Covid anxiety

[justwanttoknow21]

How do people deal with this, if you suffer ? Ever since it started, I just feel on edge constantly. Every cough, every tickle / every time I feel a little hot or cold. I get flooded by anxious thoughts that I'm going to get covid and possibly die. I'll be feeling OK, maybe even having a good day and then I get flooded with ' well the sore throat could come any minute and ruin everything '. I also get obsessive about my partner and whether he's feeling OK / is ill/ coughing or even when he clears his throat I freak out. It's pretty bad and I've been living in this constant state of fear for almost a year. Any tips ?

I have had a couple of colds and was so frightened. I'm terrified for the next cold I get.

I'm no help sorry op! But I often feel the same!!

@Misspacorabanne aw thank you. I'm sorry that you do, but it does make me feel better because no one I know in real life says that they feel like I do. Everyone is quite chilled. Or maybe they don't say it.

Ok so all the time you have felt anxious over the past year has amounted to you not dying of Covid, no one can say you won't, but it's unlikely.

Don't let it take another moment of your life worrying.

Our eldest got sent home from school beginning of December for coughing once in the morning, he was in my car, we got him tested, it wasn't Covid that time, but it was a cold, I got it, the Mr got it.

There are coughs and colds around as well.

If you get it you will have built it up to a huge mountain of worry.

Focus you energy on making your body as fit, vitamined up, rested, fed and positive so if, and it's a big if, you catch it your amazing immune system has the best chance of defeating it if you do. Better than worrying to death.

I get it OP. I’ve had anxiety for years and since covid it’s become totally focused on that. It got so bad that I started seeing a private therapist.

The main thing is to work on reducing your need for certainty and control. The lack of, and desire for, both of these is what drives anxiety. Although it seems counter intuitive, you need to try to accept that you cannot control a lot of what happens (beyond taking sensible precautions) and try to ‘sit with’ and accept the anxiety that follows. Same goes for certainty - you simply cannot be certain that you won’t get covid / become really ill etc - and that’s ok. Once you learn to tolerate that uncertainty and the element of risk (easier said than done!) your anxiety reduces. The problem is you can never have total control (and not just of covid - of anything in life) and the more you strive for it the more anxious you become. This also involves reducing reassurance seeking eg checking if your husband is ok, researching symptoms online etc (which I’ve done A LOT of!!)

So for example if you have a tickle or you think your DH might be getting a cough - you would tell yourself ok yes. We might be getting covid. I’m accepting that uncertainty and I’m going to carry on with what I’m doing. It’s extremely uncomfortable as you want to try to reassure yourself it’s not covid, but the aim is to try to accept the fact you cannot be certain.

Another tip is to practise ‘sitting with your thoughts’ regularly and try to ‘defuse’ from them - watch the thoughts and images float by, acknowledge them but don’t try to push them away - distance yourself from them and see them as just words and images.

It’s so hard and I’m still struggling big time, but getting a bit better. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat

@frozendaisy what you say makes total sense on a logical level. I can live by it sometimes. But then I get pulled back in and it just won't stop. I was triggered by a thread on here talking about where people actually catch covid. I'm super careful and barely leave the house ( no supermarkets or seeing anyone etc ). So I guess that made me feel a little less anxious as I thought I was quite safe at least because I don't go out. But then started reading a thread where people say they caught it just going for a walk or from amazon packages / post / food delivery. I wash all my food deliveries and amazon stuff and wash my hands / dispose packaging. But I just no longer feel safe since this thread which made it 100 times worse. But you're right, I must get a grip of myself. My mental attitude and stress will be bad for my immune system.

@bumblenbean thanks for the tips. I can tell you struggle and I've read a lot of books and had therapy on the subject too. But sometimes, when I'm in the grip of it, I find it hard to get out of it. Accepting uncertainty is key, you're so right. Thank you for reminding me of what I know already. Having struggled with anxiety for many years ! Why is it that some people struggle so much with anxiety ? Why can't we tolerate the uncertainty to such an extent that we make ourselves ill ?

@justwanttoknow21 good question! I wish I knew. It’s bloody awful being constantly consumed with fear. And like you say most people seem much more rational and have the risk well in proportion. It’s the constant ‘yes but what if...’ we need to be wary of!

