Panic Attacks from other people coughing?

[derek]

Anyone get this. I always get an anxiety 'rush' when somebody either coughs loudly or perfusly. Just the fear that they might cough hard enough to gag themselves and v*. That and I'm afraid of other people, including me, of choking. It's horrible too, because I remember once my sister began to choke on something she was eating, and as my parents got up to help her, I put my head on the table and covered my ears. It's not like I didn't want to help her (what my parents thought), it was my freaking emetiphobia. So, back on topic, anyone else kind get weird around a person who is coughing loudly and stuff?

[hippychick]

I didn't used to but I've been more sensitive lately because when I stayed with my friend her mother had the weakest stomach ever and even from just coughing she could V*, most of the time I think she talked herself into V*ing and thats kinda made me a bit more on edge now.

[angel13]

No, I've had exactly the same thing, derek! Whenever I'm at home, and one of my parents starts to cough I get really concerned that they're going to overdo it and v*! I mean, thats just silly, its never happened before, so i dunno where i got that from!

[one who squeaks]

My dad and my brother both "overdo" their cough. It's loud and disturbing (a lot of, er, vocalizations and noise), especially at 6am. Sometimes I wish they would both cut it out. :/ I cough ten times more than they do, am quiet about it, and have never gagged or v*ed... and I typically cough so hard that I see stars.

[broken_angel]

The only time I really panic if someones choughing loads and loudly is
when I'm on a plane because I always think it's someone throwing up! Or
if someone is coughing and leaning over then that really looks like
they're going to throw up.
Edited by: broken_angel

[crazy_me_84]

My sister is always overdoing her coughs. She always gags at the end too. Its so horrible to hear her, even worse for her to be in the same room as me! Just freaks me out!

[peachfeet]

Yes! I'm currently residing with my grandfather who suffers from Asbestos which is generally a cancer to the lungs. It causes his lungs to become inflamed with mucus and fluid. Many days he's always hacking and coughing from it, and I've heard him more than once cough himself to the point of vomiting because the fluid gags him- it's disturbing, and I always start becoming alert and wired when his coughing-fits start.


In public I always give wide berth to someone who's coughing themselves sick, and if I'm in the proximity of them I try to hold my breath or cover my mouth and nose with my sleeve. =/Edited by: peachfeet

[samara's on tv]

I never used to be bothered by it unless it was over done or overly loud. I hate hearing people cough. I used to get bronchitus/pneumonia like twice a year every year and I used to cough until I gagged. I hated it...funny thing is after I started smoking I never got bronchitus or pneumonia any more...weird?


~Monica

[suzy.o]

I feel the same, If someone coughs and im in panic mode I cant bear to hear it because it makes my throat tight as if Im about to retch for them and I dont like the person that coughs at that time, I want to tell them to SHUT UP! And sometimes I do. TeeHee!

[mjewell]

LOL suzy, I do that too. My friend and i always yell at people to "QUIT COUGHING!!!!" I think it is rude for people to cough excessively or blow their nose in a room full of people. Excuse yourself and go outside for pete's sake!!

[wing]

I get panicky when someone coughs as well. I hate it when someone next to me especially. When I was in the 6th grade, this kid used to cough a lot..one day he wouldn't stop coughing andthen he kind of leaned over. I freaked out and moved my chair as far as possible without being noticed and sat at the very edge of the seat away from him. My teacher thought I was being rude and gave me a look...*sighs* I couldn't help it. =TEdited by: wing

[one who squeaks]

I'm sorry, but telling people to stop coughing can be just as rude as people who don't excuse themselves. :/

[tcsarah]

It disturbs me a bit too, especially in certain places, like whilst travelling or if you are visiting somebody in hospital - I always think the worst and think that they are v*ing or trying to.


The one thing that freaks me out the most about the normal actions of other people is if I'm out and about and I see somebody suddenly bend over. My heart always starts beating faster when that happens as I think they are going to v*.

[mjewell]

I'm sorry, but telling people to stop coughing can be just as rude as people who don't excuse themselves. :/

Lighten up, it's not like I yell at complete strangers. it's called sarcasm. [img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img]

[suzy.o]

I agree with you mjewel, Of course its rude to tell someone to shut up if they are coughing, but I dont think 'one who squeeks' realises that irrational thought goes awol when we are in the middle of a panic! Happen she should squeek her distaste toward us when its appropriate. lol.

