so depressed these days

[lianne]

This phobia is starting to take over and ruin my life. I am so sad. I don't want to go to work, gym, grocery store or anything. I just want to stay inside until the flu season is over.
It's all i think about, it seems like it's getting worse everyday.
I hate hearing about noro on the news and twitter and fb, seems like its everywhere!!! I don't know how to not think about it, carefully planning my every move, not touching my face, mentally keeping track of where my hands have been. It's getting to the point where I don't want to eat anymore.
I'm just so sad.

I was away for the weekend at my bf's and my brother was at home and had his son over and he was sick.. don't know if it was noro, and my brother said he bleached my house, but I don't trust his cleaning and now after work I have to go home and face that infected house and clean with bleach. I'm scared

[Lindsey_anne]

Hey, it can and will get better! Have you seemed any help?! I've done councillor and a self help therapy group which has been the most amazing thing for me! I was where you are last year and have changed so much! Sure I don't think we'll ever be cured but you can learn to cope and deal with things! Bad days become less and less!

If you haven't I would advise you to speak to your doctor and find out what help is available! To seek help is not a weakness but a strength and you will get better in good time!

The support here can be great but it doesn't replace professional help!

Hope you feel better soon!

[Cynna]

Lindsey has a lot of good advice.

How is your nephew?

You should not have to bleach bomb your house. Just clean the bathrooms and anywhere he could have been sick. I also like to wipe down doorknobs, remotes, light switches, faucet handles and just the main things that people touch. I did that one year and no one picked up an illness from someone that spent the whole day in my house. I am not a germaphobe. I just did the basic cleaning and everyone was fine. You can also wipe down some of his toys. They need cleaned once in a while anyway. You will not get anything from breathing the air in your house. You have to be directly exposed to v.. or d... in order to inhale it. I also use the dishwasher when someone is sick.

You sound a little better than when your nephew was actively sick. Keep fighting.

Turn off the news. For many people the more they know about noro and statistics, the more they become obsessed with it. It worsens anxiety for most.

Hope it gets even better for you

[lianne]

Hey, it can and will get better! Have you seemed any help?! I've done councillor and a self help therapy group which has been the most amazing thing for me! I was where you are last year and have changed so much! Sure I don't think we'll ever be cured but you can learn to cope and deal with things! Bad days become less and less! If you haven't I would advise you to speak to your doctor and find out what help is available! To seek help is not a weakness but a strength and you will get better in good time! The support here can be great but it doesn't replace professional help! Hope you feel better soon!

I am seriously considering seeking help. I feel helpless some days, today is just a VERY bad day for me. I hope it gets better!!!

[lianne]

Lindsey has a lot of good advice. How is your nephew? You should not have to bleach bomb your house. Just clean the bathrooms and anywhere he could have been sick. I also like to wipe down doorknobs, remotes, light switches, faucet handles and just the main things that people touch. I did that one year and no one picked up an illness from someone that spent the whole day in my house. I am not a germaphobe. I just did the basic cleaning and everyone was fine. You can also wipe down some of his toys. They need cleaned once in a while anyway. You will not get anything from breathing the air in your house. You have to be directly exposed to v.. or d... in order to inhale it. I also use the dishwasher when someone is sick. You sound a little better than when your nephew was actively sick. Keep fighting.Turn off the news. For many people the more they know about noro and statistics, the more they become obsessed with it. It worsens anxiety for most.Hope it gets even better for you

I think he is better, and my brother hasn't said he has been sick or anything. I will still clean a little bit when I get home, but I will try and not be obsessive about it like I have in the past. Most Monday evenings when I am coming home from work and I know my nephew has been over i will bleach every surface that he has been around justt in case he had a bug and passed it around the home.... Sigh.... obsessive and sad to say. I am a big time germaphobe, I am constantly cleaning and disenfecting! I am a little bit less panicky now. It was scary when my brother warned me he was coming home with a sick child, I just could not imagine even being in the samr house with that going on. I have to stop researching norovirus!!!

[Cynna]

Get off the net (researching noro) and seek treatment. You will be glad you did. I have done therapy before. I am on prozac which has taken down my anxiety and helped with mild depression.

