Anxiety high again

[Alice1990]

Hi all,


I have been severely anxious throughout the last two years. I’ve had periods where I’ve been able to stay more rational about things ( since more has been known about the virus and preventatives such as vaccines have been around) but more often than not it still causes me a lot of mental stress and anxiety.

I have worked with the public throughout all of this which hasn’t helped as I’ve seen this as being an increased risk. I have been working in early years for the past 4 months and even though I am trying to get on as normal I am finding that I’m stressed more often than not. Especially with colds and probably covid being absolutely rife in such environments at the moment, this really triggers me and most days I feel on edge.


I’m seriously considering ( and have done many times) leaving my job as I just don’t know how much more I can handle. But then if I leave my job then I leave so much else behind which will also be very negative.

Feeling really deflated at the moment.

[Lencoboy]

For a bit of reassurance, the latest ONS Covid numbers, at least in England and Wales, are trending downwards and have been for the past fortnight, though Scotland looks to have levelled off, but all 3 nations have still seen much lower numbers during the most recent spike from late September-mid October than most previous big spikes up until early 2022.

It does seem that the COL crisis, Ukraine and the general tumult within our govt have largely replaced Covid as the big panic stations issues in the media as 2022 has worn on.

[ankietyjoe]

I’m seriously considering ( and have done many times) leaving my job as I just don’t know how much more I can handle. But then if I leave my job then I leave so much else behind which will also be very negative.

All that will happen is that you'll leave your job and eventually get Covid anyway. We're all going to get it at least once, it's inevitable.

I had it about a month ago and it wasn't really that bad. Sure I felt like absolute crap for a couple of weeks (actually just REALLY bad for a week), but I've felt worse with a 'normal' chest infection before.

I spoke with a Dr during my infection and he said Covid is now no more problematic than flu in terms of short term issues. They're still trying to figure out what long Covid is, but the most likely issue seems to be people with pre-existing inflammatory/auto-immune conditions from years of bad diet, drinking and stress.

You can't avoid Covid, it's gonna happen.

[ankietyjoe]

Another way to look at it -


If you had a choice, would you choose (literally) years of anxiety about catching Covid, or a week or two of sniffles on the sofa?

Once you've had it, it's done.

[Alice1990]

Hi Lencoboy,

Thank you for the reassuring stats. You’re right in that other issues have taken the spotlight for a lot of this year. Very unfortunate that they exist in the first place.
Not sure what your political views are but I would love for there to be a general election soon. I’m so done with the Tory government... something has to give.

[Alice1990]

Hi anxietyjoe,

Thank you for your reply. Sorry to hear that you were poorly with it but glad to hear that you are the other side!

You make some very good points. At this stage I just feel conflicted as with testing/ isolating not being compulsory anymore I do still feel scared and uncertain. I just feel like it’s all out of my control, which I guess it is, but it’s about becoming ok with that

You mention long covid and I think that’s also a fear.

I just found myself feeling really wound up last week. Someone at work tested positive and there’s also been a lot of fevers and coughs around generally. I had also had a cough for a couple of weeks. I was trying my best to keep it together and to everyone else I appear fine but when I get home I go in to full on panic mode over it all again. And the cycle just repeats.

I’m really enjoying work at the moment and this is what makes it all the more frustrating. It is difficult as someone with anxiety/ health anxiety as generally it’s a germy job anyway. But I try and push this to the side as I love everything else about it. I wash my hands/ don’t touch my face however it’s very hard to avoid infection completely. Although when I think about it, when I caught covid at the start of the year that was via friends and a nasty cold I had was what a family member had. So I guess your point about getting things anyway is true...

See what this week brings...

[Lencoboy]

Hi Lencoboy,

Thank you for the reassuring stats. You’re right in that other issues have taken the spotlight for a lot of this year. Very unfortunate that they exist in the first place.
Not sure what your political views are but I would love for there to be a general election soon. I’m so done with the Tory government... something has to give.

