Paralyzed by flu fear

[jules321]

Flu is my trigger. I don't know why. This year I'm struggling with my HA since the vaccine apparently isn't very effective. It's really taking over my thinking. I'm terrified to send my child to school, I don't want to eat at restaurants or be in public. Part of me wonders if this is rational though... it IS a serious public health threat. So why are other people acting all calm and living life normally? I keep telling myself when if we DO get the flu, we will feel crummy and will then be ok. But I can't get my rational mind to assuage my wobbly fears.

The principal at my child's school has been out with the flu and returned today after 6 days of being sick. I turned around today, and there he was saying hi to me. I almost freaked out. Don't stand close to me or my child! Don't talk to me!! Now of course I'm terrified the principal is still contagious and that I will get it.

My main fear is something happening to my child or something killing me so I can't be here for my child. I just can't get a grip on it. Something about the flu is so triggering to that - more than anything else. Sometimes I wonder if I died of the flu in another life.

[Jack4440]

I think the reason people go about their lives advice if it’s not a problem is because life has to go on, doesn’t it? Why would we all be indoors and not get out and about. Flu is seasonal and I dont want to be locked away every year. I’ve had the flu twice in my life, I’m 30 and never vaccinated as it’s mostly useless unless you’re at risk of complications from other diseases.
I say go about life as everyone else is, and not worry about something you have little control over. Flu can be very serious, but then so can other illnesses. The media have a lot to answer for in regards to scaring the s**t out of everyone, branding the flu and adding names onto it to make it sound like a super strain. Viruses are a part of life and that will never change but I’m not going to stop living my life as a result. If that were the case I’d run the risk of letting other things keep me indoors too and I don’t want to live like that.

I think the flu is your trigger because of easily it can be contracted and how common it is and yet, it kills people; it’s can be scary and I guess we all worry about it to a degree. The media again I really think are scaremongers though and play on rare cases.

Wash your hands, keep in when sick and use common sense :-).

[nomorepanic]

We have an ongoing post about this:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=212656

[cofo]

I feel exactly the same way

[Chris 614]

I made the mistake of reading a CNN article about the flu a few days ago. That's the first article I read about the flu this season. I purposely avoid them because they only report the horrible stuff. Anyway, I have to admit that it triggered me. I am afraid of getting the flu too. Mind you, I have only had it twice in my adult life and I am 57...never had the vaccine. Knock on wood!

I know every year they say it's the worst flu season. But last year seemed worse to me than this year. My mom lives is an assisted living facility and last year so many of the people there got the flu...this year I haven't heard of any of them getting it. The nurse there said they have been doing well so far. My mom always seems to get the flu...this year she hasn't gotten it. My sister works in an ER and she always seems to get the flu...nothing this year though. One of my son's caregivers has four young kids and none of them have had it. My point is...not everyone gets it.

When I'm out i have antibacterial wipes that I use. And I wash my hands a lot and don't touch my face. I know you want to lock yourself inside during flu season...I completely understand why!

One thing I did read in that article is that they already think that flu season has peaked. That seems positive. Hopefully we will start seeing less and less people getting it!

[poppy77]

The flu is common however vaccinations do greatly bring down the risk of getting a flu and also, if you do get it (unlikely in a school playground as the majority of kids will probably be vaccinated), it lessens the intensity of the symptoms.

Also, people who do get hospitalised and the very few who die of flu are usually in extremely vulnerable categories: very old (especially if they can't move around a lot from bed etc.), have heart or lung conditions or are immune suppressed in some way (i.e. undergoing chemotherapy, have a condition like HIV). Obviously you do hear of the occasional young person dying of flu but usually you hear about it because it has hit the headlines because it's so rare. You also don't know if they had a unknown medical condition that made them more vulnerable.

The reason you're, worried about the flu is all the press the Aussie Flu has been getting. It's actually not a new strain like they are saying.

[Chris 614]

Unfortunately, the CDC thinks the flu vaccine has only been around 30% effective this year in the U.S. currently. We'll see what the numbers are once flu season ends. I'm afraid I don't know anything about the Aussie flu, which is fine with me. They print enough bad stuff about the flu in the U.S.!