More anxiety when ill?

[Fay13]

Hi, yesterday and today I've been feeling awful, I've had a really bad cold, my head is pounding, my throat hurts, my nose is blocked, my sinuses hurts etc. But also, its made my anxiety much worse, does anyone else get this when they're ill? I don't have health anxiety, I'm not worried its something other than a cold, I'm just generally feeling more anxious and panicky. Is it just because I'm tired and run down?

[HeadInAJar]

I have found it can go both ways. Sometimes being ill takes my mind off my anxious worries. Other times, as you say, it can make my anxiety worse. If the illness is fatiguing too, that's going to have a knock on effect on your levels of mental energy, which can lead to getting panicky more quickly. I have a chronic illness which leaves me exhausted 24/7. When I get bouts of being even worse, my mental state gets worse too, usually anyway.

[dancerja77]

I am the exact same way. When you are sick your body isn't worried about regulating your anxiety. It wants to get you better. It will go away!

[Fishmanpa]

Makes perfect sense. You're already on high alert for anything unusual physically so when you actually get a bug, it makes it worse.

Just ride it out, do what the doctor says and things will calm down.

Feel better soon!

Positive thoughts