Health anxiety, vaccine booked coping strategies

[Rainbowsandstorms]

I have really bad health anxiety so this has been a really tough year for me. I’ve was really excited about getting my vaccination and I’m booked in tomorrow. I’m in my 30s so I’m now aware that many people of my age are feeling quite unwell after the Oxford vaccination in particular. I get really anxious as soon as I feel the slightest bit unwell so although I’m aware of the side effects and that feeling unwell is considered to be normal I know my anxiety is going to go through the roof.

Can anyone provide me with any good coping strategies to deal with the anxiety that will be caused by any side effects. Also any tips for preparing for / dealing with side effects very welcome.

hey op :)

i’m in my twenties and also suffer from health anxiety so i know how tough this past year has been .
I had my AZ vaccine on wednesday and i was apprehensive but the nurse and all people at the vaccination site were lovely and talked through
all of my worries.

I had no major side effects apart from a sore arm and slept most of the next day as i was shattered.
Make sure you have some paracetamol ready if you do have any side effects. Make sure you stay hydrated and have enough fluids etc. If you have any muscle pains just make sure you’re comfortable and resting up. Just remember that it’s all normal and you’re okay. When my anxiety started to creep in after i put on a netflix show , ran a bath and caught up with friends just do anything to take your mind off of it. Also don’t read anything online as that tends to be misinformation and scaremongering! you’ll be fine ! x

What I did was massage the top of my arm where I was going to get the vaccine in, a few times each day prior to having the jab. I also ate healthily, lots of fruit, veg and water 2 days before and after and no alcohol. I am 59 and had no symptoms at all, slept really well for 3 nights. Where I went it was all very quick and very well organised. Apart from having to wait 10 minutes after, I would have been in and out in 5 minutes.

@laurynlouu thank you so much for your reply. It’s not until this afternoon. Feeling like I just need to be brave and get on with it. I’m ok ish with needles and the injection itself. I’m just so scared about bad side effects or being one of the unlucky ones who has serious side effects. I’m glad yours went well. I’m especially dreading any headaches even though I know they are a relatively common side effect as until I no longer have one I’ll worry it’s something serious. Anxiety is horrible isn’t it. Will try and keep busy I have two little ones so they should keep me occupied during the day. I’m particularly dreading waking in the middle of the night feeling ill when everyone is asleep.

@Mindymomo I’m glad yours went well. I’ll be so relieved once I’ve had it and I’m all recovered too. I’ve also focused on eating well and staying well hydrated the last few days and my husband slept in with our youngest who always wakes in the night so I could get a good night’s sleep last night.

@Rainbowsandstorms hoping everything goes okay for you this afternoon. I was also dreading a headache after as that’s something that will get my mind working overtime but i thankfully didn’t get one until a day and a half after which i’m sure was from me worrying but even so went after two paracetamols and lots of fluids. If you do start to feel anxious during the night just remember you’ve done this to protect yourself and that you’ll be okay , stick something stupid on the tv and try to relax

This was me on wednesday. I'm 52 but was really scared of side effects.,so much I actually broke down in tears at the nurses station. They were lovely. ..talked me through it. yes I had side effects. ,bad headache chills sweats aching all over. Water and paracetamol are your friends. You will be fine. treat yourself to something as a reward..,wear your sticker with pride. .let us know how it goes.

Hi
I had it yesterday at 5pm. Also worried about side effects as I think I have had COVID (pre testing) and had heard about people suffering. So far, I feel very very mildly achy like a mild hangover (!), arm slightly sore. Assuming it doesn't get worse this is really not that bad at all (also have anxiety and was worried).

Ps no headache at all so far

Anxiety is closely connected to imagination.

With stuff like this, you easily imagine things being far worse than they are. Then you stop thinking about the actual consequences and just see the fear.

I find it helpful to say to myself, "what's the worse that can happen?" With this, it seems it's 3-4 days of flu symptoms, so tucked up in bed, feeling lousy. Is that terrifying? Stock up on pain killers and soup beforehand, job done eh!