I also find some threads send me spiralling back into anxiety - the one about catching it twice and the ones about the vaccines not working / the SA variant etc. I need to stop reading them as it just feeds the panic. 😱

I also hate the way anxiety makes my thoughts quite self centred. It’s lovely to see all the priority groups receiving vaccines but at the same time I find myself feeling quite envious, and I hate feeling that way

But anyway I understand totally how you feel. It can feel really isolating when nobody around you seems to feel the same ...

I have used CBT in the past. It may help, for example instead of thinking of the worst case scenario and catastrophising "I'll get covid and die" if you try and rationalise it you get something like "I may get covid, if I do it will likely be mild. 90% of people are fine at home and I probably will be too" so not just saying don't think about it but getting it a bit in perspective?

I know, it's not easy though.

Also remember posters might not be correct in what they say about going for walks or packaging. etc.

Why don't you take a break just for a week from coronavirus boards and endless news streaming.

Put the radio on, you get hourly news brief bulletins, music in between, you are doing all you can

We are in a high case area, we get delivered shopping, apart from specific bits I get in village, never wiped shopping or deliveries, may or may not have had Covid but never tested positive.

Plus you don't know how much on forum boards is true.

Sounds like you are as safe as you can be. Try and be relaxed at home and not in a mental as well as effectively physical prison.

Not much longer, all adults will have been offered a vaccine.

Hope you can find some peace until then.

@Orangeblossom1977 definitely. I spent the entire first lock down looking at death rates for my age group and trying to understand my actual risk. I did so much research and found some interesting info. For example a ' micromort ' have you ever heard of this term ? Look it up. Anyway, rationally, the rIsk of covid death is probably a lot less than other risks I would usually take without even thinking about it. I think for my age group, the risk of just dying in general this year is as high as the risk of dying from covid !

@bumblenbean yes don't even with those threads ! I didn't even open them. I can't deal. I need to stay off this board I think. It is not helping !

But thanks for all the lovely replies on my thread. They have helped!

Yes have a look at chat rather than this bit instead. It's not helpful sometimes. Lots of speculation.

I try to keep busy and distracted, that helps. Also you get to try new hobbies which is fun. That's one of my coping strategies.

Also, after a short course of counselling that didn't help, I spoke to my gp and she put me on a low dose of medication. I'm still worried and anxious at times but it's not all encompassing. I'm not saying that you need this too, but just keep an eye on yourself and reach out for help if you need it.

@Catyness thank you. I've been in counselling for ages on and off and it hasn't really helped to be honest. I've also been prescribed anti ds by my gp but I chickened out. But I'm thinking maybe I should just do it.

[quote justwanttoknow21]@frozendaisy what you say makes total sense on a logical level. I can live by it sometimes. But then I get pulled back in and it just won't stop. I was triggered by a thread on here talking about where people actually catch covid. I'm super careful and barely leave the house ( no supermarkets or seeing anyone etc ). So I guess that made me feel a little less anxious as I thought I was quite safe at least because I don't go out. But then started reading a thread where people say they caught it just going for a walk or from amazon packages / post / food delivery. I wash all my food deliveries and amazon stuff and wash my hands / dispose packaging. But I just no longer feel safe since this thread which made it 100 times worse. But you're right, I must get a grip of myself. My mental attitude and stress will be bad for my immune system. [/quote]
I had a baby in September. From March - September I was in and out of hospital every few weeks. I had a c section and stayed on a ward.

DP has worked on building sites since May, I have continued to go to the supermarket weekly, our toddler has been in nursery 3 days per week since June. We went to the zoo in July and the beach in August.

We have had several colds, I took my toddler for a covid test yesterday due to a cough. The test is negative.

Despite all this we haven't contracted covid. I understand that the thread has upped your anxiety with people saying they have caught it and not left the house, but we have and haven't caught it (unless all three of us had it asymptomatically).

We live in an area that have had some kind of restrictions most of the year.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that not everyone that has continued to go out have all contracted covid and everyone that stays in doesn't contract it.

If it’s any help l feel the same. Life long history of anxiety. Medication helps.

I’m so bad I’m too anxious to go to work. So off sick and will probably lose my job. Haven’t been to a hairdresser for nearly a year. Won’t go in a supermarket or bigger store when they were open. Have cancelled hospital appointments l need because I’m too scared to go.

It’s shit😞

theconversation.com/uk/covid-19

I find it can help to change where you look at for info, some of the news sites are very sensationalist, BBC can be the worst!

The one above is more measured and factual.

Also saying times to look at news, for example a set time each day can help, so you have some control, instead of endless scrolling or TV news.

Apparently reading can be easier than viewing of difficult news, for anxiety.