bad day for panic
#339440 - 12/15/08 07:21 PM
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hawkeye
Reged: 06/16/03
Posts: 705
Loc: NYC
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I've been doing so much better - but too many people talked to me about their kid's stomach bugs or husband with a bug or whatever - now I'm catastrophizing, as one of my books says. Or awfulizing as someone recently posted. Trying to keep breathing - just looking to vent a little and see if it helps me change my thinking... ugh!
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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I'm right there with you. I know this probably doesnt help but I'm a teacher so currently its all I am hearing so the smallest movement my stomach makes- I freak out. Ive been reading your posts and it seems like youre doing a good job trying to get past your anxieties. I always try to remember that no matter what I get it will pass and soon I will be better and it will all be over with. Hope that helps a bit. Isnt this a lovely time of year?!
Stefanie
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Thanks Stefanie,
It does help a little to know someone else is freaking out unnecessarily. I don't know why, but it does! Why do you think you have this? I'm curious about how other people arrived in this state! I work with kids too - I've been hearing about it for a few weeks so I keep telling myself if I was going to get it, I'd have gotten it by now. Its not impeccable logic perhaps, but the fear isn't especially logical either.
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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When I was younger- like college aged I was always the one to open the bathroom door without a paper towel, never worried about the germs involved in sharing a utensil or drinking from someone elses glass. I just never worried about germs. And for the most part I was always healthy!
Then I at age 26 I had open heart surgery, was in the hospital for an extended time, was in the ER etc. And then during recovery a lot of the medicine made me sick. And right after I was almost completely recovered this IBS stuff started and thats for me when everything went down hill.
My stomach was constantly sick feeling and I was always in the bathroom and the anxiety started and the panic attacks started. It takes over my life sometimes. So I dont know but I feel like for me its all been connected. I feel like I developed this insanely irrational fear with IBS. Right now people around me are getting sick and so here I am regretting eating anything today living in this stress for no reason!
I know its all in my mind and Ive been sick before- and I'm still here, I didnt die from it and actually it only took one or two days to get over it. But somehow in the midst of the irrational thoughts I cant see that.
I use so much hand sanitizer that my hands bleed! So why I have this- I dont know for sure I just know that prior to IBS I never ever had a panic attack, never worried about something so irrational like this. So I kinda think its all connected- some sort of seratonin or brain thing I dont know. Ugh... how about you-have you had this fear for a long time, or when/how did it come about for you?
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going to bed right now - I had ibs since childhood, and several traumatic incidents with illness as a kid including one very long hospital stay as a pre-teen that really messed me up emotionally. Panic attacks started for me a few years ago. I haven't had one for over a year now, but am feeling in pretty sorry shape today - it still beats me down some days.
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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hawkeye,
What seems to trigger the anxiety? Is it something about germs?
BTW - I love your signature... wasn't that something that Dr. Sidney Freedman said?
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Saul (IBS - D)
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I have a phobia of throwing up. Its been going on for many years now. Currently in therapy as I've written about here. Yes my signature is from Sidney - I used to love MASH when I was a kid and now its kind of a nostalgic thing.
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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Thanks for your reply.
I don't have a common frame of reference so I can't offer any advice other than to continue in therapy (and it's a good thing that you're doing).
I've (finally) decided to see a psychiatrist for my issues and have my first appointment in two weeks.
Good luck to you!
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Saul (IBS - D)
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yep i know the feeling all too well... its called Emetaphobia
I take refuge at these messageboards http://emetophobics.proboards83.com/index.cgi
and i know there are alot more boards out there dedicated to this.
i do pretty good on a day to day basis right now which is an improvement from 2 years ago when i did not know i had IBS so every attack i though i had a Stomach issue and my anxiety would flare and again that would cause yet another attack... its a vicious circle...
but now i can relax as i know what the attacks are now.. so iv been better since then
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IBS-A mostly D, Emetaphobic, GAD
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I tried going on one of those boards a few years ago, I found it got me stirred up even worse! Maybe now that I'm doing a little better it might be helpful. I'm not sure. Today was an interesting day - I was mostly very resolved to stay calm while the panic continued to chatter away more in the background than usual, and only at times sort of broke through and made me feel anxious. Its not the kind of huge improvement I'd like, but its improvement anyway.