[lianne]

Get off the net (researching noro) and seek treatment. You will be glad you did. I have done therapy before. I am on prozac which has taken down my anxiety and helped with mild depression.

wish my doc understood. I try to explain it to her but i don't think she gets it. It was hard to get a prescription for ativan from her (as it can be addicting) but sometimes i need them to calm me down from a panic attack....or not sleeping at night, or waking up in the middle of the night thinking i am getting sick.... maybe she could refer me to a therapist? I don't know if they can prescribe meds though.

[Lindsey_anne]

Lianne where are you from? You have a right to ask to speak to a therapist, as this is a real recognised phobia and the anxiety and panic attacks alone should be enough to get you some help!

Im from the West Midlands in the UK and we have a voluntary organisation here called 'share' this was my breakthrough, although it wasnt aimed at phobias as such, as it taught all about anxiety, depression and panic attacks, a lot of practice advice! I didn't even realise that I didn't do deep breathing properly before this! It was a huge turn around to meet other people who had issues although not the same as me and I no longer felt alone! They gave me the basic tools to start working towards recovery which I am still working on!

Keep the faith and you will get there! Trust me I couldn't leave the house apart from work last year and never slept!

Good luck and I hope you get somewhere with your docs!

[lianne]

Lianne where are you from? You have a right to ask to speak to a therapist, as this is a real recognised phobia and the anxiety and panic attacks alone should be enough to get you some help!

Im from the West Midlands in the UK and we have a voluntary organisation here called 'share' this was my breakthrough, although it wasnt aimed at phobias as such, as it taught all about anxiety, depression and panic attacks, a lot of practice advice! I didn't even realise that I didn't do deep breathing properly before this! It was a huge turn around to meet other people who had issues although not the same as me and I no longer felt alone! They gave me the basic tools to start working towards recovery which I am still working on!

Keep the faith and you will get there! Trust me I couldn't leave the house apart from work last year and never slept!

Good luck and I hope you get somewhere with your docs!

I'm from Vancouver, B.C Canada. I work with the public in the insurance field and it really sucks sometimes. I always cringe whenever I see a customer walk in and walk up to my desk.
I'm definitly going to seek help. Funny how my emet isn't this bad in the summer months..... sigh

[Lindsey_anne]

Your not alone hun! Can't wait for the winter to be over! :P then we can all be a little bit normal for a while!

[jennjt]

Lianne, you are not alone! I totally relate to your original post, as I had become somewhat of a hermit over the past month or so. Didn't want to go anywhere out of fear, and when I did or when I let someone else come into my "bubble," the sanitizing was ridiculous. I wish I wasn't this way, but I'm in "surrender mode"- meaning, ok, this is how it is; this is my reality right now; now, what can I do about it? My phobia is the worst it has ever been, and this is no way to live. I have a new psych appointment mid-month, and I'm hoping once I'm stabilized on a different medication, I can start therapy. We can do this! I know it can at least get better / be more manageable, because I have had times in my life where emet was WAY on the back burner. Want to be there again...

[lianne]

Lianne, you are not alone! I totally relate to your original post, as I had become somewhat of a hermit over the past month or so. Didn't want to go anywhere out of fear, and when I did or when I let someone else come into my "bubble," the sanitizing was ridiculous. I wish I wasn't this way, but I'm in "surrender mode"- meaning, ok, this is how it is; this is my reality right now; now, what can I do about it? My phobia is the worst it has ever been, and this is no way to live. I have a new psych appointment mid-month, and I'm hoping once I'm stabilized on a different medication, I can start therapy. We can do this! I know it can at least get better / be more manageable, because I have had times in my life where emet was WAY on the back burner. Want to be there again...

Thank you. My emet has never been this bad. In the summertime i barely think about it, because noro and other sicky bugs arent around as much and it's not plastered all over the news and facebook and everyone saying im soooo sick etc...
Ever since last christmas when i spent the holidays with my sister and her neice and my neice got a SV* and my sister got it, it ruined my holidays and scared me to death.... sigh....
Trying to be strong, trying to force myself and go to gym, etc... but anxiety is at an all time high!!!!!

[Emz]

Hi. Im feeling exactly the same at the minute and it doesnt help when my poor 5 yr old has vomited 3 hours ago. Im so sceared and panicking. I cant stop crying with worry. I just want this phonia to leave me. I feel i cant live or lead a normal everyday life because its all i think about where ever i am. Its awful. I do feel your pain and i completely understand how your feeling. So glad i found this group as it makes you feel less alone