anxiety from being sick
In the past month, I had the flu (and missed a week of school) and now have a stomach bug. Missing school makes me super anxious about missing work, but being sick in general makes me really panicky. I feel trapped and like I'm not in control, and it kind of makes me spiral into a bad headspace and unhealthy coping mechanisms. What should I do to prevent this?
@aadalet
My daughter is the exact same way. She has found that different grounding techniques help her. Focus on the here and now. You are definitely not alone in this struggle!!
Hey @aadalet,
I just stumbled across your thread but it's really relevant to me. I've been sick for 10 years. And I have a lot of anxiety about my sickness. Whenever I feel even a bit worse than normal I get so worried and anxious that I'm going to be even more sick for the rest of my life.
I'd like to encourage you to look after yourself. I think the best advice I have is, when you're sick accept it. And in a sense enjoy it as much as you can. Instead of worrying about everything you're missing just tell yourself "Okay, today is a sick day. I'm not going to do work or worry about work. Today is about looking after my body and my mind." So look after yourself. Have a bath, read a book, watch a movie, have a nap. I think anxiety makes us more ill. But if we can learn our mind, emotions and bodies need those time outs. When you are sick, instead of worrying, be excited. Treat it as a much needed opportunity to look after yourself. You can focus on work and school when you're well.
I hope that helps. I'm here to talk.
