How to stop being terrified?

Dumpypumpy · 03/11/2020 03:46

Hello, i am similar to you but with ocd thrown in. I very rarely need to go to a shop as i buy online. When i do go to shop, etc i wear a secure fit ppe mask and I tell myself the chance of breathing in the virus while passing somebody in a shop aisle are very low with this mask on. Maybe you can buy some off amazon. Search for n95 masks.
I also find the mask helps disguise the fact that I find muttering to myself when i get stressed a comfort. Also i can do some deep breathing/blowing if i am feeling stressed and nobody can see me doing it! So its not all bad wearing masks.
I am handgelling loads. Before and after i touch anything then i worry i touched the side of the hand gel bottle with my dirty hands and it goes on and on.
Recently i have read the virus doesnt seem to be spread on surfaces. I am not quite ready to trust that research and do away from the hand gel, but it has made me feel a little less anxious about touching things,
Can you listen to mindful music breathing sessions at night as you go sleep? This helps me when i am reaching peak stress but it annoys me if i am not feeling stressed out.
Try not to worry about becoming a little more housebound for the next month. Once the lockdown is lifted and the rates are starting to reduce (and they will) then you can think about socialising a bit more and resuming swimming. But for this next month dont be hard on yourself for staying in your safe bubble and just nippping to the shops.
you will be safe, you are being v sensible and taking all the precautions

MissSmiley · 03/11/2020 03:49

I had a shielding letter in March due to previous pulmonary sarcoidosis, I'm just getting over Covid now, hardly felt breathless at all, I've been tired but it wasn't that bad. Hope you feel better soon

Original poster

Gingerkittykat · 03/11/2020 04:11

Thanks for your response. I very much identify with handgelling and then touching the bottle and then having to handgell again, I never even thought about bacteria/ viruses before Covid came along so it's a completely new behaviour for me.

I'm in tier 2 Scotland so low level restrictions, there is a breakdown of stats available here that shows there have been between 1 and 4 cases in the 4000 or so people in mine and the next village in the past week so I try and keep telling myself the chances of me coming into contact with someone infected is low.

I'll try the soothing music (my sleep is haywire though) and look at getting a better mask and maybe some gloves too.

OP posts:

lazyfecker · 03/11/2020 04:38

@MissSmiley

I had a shielding letter in March due to previous pulmonary sarcoidosis, I'm just getting over Covid now, hardly felt breathless at all, I've been tired but it wasn't that bad. Hope you feel better soon

Same. I have Stage IV. Currently need to see dentist and can't bring myself to go 😖

Original poster

Gingerkittykat · 03/11/2020 04:39

@MissSmiley

I had a shielding letter in March due to previous pulmonary sarcoidosis, I'm just getting over Covid now, hardly felt breathless at all, I've been tired but it wasn't that bad. Hope you feel better soon

I'm glad you got through Covid without serious illness, the people I know who have had it have all had mild cases too.

There have been so many mixed stories in the media from the 100 year old man walking out of hospital after contracting Covid to young people dying and getting long Covid that it is hard to know what to think.

OP posts:

BullBailey · 03/11/2020 05:08

Please chat to your GP. My concern is that you will make your role WFH permanent and then find you do have issues with leaving the home.

I have a relative who this happened to some years ago (nothing to do with WFH, she is retired). Secret anxiety she told no one about, didn’t leave the house for ages in the end and it took a lot of work to get her back out, very concerned about her now Covid is here. I myself have anxiety and some days won’t go out, but the longer I stay at home the harder it gets to get out there.

Please just start the process now to get some support, such as talking therapy, otherwise you could find yourself in an unhappy position.

WouldBeGood · 03/11/2020 05:27

Speak to your GP about tweaking your meds.

Get out more.. the more you do it the less scary it seems.

The insight timer app has loads of free meditations, soothing music and stories, which can help.

And remember the stats.. even very old people are much more likely to be fine than not 😊

WouldBeGood · 03/11/2020 05:28

Oh, and yes to therapy. And don’t feel alone: loads of people feel like you do.

GalaxyCookieCrumble · 03/11/2020 05:52

@Gingerkittykat

I was in the shielding group so medically vulnerable if I catch Covid.

I was happy when the guidelines lifted a bit and was loving having more freedom to go swimming and socialise a bit but the second wave has sent me into an absolute panic to the point I think it is bordering on agoraphobia instead of just fear of the virus.

It took me the whole day to leave the house today just to go to the pharmacy to pick up my weekly medications. I then went into the Co_Op and Chinese take away and the whole time I was physically shaking and really distressed.

I constantly sanitise my hands and I'm completely paranoid about people coming near me. I know transmission through surfaces is low but I still freak out when I touch anything just in case. I'm also paranoid about contaminating other people with the virus which I know is not logical.

I'm WFH which I am really enjoying and want to look at some kind of permanent WFH role in the future. I've probably got too comfortable in my little bubble at home which is part of it.

I struggle with my mental health anyway. I am autistic so can be anxious around people without Covid hanging over me. I have had very serious bouts of depression, I was nearly hospitalised around two years ago. I take a combination of antidepressant and mood stabiliser which had been working well for me until very recently. I wouldn't say my mood is low again, it's just the anxiety that is crippling me.

Does anyone know how I can help put my fears into some kind of context and lower my anxiety levels to the point I can function? I want to try and get this under some kind of control before I get to the point where I am housebound.

For a start if you are clinically vulnerable and are shielding, your medication and shopping can be delivered. You can control these things to minimise your risk.

Dumpypumpy · 03/11/2020 06:12

@Gingerkittykat ah I didn’t realise you were already in a low area. I live in one of worst areas of Uk. Keep looking at the stats for reassurance x

Spinakker · 03/11/2020 06:29

I would say using gloves might make you feel better. Also just think about it logically- if you've taken all the steps you can to prevent yourself catching covid- will worrying about it help? It won't. Worrying will actually lower your immune system so the best thing you can do is actually to relax. Can you think about something completely different when going out like imagining you are on a beach or something? And try to zone out a bit ? Maybe it would be better to have outings on separate days such as pharmacy one day and co op the next day if it's possible so you can build up more of a routine of going out ? You went out for years prior to this and potentially could have caught other bugs which could have been serious but didn't. No one knows when they're time is up basically. Personally I have a faith so i dont worry about what will happen to the point of becoming anxious. I believe the time of our death is written and there's nothing we can do about it. You could live in anxiety and fear over something that might not happen and then in 5 years time you could be in a car accident and will have wasted those last 5 year's of your life not living as fully as possible. I know that might not be very reassuring but we have to live with the fact that death will come to everyone eventually and living in fear won't benefit us.

Histe · 03/11/2020 06:48

My mum is struggling in a similar way and had been having panic attacks the last few days, she has been given some medication to stabilise her anxiety and we are looking to get her CBT (privately, not sure if in the country she is in you can access it through the health service). I have just recommended her an app that I have been using when I feel overwhelmed at work as it has some specific Covid meditations. Never been able to meditate before myself but this one somehow works, no idea why and I was very sceptical to start with. It is called the Tapping Solution and I only use the free meditations (mainly the overwhelm one for teachers although I am not a teacher and the quiet the racing mind to help me sleep), the Covid ones are also free. I hope you start feeling better soon.