Paranoid about getting sick after illness ?
So around a year ago I contracted an illness and was take to hospital and declined rapidly. For serval days I was in and out of consciousness and have no memory of this time . I was in hospital for a while due to nerve damage and ongoing treatment. When discharge from the hospital the doctors told me that my immune system was weak I was told to avoid public places and transport etc . However now I am much better and trying to get on with life whilst managing all the long term problems the illness left me with .
But I Am really terrified of getting any illness even a cold . If any of my friends start coughing or sneezing. I am out of there like a shot even if it’s just hay-fever . I am still very anxious about going in crowds or public transport .
But a family member has now booked me a holiday abroad . Which is making me so anxious as I keep think about all the problems like what if I catch an illness or relapse while out there , what if I forget any medication. I have been abroad quite a lot and to the place we are staying before but not since the illness . Everybody time I try to sleep it’s all I can think about .
I have seen a therapist who made me more stressed . As she just said and what do u think would make things feel better ?
I know it sounds stupid but can any one offer any advice or been through similar.?
But I Am really terrified of getting any illness even a cold . If any of my friends start coughing or sneezing. I am out of there like a shot even if it’s just hay-fever . I am still very anxious about going in crowds or public transport .
But a family member has now booked me a holiday abroad . Which is making me so anxious as I keep think about all the problems like what if I catch an illness or relapse while out there , what if I forget any medication. I have been abroad quite a lot and to the place we are staying before but not since the illness . Everybody time I try to sleep it’s all I can think about .
I have seen a therapist who made me more stressed . As she just said and what do u think would make things feel better ?
I know it sounds stupid but can any one offer any advice or been through similar.?
It sounds like you had a really awful time with the illness and no wonder you are so worried about being ill again! It sounds like this is probably something you need to speak to your GP about - maybe there is some other therapy they can refer you for? The other things to do would be to look up some stuff on dealing with anxiety on-line, which might help.
Sorry you've had to go through all that.
Sorry you've had to go through all that.
hi, i went through something sort of similar, hope this helps,
so i overdosed on an illicit substance a couple years back, and after it happened i had to deal with a year and a half of being terrified of drugs, even down to trace elements and things that were invisible and in all honesty not even there, in my head and if they were would not affect me in any way. i went to cahms for a good while and they did not help, i was told it is all stress related. basically your brain is perfrming an excellent survival technique. its trying to avoid the same thing from happening again because it knows that it's bad. but, everyone has a different response to stress ( and no i dont mean the kind of stress you get when you've got a lot to do, but mental stress after a traumatising experience) some people can have the experience and be fine straight after, but some people wil get attached onto the thought and repeat it over and over again in their minds. in terms of the neuroscience, by continually repeating this process of thinking it through in your head, youre strenthening the neural connection and making it a habit to think about it. it can be difficult to do, but i believe the best way of dealing with this would be to try and change what you're thinking. right now, youre probably thinking that ' how can i change what im thnking if its true that i could contract this illness, do you want me to lie to myself?' and the answer is no. everyone else loking at your sitation will be thinking rationally, whereas right now your brain is not. it is unlikely that this will happen again, and i think the only way to challenge this mindset is with exposure. you need to do exactly what you're afraid of and show yourself that you're not going to contract this illness. also try and find some relaxation techniques to take your mind off it before going to bed as having little or disturbed sleep will only be worsening this anxiety. if you want any more info let me know.
also check this out: this is what i had:
https://patient.info/mental-health/stress-management/acute-stress-reaction
and for the anxiety :
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2012/1001/p643-s1.html
so i overdosed on an illicit substance a couple years back, and after it happened i had to deal with a year and a half of being terrified of drugs, even down to trace elements and things that were invisible and in all honesty not even there, in my head and if they were would not affect me in any way. i went to cahms for a good while and they did not help, i was told it is all stress related. basically your brain is perfrming an excellent survival technique. its trying to avoid the same thing from happening again because it knows that it's bad. but, everyone has a different response to stress ( and no i dont mean the kind of stress you get when you've got a lot to do, but mental stress after a traumatising experience) some people can have the experience and be fine straight after, but some people wil get attached onto the thought and repeat it over and over again in their minds. in terms of the neuroscience, by continually repeating this process of thinking it through in your head, youre strenthening the neural connection and making it a habit to think about it. it can be difficult to do, but i believe the best way of dealing with this would be to try and change what you're thinking. right now, youre probably thinking that ' how can i change what im thnking if its true that i could contract this illness, do you want me to lie to myself?' and the answer is no. everyone else loking at your sitation will be thinking rationally, whereas right now your brain is not. it is unlikely that this will happen again, and i think the only way to challenge this mindset is with exposure. you need to do exactly what you're afraid of and show yourself that you're not going to contract this illness. also try and find some relaxation techniques to take your mind off it before going to bed as having little or disturbed sleep will only be worsening this anxiety. if you want any more info let me know.
also check this out: this is what i had:
https://patient.info/mental-health/stress-management/acute-stress-reaction
and for the anxiety :
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2012/1001/p643-s1.html
Original post by Anonymous
So around a year ago I contracted an illness and was take to hospital and declined rapidly. For serval days I was in and out of consciousness and have no memory of this time . I was in hospital for a while due to nerve damage and ongoing treatment. When discharge from the hospital the doctors told me that my immune system was weak I was told to avoid public places and transport etc . However now I am much better and trying to get on with life whilst managing all the long term problems the illness left me with .
But I Am really terrified of getting any illness even a cold . If any of my friends start coughing or sneezing. I am out of there like a shot even if it’s just hay-fever . I am still very anxious about going in crowds or public transport .
But a family member has now booked me a holiday abroad . Which is making me so anxious as I keep think about all the problems like what if I catch an illness or relapse while out there , what if I forget any medication. I have been abroad quite a lot and to the place we are staying before but not since the illness . Everybody time I try to sleep it’s all I can think about .
I have seen a therapist who made me more stressed . As she just said and what do u think would make things feel better ?
I know it sounds stupid but can any one offer any advice or been through similar.?
But I Am really terrified of getting any illness even a cold . If any of my friends start coughing or sneezing. I am out of there like a shot even if it’s just hay-fever . I am still very anxious about going in crowds or public transport .
But a family member has now booked me a holiday abroad . Which is making me so anxious as I keep think about all the problems like what if I catch an illness or relapse while out there , what if I forget any medication. I have been abroad quite a lot and to the place we are staying before but not since the illness . Everybody time I try to sleep it’s all I can think about .
I have seen a therapist who made me more stressed . As she just said and what do u think would make things feel better ?
I know it sounds stupid but can any one offer any advice or been through similar.?
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