlady is very wise - routine and keeping fairly busy will help us all. I felt exhausted today but think tomorrow will be better

Hi, a friend of mine had great success helping her health anxiety using mindfulness. Might be worth a look, there are loads of videos about it on YouTube.

Also, don't feel bad that you are feeling this way. Yes, people working in the NHS and in frontline roles are very brave, doesn't mean you can't feel anxious too!

I wouldn't set any store by any blood group theories. Group A+ is relatively rare in Asia so they may be overstating the effect, in Europe it's the most common blood group (O+ v slightly more common in UK). Anyway I'm not worried and I'm A+.

I think I’m blood group A.
I’m also asthmatic. Not well controlled.
And on immunosuppressants.

I’m only leaving the house to walk the dog. I’m staying away from others whilst I’m out. I’m not touching my face whilst out and washing my hands ASAP as soon as I’m home.
I’m taking all the precautions I can.
Advice? Don’t google. Avoid following the news too closely or clicking on related threads on here etc. Keep busy. Find something to distract yourself when the worrying starts.
Do things that make you happy. Music? Boxsets? Board games?
And when this is all over? Seek proper help for the anxiety.