Post-Covid Mental Health.

[Zilde]

I’m hoping someone here can point me in the right direction please.

I work in a hospital as a care assistant and I caught Covid around 2 months ago in October during a ward outbreak, I suspect. Being an anxiety sufferer I can’t describe into words how much stress and mental torment this experience put me under, despite only really having mild symptoms.

The mental effects are continuing to this day and I’m finding myself in a very dark and lonely place. Everytime I feel a chill, or feel slightly warm or a little fatigued my mind thinks I am once again fighting Covid. It is extremely distressing. I don’t know if this could be classed as some kind of PTSD. I was having the physical symptoms of anxiety before I had Covid and they felt similar to a flu illness at times. My brain seems to think the covid has never actually gone away.

I have had antibody test and I was positive. So I know the chance of recatching it so soon is quite low. But anytime I feel any kind of wierd physical sensation my brain is starting to go into panic again.

I can’t keep living like this. I have been prescribed Mirtazipine and Diazepam but the mental anguish from this illness remains in my mind like a trauma that I can’t forget.

If someone could tell me what my next course of action should be or if anyone else finds themself in a similar position after having covid I would appreciate hearing from you very much because I am in despair at this. I don’t know where to turn anymore.

[Coni2]

Oh my goodness you could be describing me. I also work in the nhs and had covid in October. My husband and daughter also had it and my husband was hospitalised. Like you I feel ‘traumatised’ by the whole experience. Don’t get me wrong I know people have had much worse experiences than me. But I am having exactly the same thoughts and feelings as you. I was prescribed sertraline but it made me feel ill which triggered a whole fear of covid relapse even though rationally I knew how much I was feeling was due to side effects of sertraline. In truth I feel terrified. I accessed support through my work support services and that has helped a bit. Would that be an option for you? Sometimes just being able to speak your fears out loud can help. Also I am avoiding the news/Twitter/social media because too much info induces panic in me. This one is hard as my husband would have the news on constantly. And I am trying to practice mindfulness/meditation every day, if only for 10 mins. The jury is out on how much any of this is helping but none of the strategies will do me any harm and at least I feel I’m being a bit pro active. Don’t know if this helps but I feel you. You are not alone in how you feel. Big hugs xx

[Kalie galea]

How are you feeling now?? I've suffered with anxiety and panic attacks for over 20 years the meds I'm on stopped working so moved onto venlafaxine 16 days ago 3 weeks ago I tested positive for covid and since then my anxiety and attacks have been worse then ever I literally was crying saying I'm going to die thinking I'm going to stop breathing and end up in hospital I to only had mild symptoms these went away about 12 days ago yet I still cant stop the horrible thinking I thought retesting after symptoms gone would make me feel better once seen the negative but it came back positive again and that started me thinking omg things are going to come back worse and I'm going to end up in hospital my neighbor caught it 7 months ago she ended up not being able to breathe and was in a coma she's all ok now but don't know if that was my trigger I know exactly how you feel and it is so horrible just want to feel me again I've also been prescribed dizapam which I only take 1 if a night time to help me sleep until hopefully my ad will start to kick in