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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Any improvement is good! It seems like there are a few of us with that same phobia on this board. That makes me think that somehow IBS and anxiety are connected and since then my anxiety went through the roof which made this phobia sky rocket. I long for the "flu season" to be over with- my fear isnt as strong in the warmer months. I really should move somewhere where its warm all year round. Somehow I think that might help me. But, I dont forsee a move.
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I thought the same thing today (warm) and not for the first time! Thing is I had this kind of anxiety before - its moved over from one fear to this one. That's what I'm learning in therapy, how this is only partly, for me anyway, about an actual fear of getting sick. And yes I'm sure about ibs and anxiety being connected for many people. We have "butterflies in our stomach" when we're nervous - so why wouldn't the reverse also be true, ibs spasms triggering anxiety. I know this has been studied somewhat. I remember one book is, "The Second Brain"
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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I'm right there with you and Hawkeye... You both make me feel "normal"! Whatever that is... 
When I was in therapy, the clinical psychologist kept trying to tie my anxiety to some of the traumatic events I had been through, but, honestly, the worst was being sick... And, I know it goes all the way back to my childhood (long time ago for me  ... BUT, I honestly get worse when the symptoms come and I fear the symptoms. I try to do "self-talk", but it doesn't always help. Example: baby sat my granddaughters Sunday - one was recovering from a stomach virus - so, basically loved her from afar ... The other one was all over me kissing, "slurping... etc." (3-year-old) and was "allegedly" the non-sick one... Later that night, she started throwing up and still recovering. So, what has occupied my thoughts during this already stressful last week before school break, with a thousand things to do??? Am I going to get it too? What will happen if I do??? I also have a dread/fear of throwing up....
So, I'm sorry you both deal with this, but it does help to know it's not just me...
As far as moving somewhere warmer - it doesn't help, Steffiejoy... I live in North Florida on the Gulf Coast, it was 78 today and everyone around here is sick... it's actually called "allergy alley"! We have such drastic temperature fluctuations - 30s in the early AM and 78 by afternoon! If I ever find "Utopia", I'll send a postcard!
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"I Will Survive! :-)... I shall live and not die and declare the works of The Lord..."
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I've always been a "worried" person, but never for anything about germs or getting sick and now the "worry" has moved to anxiety. I really cant think of any tramatic events that would have caused mine. I guess some might think that open heart surgery could be considered tramatic but I have never looked at it that way. And I did get sick during the recovery but that was because of the anesthesia and the medicine they put me on. I also have found that if I have a specific reason for getting sick- like IBS or anesthesia or a result of medicine I dont have as much panic. I'm sure I need therapy too.
I guess it being warm doesnt help huh Gaga??  Thats a major bummer. I am going to Arizona for Christmas to see my inlaws. Which of course is a cause of anxiety for me because of going on the plane with all the people and being enclosed in that stale airplane germy air. Ugh Its good to know that were not alone!
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Hawkeye,
I understand what you are going through. I think there are probably quite a few of us that feel panic when someone around us has a stomach flu.
Not too long ago a co-worker came into the office on her second day of the flu and she was running to the bathroom every 10 mins. I was in a panic and practically begged her to go home. I sterlized everything that day and the rest of the week.
I have worked in a school and also a Dr. office and each time I heard that someone was sick I felt that same panic. If my daughter calls me from Va. and tells me she is sick my stomach will start hurting immediately. I don't remember being this way when I was younger but as I get older I am obsessed with germs (I drive my husband crazy) and go into a panic over stomach bugs.
When I was a kid I remember my cousin would run and hide and ring her hands when someone was sick. I didn't have the same reaction at the time but it seems that I have grown into it.
I think it is wonderful that you are going through therapy and I hope that you are feeling better.
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Janey
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