[japa]

Well, I will put in my vote with you, one who squeaks. If you're having a nonstop coughing fit, then yes, you should try to go off by yourself and get it under control. But people might not be able to help it they are coughing.

I'm sorry, but telling people to stop coughing can be just as rude as people who don't excuse themselves. :/

[shiva]

I sometimes start to panic when I hear people having coughing fits and if I know them well and they know me then I have told them to stop before. (as if it's possible, right? This is kind of off topic, but I have been known to tell strangers when they are coughing all over everything without covering their mouths "Cover your mouth,you're not inkindergarten." Sometimes that doesn't go over very well, but I get strong convictions about germ spreadingespecially duringinfluenza season.

[sillygirl]

I never used to think about it until my mother in law and brother in law got pnemonia. THey both coughed until they v* (granted my brother in law was only 3 at the time) but after that I constantly worry about couging causing v*. I guess I don't really worry about other people except kids. I was at McDonalds once (again with my 3 year old brother in law) and we were in the play place. There was a kid in there who was playing really hard and started couging, then v*. Now I always panic when kids cough.


Although I don't really worry about adults, I do worry about myself. Last spring I had a really bad cough and would get into coughing fits where I would gag. I didn't v* from them, but I was so scared I would. Sometimes I gagged so bad it felt like I pulled the muscles in my throat!

[japa]

I do think that it is highly nasty when people don't cover their mouths and cough all over. Yuck. I usually try to dodge them.


I used to be afraid of people's coughing leading to vomiting until around the time I got out of high school. Then I convinced myself that it was o.k. not to make the connection between vomiting and coughing because I had only ever seen coughing lead to vomiting three times in my life. On the other hand, I had heard a gazillion billion trillion number of coughs in my life. So, I realized then that coughing in the overwhelming majority of cases would not lead to barfing. Edited by: japa

[one who squeaks]

To say you "yell at people" without any further elaboration doesn't easily lend itself to be interpreted as sarcasm or that you never say it to strangers. I'm not angry or being mean, I'm just someone who has had her share of nasty comments as the result of coughing. I cough constantly, and no, I can't stop, and no, I can't help it.I have a lung infection almost 24/7, andthey aren't the prettiest coughs you've ever heard. I don'tenjoy being treated like a freak because of it.


And on the contrary, I'm very familiar with the loss of rationality that comes with panic. However, if someone coughs or gags in a room I happen to be in, I get up and leave. Personal philosophy:There is no reason for me to demean another person for something they can't control just because I happen to have an anxiety disorder. (Of course, if this situation occurs in my own private space, e.g., my room, the offender-- oftenmy sad exaggeration of a brother-- is promptly removed.)


I'm sorry if I misunderstood the intended sarcasm.

[suzy.o]

To someone who squeaks, I know people cant help coughing, I cough as I smoke, rollups at that! Sometimes I dare not do it in case I gag, and when I hear someone coughing when im already panicking, I do get crabby at times as it makes my throat go tight. I wouldnt normally yell at them, but you are right, you cannot control your cough and we sometimes cant control our panic. Maybe we should just be more understanding of both situations.

[one who squeaks]

To be honest, people who cough until they gag-- during class, usually-- drive me crazy when they refuse to excuse themselves. I try to leave when I start having breathing troubles. It's embarrassing and disconcerting when everyone looks at you like you're a walking contagion. ^^;


As for being more understanding of both situations, agreed. :}

[mjewell]

I didn't mean to be rude last week, sorry, i was kind of grumpy


Anyway, yeah, small coughs don't bother me but when people are coughing for a long period if time so loudly and harshlythat you can't hear what the speaker is saying in a presentation, THAT's when I want to yell at them.

[ChippedAway]

Coughing doesn't bother me.Edited by: ChippedAway

[jesskali]

I'm a little behind reading this post...


I get panicky when people cough sometimes. I work with several ladies who actually gag each time they cough, so that is a little disturbing.

As for the choking thing--I just performed the Heimlich maneuver on my boss last week. Not fun at all, but something I had to do!

Jess

[wintergreen22]

I get so scared when people make that face right before they cough cause I think they are gagging or something. and I get scared when people cough really hard and when they make weird noises when they eat and when they burp