Hi everyone, I'm very new here. Just found the website and think it's great. I just needed to vent for the moment. I've been sick for a couple of weeks with a flu and now have a really bad case of tonsillitis. My overactive imagination is getting the better of me. Instead of just letting myself rest and get better I keep what-if-ing myself like crazy. I keep thinking what if my throat closes and I need emergerncy surgery or something. I'm totally scared of hospitals and doctors for that matter. (kind of weird since I've worked in a hospital for 7 years now). I know why I'm sensitive to my anxiety, with being run down and not sleeping well, but as much as I keep trying to calm myself with positive self talk it doesn't seem to be sinking in. I have the program and so far have only gotten to lesson 2 because sometimes when I listen I get more anxious. I just need some reassuring words of encouragement. Thanks.

Daisy~

I know that I have felt the same way as you described, especially when your body is run down from being sick. You know this will pass and you will feel better. Sometimes it takes a while especially if your resistance is down. Drink some soothing tea (chamomile or tension tamers) have some chicken soup, read a good book and just allow yourself time to get better. And really try to start the program again. It is totally normal to feel anxious at first, it is almost expected because you know you are going to face your fear...you can do it! And I promise you it is worth it(you are worth it!) so just do. I hope you feel better soon !

Take care-Silvana

Hi Daisy

I can relate to you. Back in the spring I had the flu for 3 weeks. It knocked me out. I felt like I was dying and that's not good for someone who has anxiety. In fact, that flu brought back my anxiety which was dormant for about a year. I think that the more aware you are about symptoms of anxiety, the more you apply them to every illness that you get. I tend to get confused and think "Do I have the flu or is this anxiety?"

What helped me was to get out of the house. Sit outside for a few minutes, go for a country drive (the fall colors are beautiful). Know that you will get better. Remember that you are a strong person and will get through this just fine.

Daisy
Everyone gets sick at some point in their lives. Your body response in ways to tell you this. By getting run down, your body is telling you to slow down, you need to rest well it recovers. Your throat is sore because it is healing. These are all good natural ways for your body to take care of itself. For instance, when you go outside and its cold out, your body starts to shiver, this is a normal response for your body to try and make you warmer, the same with sweating when your hot. Be happy that you have these symptoms, they are a sign that your body is working as it should. Perhaps your body is making you feel rotten so that you will slow down, and take care of yourself so it can heal. Humanes are so advanced that I think we sometimes feel we don't need to go thru these processes, but if you look at the lower animal forms (if you want to call them that), like dogs, it's amazing to see how they are able to take care of themselves when sick, they know to lie around, if they have just been physical injury, they instinctivly know how to take care of themselves. We as humanes tend to rely on others to tell us how we should feel. We see advertisment on television showing people taking medications so they can continue on working well their sick. I don't think this is a good thing. I think it's just a matter of taking care of your best friend. Yourself.
Sander

Daisy, you know what, if I worked in a hospital for 7 years, I would be afraid of them too!! I'm an interior designer and I can't stand to go shopping for new bed linens with my mom or anything like that.

Anyway, I have been where you are myself a few times and I actually did a little chant to myself when I got really freaked out. I would say (this is from memory, it was a long time ago...) "I'm a healthy person with the flu" Or "I'm a healthy person with a cold" or whatever the sickness was. This sort of reminded me that I am have excellent over-all health and little bugs are bound to come on us once in a while. But if you are in basically good health, those scary thoughts have no basis in reality because a healthy person's throat doesn't just close up on them suddenly. You know what I mean?

Just take it easy and try to distract yourself with a movie or something. Hope you feel better soon!

Blessings,
Leslie