Please please please please help

[Rokenswife]

I've got myself into such a state over Ebola....I'm having panic attacks, not sleeping or eating. Help!

Have you spoken to your GP?

No, it's been like this today. I'm working tomorrow morning so I'm thinking of going in the afternoon.

Keep talking.

What helps you - if you go over logic again and again (eg you're more likely to win the lottery etc) does it help? Are you on ADs, do you suffer from health anxiety normally?

yy to GP

No I'm not on any meds. I'm not usually an anxious person - I had a bit of anxiety after I had my son but ok after that. My husband has come home telling me that we are probably going to get it, he needs to seal us all up in the house, we need to stock up on cans etc.....I almost passed out. He says that when the government say that it'll all be ok, that's when we have to worry etc.
Facts and figures do help an awful lot!

I do have a lot on my plate anyway - my 3yo has a multi disciplinary assessment next week, things aren't great with DH and he's fallen out with my parents and now this.

Your husband is an idiot and the greatest threat to his life right now could be the woman he married.

This is just a great news story. Remember SARS? Remember bird flu and how we were ALL going to get mad cow disease? What about badgers giving us consumption and the Y2K bug plunging us back into the middle ages? Your perspective has been skewed by headline crazed editors and journalists who are being terribly unBritish about the whole thing. You are really not at risk.

Ebola is a horrible horrible disease that has actually affected very few people world wide. More people die of malaria and right now, assuming you're in the UK, you are at so small a risk, it's insignificant. You really are more likely to win the lottery so if I were you, I'd go out and buy a scratch card. (and also something sharp and pointy to poke dh with)

Sorry but your DH sounds a bit like the one who is over reacting. No wonder you are upset with someone saying things like that. You have to keep the actual danger in proportion.

I just have nobody to reassure me and I end up shouldering his worries as well as mine. I'm absolutely exhausted.

Then he tells me that I'm overreacting by getting upset! So I have nowhere to get upset. My health visitor is on holiday, my mum suffers from dreadful anxiety so I wouldn't even dream of bringing up Ebola with her and I don't think I'm going to get in at the doctor tomorrow. I'm usually so calm about these sorts of things - SARS etc but this is the first time something like this has happened since I had my son which I think is what is sending me into uber panic mode.
Also, I only work on a Thursday so when he's at playschool, I have plenty of time to work my brain into a frenzy. I watched Red Dwarf all morning to try and snap out if it but my eye twitched all the way through!

I am feeling very sick today and was up half the night worrying. I like to think of myself as an intelligent person (I'm a teacher) and I'm usually pretty rational about these things but I'm sure it's because I'm now a mum. Work did me good yesterday, it didn't eradicate the oppressive thoughts but it did give me some normality.
We have speech and language therapy and playschool this morning and then I'm going out with some girlfriends tonight. My DS is staying with my mum so hopefully I'll get a good night's sleep although I am wondering if it would be a good idea to see my GP this morning?
Sitting on the internet is not doing me good. I think I've read pretty much every article on ebola that exists.

Its hard to know if your G.P would be helpful in this situation. I think they might be, but I have also heard it can take a while to get referred for counselling. Can you afford some private counselling? It sounds like you would benefit from someone to talk to, and you also could learn techniques to help deal with worry,anxiety and stress. Mindfulness is one of the things often recommended. It sounds like your dh might be part of the problem too. Is he a difficult person in some ways? Maybe you need to learn ways to deal with him.

He is a very anxious person and I usually just reassure him and carry on as normal but this is almost the straw that had broken the camel's back.
He's just phoned me because he 'keeps sneezing' and is worried he has ebola. Smh.
Can't afford counselling but my GP is pretty amazing. Just a reassuring chat would be good I think. X

Yes I would see the G.P if they are nice and they may be able to refer you for some counselling or suggest something to go to like a group or course. Make sure you tell G.P about your d.h I'm sure it can't do you any good living with a highly anxious person all the time. Another thing is to look at some books about coping with worrying and anxiety.

Your Dh sounds like he needs some intervention if he is getting this stressed about it. It is quite common for mental health issues to escalate where both parties in a couple have anxiety issues, in effect his anxiety is making yours worse. If he cannot control it around you he needs to speak to someone about it take some medication.

How did it go with the GP did you get an appt.?

No I didn't - they are often absolutely chocked on a Friday with all the old people. I'm feeling a lot better today and hopefully it's just been a bit of a wobble. Xx

That's great but it would definitely be worth doing some reading about managing your worries and thinking about reducing stress in the home. Maybe you would like to get out more and see people? Also keep an eye on your dh and push him to see the dr himself if you think he needs to.