Emotional symptoms whilst unwell

[realsavagelike]

I finally tested positive for Covid on Sunday morning after being notified that I may have been exposed at the end of last week. Certainly felt a lot rougher physically than I had been led to believe I would. The most disturbing thing about it, though, is the spiralling anxiety I have had since then. I have a history of health anxiety but have a pretty good handle on it after years of antidepressants and cognitive behavioural techniques. The anxiety over the last few days has been off the charts. Has this been a feature for anyone else?

Yes, first time around I had uncontrollable anxiety and had to get some diazepam from the doctor. It passed and I felt much better after about a week. I kept having panic attacks and I haven't had them for years and years!

I hope you feel better soon

@Galvanisethis , what kinds of things were you anxious about?

I couldn't really pin point anything in particular, just had a constant feeling of impending doom and felt like I might die. Classic panic attack.

Are you feeling anxious at the moment? Is anyone home with you?

Yes, I was an emotional wreck for the first couple of days of Covid. Not like me at all.

I put it down to 1) just feeling poorly and rotten, and 2) completely understandable anxiety about getting a virus that the whole world has been panicking about for two years that has a highly publicised death rate and hospitalisation rate involving comas and tubes down your throat (yes, I know that's not the norm but it is the message we've been getting daily for a long time now), and a bit of 3) weird feelings about the thing I've been worried about finally happening.

@Galvanisethis I'm home with my kids. My anxiety is thankfully not that intense panic but more like the rumination/catastrophizing kind, those 'what ifs' that your imagination runs away with. Feeling slightly less anxious today - I need to stay away from Dr Google - and physically speaking feeling much better - minimal aches and stuffiness, temperature much milder. I spent FAR too long over the past couple of days obsessing over strokes which I'd heard have happened to some people (although most of those seemed to have been pre vaccine availability). Typical me - I'll dig and dig on the internet until I come across something that confirms my fears, and then me certain it will happen to me. Read a story (just one mind!) about someone around my age who had mild omicron and a week later had a large stroke.When I'm well, that kind of anxiety is pretty rare for me (kept in check mostly by escitalopram).

In my more rational moments I remember things like -

1. It is one anecdotal story on a local US news channel
2. The media have no issue with omitting or playing up details depending on the story they are going for, or are just plain wrong. Notably, I bloody despaired to read People magazine earnestly reporting that Deborah James had implored people to check their PEE.
3. The story provided no context in terms of any potential co existing medical conditions, whether the person was vaccinated etc.

But anxiety doesn't often respond to rational!

When anxiety is in the driving seat, it reads more like this - "I will definitely have a massive stroke and die and leave my 3 kids without a mother". Fucking anxiety.

I'm a single parent and I think that probably played a big part too. I kept thinking about dying and nobody checking in on us and them starving etc - I remember the feeling well now. I have a friend with health anxiety and she talked me through a lot of the panic and then the diazepam helped loads. I used to take a really low dose every night until it passed. When thinking rationally, I remind myself about the risks being higher walking down the street or driving the car but as you mentioned, anxiety doesn't work that way! The Wim Hoff breathing technique also helped - it's on youtube.

I'm exactly the same! Its absolutely awful! The combo of breaking down in tears, just wanting to walk about but not being able to, and feeling too tired/ill to do so anyway is torture. I just dont know what to do xxx