workmen anxiety

[frosty2901]

Hi All
I know I am probably not alone but it seems every time I have to have the workmen in to repair anything or service my heating I get bad anxiety symptoms that day until they get there

my main problem I think is I worry im going to need to use the toilet whilst they are here and that scares me I usually get a bad tummy before they get here and then whilst they are here I get a feeling of a bad stomach

I know logically I shouldn't feel threatened as they are coming into my space and it is in effect on my terms but why oh why does it effect me like this and it also causes residual anxiety during the rest of the day if you get me
I mean for goodness sake the guy come to service my heating and was here all of 5 mins so I went through all the increased anxiety for what


thanks frosty

[Magic]

I was the same at one time frosty. I am lucky my husband is retired and I make sure
he is in when I know someone is coming to the house.

[Liziik]

Hi
I can relate a little bit! Mine is when I know I'm going to go out for a big thing like a wedding. And even if I feel relaxed and use techniques to relax my tummy still gets bad even if I don't feel anxious! Half the time I wouldn't end up going to these events! But with your scenario I'm pretty much the same and then after I sit and wonder why on earth I put myself through that when there was really nothing to worry about your in your own home after all. My anxiety is so much better then it was but my tummy still hates me and that's my biggest issue right now :( xx

[jayjoe18]

This is exactly me! It's awful! I now have a full blown toilet phobia because of this symptom of anxiety. Just last week we had someone come and fix the boiler & I had the choice of either waiting in for the guy on my own or going out to do a few bits in town with my mum whilst my little sister waited in instead. I chose to go out into town to avoid waiting in and I'm practically agoraphobic! That just shows how bad this can effect you. I'll spend all the time in these sorts of situations feeling desperate for the loo and panicking but once it's over I don't even need to go! I go back to normal apart from having stomach ache and the after effects of high anxiety. It's by far the worst thing about anxiety for me, I'm currently having CBT but it's not helped much so far.

Is there anything that you find helps to control this? So far nothing helps me and as I said I'm now agoraphobic because of it all :(

[meche]

I just don't like strangers being in my house when I'm on my own! I'm ok with people coming to the door, that doesn't bother me, but if someone is installing or repairing something I refuse to be there. I'm having a new sofa delivered in 3 weeks and I'll make sure my other half is at home because obviously they'll need to get in my house. I don't know why it bothers me so much! xx

[frosty2901]

Hi and thanks for all the replies it's horrible isn't it and it annoyed me that it has given me all the residual anxiety all day just through it mine is worse because the bathroom is next to the laundry room where the boiler is so if I needed to go to the toilet he would have heard me lol the fact that he was only here 5 mins servicing the boiler is almost like a kick in the teeth it's like nur nur I'm going to make you feel crap for it all day grrrrrr I had a terrible time a few months back they had to replace the bathroom ceilling and it was like we'll what if I need to use the toilet and then they had to repaint it the next day then they had to do the tiles a week later and they damaged the door when they did the ceilling so had to replace that and of course come back the next dany and paint it lol
I'm not worried about useing public toilets just that people know what I'm doing in there especially if I take a while lol but that's more of the worry if I have to go round someone's house I feel so embarrassed
Thanks frosty xx