Statistically though it's likely to be nothing like this - I haven't known many in their 30's get the jab yet, maybe a dozen, but every single one has reported trivial side effects - bit tired for a day, mild headache, sort arm. Nobody has been bed-ridden or flu-ish.

I'm 39 btw

Thing is OP, when you start to feel ill out of the blue it's easy and understandable to worry about your symptoms being a sign of something really wrong. This is different. Even if your reaction is on the stronger side and you feel grotty for a couple of days, you will know exactly why it is happening and that it's not an unknown and scary cause. Just think how much better you will feel in a few weeks when you know you have some protection from Covid!

Thank you so much to everyone for your reassuring replies. I’m definitely trying to focus on why I’m doing this as I’ve also spent the last year living in fear of Covid and I have a primary school aged child so we are pretty exposed. @notrub you’re absolutely right just anxiety can make me feel ill, it’s a nightmare, thank for the reminder of that technique it’s one I was taught when I had cbt and you’ve reminded me to focus on that. I’m all stocked up on paracetamol and will make sure I drink lots of water too.

@AG1981 I’m so glad your side effects have been relatively mild that’s good to know you’re in the same age category as me. @Biscuitsneeded that’s a really good distinction thank you for that. I think all the news about blood clots etc has rattled me a bit even though I know they are very rare and I’m more likely to have complications with Covid. I’m pretty good at being rational until I feel unwell then all rationality goes out of the window!

I felt a bit poorly after my vaccination, took paracetamol a couple of times and totally fine after a few days.
What I did was visualise my immune system kicking in and working hard to build up antibodies, and knowing clearly this was a really good sign that the vaccine was working, and doing its job to ensure I would be protected from the virus.
So I was focusing on the positive side of my body responding to the vaccine, if you see what I mean. Knowing that it was working to make me protected in the future really helped me.

I live with Health anxiety.
One of my huge worries is medication and side-effects.
I had the AZ in January and I did have a headache BUT the huge sense of relief truly had me on a high.
I'm due my second next week and looking forward to it. I've reasoned that if I do get horrible side effects it just shows my immune system is working to keep me safe in the long-term from this horrible,scary virus.
You are one step closer to being safe.

@Rainbowsandstorms

Thank you so much to everyone for your reassuring replies. I’m definitely trying to focus on why I’m doing this as I’ve also spent the last year living in fear of Covid and I have a primary school aged child so we are pretty exposed. *@notrub* you’re absolutely right just anxiety can make me feel ill, it’s a nightmare, thank for the reminder of that technique it’s one I was taught when I had cbt and you’ve reminded me to focus on that. I’m all stocked up on paracetamol and will make sure I drink lots of water too.

The other thing is to remember that sometimes the best way to win, is to avoid the fight. Once you've established that a concern isn't valid, the best way to avoid anxiety is not to let yourself think about it any more!

I think of it a bit like dealing with cravings (I used to smoke and quit and found the same approach works really well with my anxiety). If you sit still and try to think your way out of a craving, it's possible but it's sooo hard!

The easiest thing to do is to recognise the craving (anxious thought) as soon as it starts to appear, and then redirect your brain to something completely different! e.g. exercise, or a good book (TV doesn't work because it doesn't work the brain), heck even a trip to the shops, or a chat with a friend (BUT DON'T TALK ABOUT THE ANXIETY!).

Anxiety is like a plant, if you feed it, it grows :)

@SilverBirchWithout great way of thinking about it thank you.

@Spied that’s brilliant, I’m so glad you now have some protection.

@notrub thank you brilliant advice. That’s interesting re tv not being a good distraction I’ve often noticed when I’m anxious and watch something the anxiety remains even it’s something that would usually absorb me. I have my kindle all charged up.

Thank you for all the lovely supportive replies. Some really good advice here I feel much better equipped to deal with later.

All done, keeping everything crossed for mild side effects. Just in the car on the way home. Thank you everyone for your replies.

Well done!

@SilverBirchWithout thank you 😊