My political views are very similar to yours, though that's generally for another thread.

[Lencoboy]

All that will happen is that you'll leave your job and eventually get Covid anyway. We're all going to get it at least once, it's inevitable.

I had it about a month ago and it wasn't really that bad. Sure I felt like absolute crap for a couple of weeks (actually just REALLY bad for a week), but I've felt worse with a 'normal' chest infection before.

I spoke with a Dr during my infection and he said Covid is now no more problematic than flu in terms of short term issues. They're still trying to figure out what long Covid is, but the most likely issue seems to be people with pre-existing inflammatory/auto-immune conditions from years of bad diet, drinking and stress.

You can't avoid Covid, it's gonna happen.

Very wise words AJ.

I think the Dr you spoke to is correct that Covid is now no worse than ordinary flu for most people. In fact, ordinary flu can also have similar effects as so-called 'long Covid' on the certain more vulnerable minority you mentioned in your third paragraph. Twas ever thus.

Surely if Covid was still mega problematic there would still be certain restrictions pertaining to it (almost all of which are now virtually non-existent in this country) and the media of course would still no doubt be milking it to death. Also, the fact that Covid seems to have stuck with the Omicrons for the past year or so, and (touch wood) no more Alpha or Delta-like variants, is quite telling.

You're also correct that it's now impossible to avoid Covid completely, and that it's inevitable that we'll all get it at least once. But for the vast majority of the population it's now no longer the big killer virus it once was, and all the endless rigmaroles we went through during 2020 and the first months of 2021 are now no longer warranted.

[ankietyjoe]

I just feel like it’s all out of my control, which I guess it is, but it’s about becoming ok with that

Bingo.

You/we/us have zero control over most things that happen to us. It's the same for everybody, and always has been.

Live for today, what's actually happening now. The past, the future, don't exist.

I would also add that it's not a bad idea to take a look at things we can control. If your diet is bad, change it. If you drink too much, stop. If you smoke, you know.......

Get outside, exercise, meditate, reframe the constant negative thoughts that are your real issue.

Honestly, Covid wasn't that bad. I'm 51 and hyper stressed (I'm a carer for a very sick family member and we now have significant financial issues, like a lot of people) and I came out of it with little to no side effects. A month on I still feel stiff and tired, but I felt like that before anyway. I'm easily functioning. You are creating imaginary scenarios in your brain that simply don't exist.

[Lencoboy]

Bingo.

You/we/us have zero control over most things that happen to us. It's the same for everybody, and always has been.

Live for today, what's actually happening now. The past, the future, don't exist.

I would also add that it's not a bad idea to take a look at things we can control. If your diet is bad, change it. If you drink too much, stop. If you smoke, you know.......

Get outside, exercise, meditate, reframe the constant negative thoughts that are your real issue.

Honestly, Covid wasn't that bad. I'm 51 and hyper stressed (I'm a carer for a very sick family member and we now have significant financial issues, like a lot of people) and I came out of it with little to no side effects. A month on I still feel stiff and tired, but I felt like that before anyway. I'm easily functioning. You are creating imaginary scenarios in your brain that simply don't exist.

Remember the media have been putting the fear of God into us virtually non-stop over all things Covid since the first months of 2020 (though obviously far more justified during the first year or so of the pandemic) and a lot of us are still no doubt conditioned into fearing virtually every worst-case scenario which can of course lead to hypervigilance, which can then in turn lead to psychosomatic symptoms and of course self-fulfilling prophecies in general. I also fear similar scenarios with the current COL crisis in terms of self-fulfilling prophecies and vicious circles the way the media keep milking it to death just like they did with Covid and of course the last GFC at the end of the 2000s.

I know all of these issues are very real but I personally think that the media almost always seem to contribute to exacerbating a lot of issues in general with their evermore sensationalistic tones (for obvious reasons).

It does also seem like the media want to 'control' us at times.