need some reassurance again...

[baseballplaya12]

I went on a trip this weekend with the family and today we drove home...it
was about a 5 and a half hour drive and we stopped at a bunch of places
to go to the bathroom and stuff... a little later i really needed to go #2
(sorry for the detail but its necessary)...you know those crappy gas station
bathrooms yeah so thats all there was... we stopped at one of those and i
went to the bathroom the bottom of the toilet was gross i dont even want
to know what was on it, when i put the seat down it was pretty clean...so
after im finished i realize theres no toilet paper....so i look around and
theres a bunch of it on the floor right under the seat right in front of
it...so that begins to make me nervous and i think well what if someone
v'd and was trying to clean it up...and i just havent been able to stop
worrying since then...who knows what ahppens in those bathrooms. I
washed my hands but i doubt that would have been enough if anything
had happened ugh its been a long weekedn and now i gotta go back to
school tomarro ugh...bringon the summer

[shiva]

Just try really hard to get those what if's out of your mind. Anytime a what if tries to creep into your head, tell yourself.. "I am healthy and everything will be alright." Do not let the negative thinking overtake you. I know it's hard, but just keep practicing this. Do not let yourself think anything negative. Distract your mind, do not thrive on what is making you uncomfortable. Just try this.. Even if it only helps you for five minutes, that is five minutes out of your life that you didn't waste on what if's

[baseballplaya12]

im getting sorta nervous about this now i had a real setback when i woke
up this mourning i was really really nervous but i talked myself out of it i
think im doing better at that but i still cant help thinking that im going to
get sick tonight or tommaro or worse in the middle of the night...ugh
guys i need some reassurance maybe it was just food poisening or maybe
nobody was even sick i just figured that they refill those things once in a
while so them being out of toilet paper i feel like someone wasted it...ugh
maybe im just being irrational

[shiva]

You are doing it again! Just stop it! Do not let the what if's take over! Tell yourself "WHO CARES?" Because you cannot control what has already happened to you. If it was the worse case scenario, and if someone was sick and there were germs all over that damn place. The only thing you can do now is take care of your body so that it can work properly to fight anything you may have come into contact with. Stressing out is NOT GOOD for your immune system. Don't you realize that shopping carts, door handles, pens, desks at schools.. all of these objects will harbor viruses for a while. It could be anywhere. DO NOT let this take control of your life. Say "SO WHAT!" Because you can handle whatever this universe or God or whoever chooses to hand you. You can do this because you are strong! You just have to realize this. You will never conquer your fear if you do not face it. Stop running and stop with the what if's. If you really want to feel better, this is the first step. Work on relaxation. Eat well. Work out. And stop the what if's as often as you can. Positive self talk! Do not make a mountain out of a mole hill. YOU WILL BE OKAY!

[swiftette]

Exactly what Shiva said. You washed your hands-you'll be fine. If there is one thing we emets are good at, it's washing our hands properly.

[mitch04133]

I agree, don't let the "what ifs" take over. If anything you will just worry yourself into being sick. If you are to be sick, then you'll know, there is no sense in worrying, cause if its gonna happen then it will happen. I know it's hard not to worry, cause I was doin the same thing after I went out on Saturday night. But then I just decided, not to care. And you know what, I actually felt better. Worrying only makes it worse, and makes you feel sick. There is no sense in worrying. I am sure you are fine, and like everyone else said, if you washed your hands, DON'T WORRY.

[Babydoll]

Just try really hard to get those what if's out of your mind. Anytime a what if tries to creep into your head, tell yourself.. "I am healthy and everything will be alright." Do not let the negative thinking overtake you. I know it's hard, but just keep practicing this. Do not let yourself think anything negative. Distract your mind, do not thrive on what is making you uncomfortable. Just try this.. Even if it only helps you for five minutes, that is five minutes out of your life that you didn't waste on what if's

I couldnt have said this better myself!!

[baseballplaya12]

Thanks alot guys...i know babydoll that you believe that we shouldnt be
giving people reassurance but i think it helps people to deal with their
fears...i know if there was no one here telling me i was going to be ok i
might have gone into a panic, especially prior to my therapy...but now
after i guess i am able to go on with my life...yea im worried, yea i dont
like the idea but in no way does it paralyze me from getting on with my
life...except college ugh....

[shiva]

baseballplaya,


giving people false hope by saying that something that is quite possible is never going to happen does not help people to DEAL with their fears. rather, it helps their fear grow and take over.


you will be okay and you will fight this thing. you have been working hard and you will do great even in college. i have faith in you, just have it in yourself and there is no end to what you can achieve with your personal growth.


just keep working on the positive self talk. when anything negative creeps into your mind, kick it out with something positive. for instance... oh no, what if i am going to get sick tonite? instead say.. i am in good health and there is no logical reason for me to think i will become ill tonite. i am going to relax and do my deep breathing and i will fall asleep soon. before i know it i will wake up refreshed and feeling ready to face a new day. and, i know that i have the strength in myself to deal with anything that i am handed, because i care about myself and my life and i will not let this take over any more.


even if you don't believe it. play a game. just say the stuff and see what your mind comes up with, but be very careful.. no negatives! its' very strange the things your mind might start saying. one night i began telling myself that i cared about me and that i loved myself and i was going to be okay. it was almost a subconscious level that i was doing this on. i must have needed those words from myself it sounds cheezy, but it really did feel great.


in order for this positive self talk to work, you must practice and do it all the time. do it with situations other than emet. practice it all day long, every day and in no time it will come naturally, i promise.


somedays i stil get knocked off kilter and have panic moments (usually when other aspects of life become overwhelming) but, i don't beat myself up and i don't think too much about it. i just think of tomorrow as being a new day, and i start fresh in the morning with my self talk and everything comes back together. try it. i hope it works for you.

[ontariogirl]

Nicely written Shiva[img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[Babydoll]

shiva, you and me think alot alike, but Im not as good as expressing it in words as you are!!

[shiva]

Hey baseballplaya!


If it makes you feel any better, I just had to read everything that I wrote to you earlier to help myself put things in perspective! Isn't that funny? I'm going to go now and talk positively to myself hehe!

[donna1216]

And think about it, it was a GAS STATION--someone could have been car sick, or drank too much or been on drugs or have eaten gas station food!!! Not necessarily sick sick!!! I'd say someone being car sick is a good bet!!