Even more social anxiety now

[BrokenWings83]

I was already socially very anxious and conscious with my chronic coughing, sniffing and throat clearing and now Corona Virus scare? People are going to be even more disgusted and scared around me.

[hypercat54]

Oh tell me about it! I have lung disease so cough sometimes so am dreading horrified looks and scurrying away etc. I have too worried to use a bus coz of possible reactions, I have already had 1 so called friend saying pathetically 'I don't like people who cough' and even 1 tiny cough from me (with a tissue) had her whipping her scarf round her nose and mouth frantically trying to keep as much distance from me as possible. It's very insulting and doesn't help my depression.

My advice is to have some cough sweets available and a tissue instantly to hand.

[BrokenWings83 in reply to hypercat54]

So true what you said, and I feel for you. It definitely is a very difficult place to be in, being subjected to those sort of reactions/behavior. That is just how people are you know. There are always going to be someone or the other who will react negatively. And I know, we all know this but it still causes us anxiety. Glad to know you can somewhat manage with cough sweets sometimes. But what if the cough is chronic and throughout the day and night. No respite.

[hypercat54 in reply to BrokenWings83]

If yours is that bad have you been to your doctors? It could be your sinuses or something.

[BrokenWings83 in reply to hypercat54]

Yes I have been to the doctors. I am having trouble getting it through to them how serious my symptoms are and feel to me. I realized very late it seems that I have serious respiratory/lung problems since childhood. They are starting treating it from a very initial stage, whereas I really believe I have damaged esophagus and probably a hiatal hernia. Doctor said okay we will refer to specialist, and I have called them twice after that. Every time they tell me oh we will send the referral today. Been more than a week.

[Feathe in reply to BrokenWings83]

Have you thought about going to a Naturopathist or ayverdic doctor??they will treat the cause of the problem and not the symptoms. My husband is on his final year of Naturopathy, we v been studying about health for years so I can suggest cutting wheat, prosessed, dairy , vegetable oil trying and white defined sugar completely out of your diet and see the effects as usually those foods are big triggers for disease. Try starting your day with herbal teas, warm water with lemon, fresh fruit , or fresh fruit juices, lunch fresh steamed veg with olive oil, lemon, some fish, or buckwheat pasta or pea pasta or sharitaki noodles with veg and a nice coconut milk sauce. A little bit of organic lamb with veg once or twice a week. Some risottos etc. use pfobiotics, some propolis, vitamin c from baobab or other for exampld.Try those changes for two weeks and see but a good doctor ( not conventional doctor) will know how to guide you through. And you only have to go once or twice for some guidance, then it s your job to look after yourself through diet, exercise and other. Let our food be our medicine. What we put in our body affects our body either negatively or positiv ely accordingly. Those changes will affect depression positively as well as body and mind are connected. Take care

[BrokenWings83 in reply to Feathe]

Thank you so much Feathe for sharing this. I agree that I need a lifestyle change, which includes diet. I have looked into Mediterranean diet suggested on the internet. The one you suggest sounds interesting too. At this point in time, I am just too concerned with the day to day issues and can hardly focus on what I eat and when I eat. Eating food = possibly hours of acid reflux. So I dread eating.

[Feathe in reply to BrokenWings83]

The diet I suggested is based on Mediterranean diet as well as I am Greek, but without dairy which is now highly toxic for people because of big pharmas antibiotics, horrible conditions for animals etc. You won t know until you try...conscious eating could mean conscious reaction to our fears and to other people s responses...you only need to take the first step ..Try it for a week and see how you feel. Yourself deserves it!!You are the one who can empower yourself, nobody else can do it for you and you deserve to give yourself a chance towards health, good habbits, wellbeing...meditation 5 min before sleep...what if it works???

[Hidden]

Unfortunately people are very afraid and scared, I don’t agree with voiding you in a rude way but how do they know exactly why your coughing? They can’t know if they don’t know you personally, people reactions will never ever change, because you can’t control that, but what you can control is YOUR reactions to their reactions.

All the fear monger ing in the news is another factor, people are just very very afraid and if someone is coughing, especially aggressively, they will move away.

[BrokenWings83 in reply to Hidden]

The fear mongering is really an issue, and its causing the masses panic and fear. Well said on controlling our reactions to their reactions. I feel there are more factors at play when people react to something. Unfortunately, the way you appear and look (this could be taken in different contexts) plays a role too.

For example, I have really bad dark circles. They are in the family and I have long-standing sleep issues, depression too. People literally think I am just a drug addict or bum. The doctor straight-up asked me: Do you use any intravenous stuff ? Dont know what he was looking at. My shrunken face or the red spots on my arm (some minor skin rash that pops up every now and then). I was so ashamed inside and I shelled up again thinking this doctor is not going to help me.

[Hidden in reply to BrokenWings83]

Judging on someone’s appearance is 100% wrong and people shouldn’t be doing that.

Now what your going through with your doc makes me think you should for sure get a new doctor! That’s terrible!

[hopeforjoy in reply to BrokenWings83]

I've had doctors instantaneously distrust me as well because I came in needing alprazolam to deal with serious panic attacks. One doc flat out was going to refuse my request for, as he told me, "You came in and the only thing you said you needed was alprazolam, and in my experience the only people who do that are addicts or Xanax sellers on the street." Of course I had already explained to him that I had serious Panic Disorder, and the only reason he relented and wrote the prescription was because I offered to take a pee-test right there and then, and in his presence if need be.

I understand the dynamics of their hesitancy, but such overt accusations can be soul-crushing.

[BrokenWings83 in reply to hopeforjoy]

Wow that doctor was very judgemental towards you. Must have been tough, and good job on being adamant and fighting for what you needed. In your shoes, I would have probably been too anxious to respond like you did.

[StrongMom in reply to hopeforjoy]

Good for you, hopeforjoy, for standing your ground! Doctors should know better than to accuse people without proper proof. They need to foster trust with patients, and this behavior does the opposite, which I think he realized when you did what you did.

[bonkers65]

I know exactly how you feel. I was at the gym yesterday and I also have a chronic cough and I was trying to control it, but the times I couldn't I could see people staring at me. Like I wasn't enough self-conscience already. Didn't help with my depression and anxiety.

[BrokenWings83 in reply to bonkers65]

Thank you. What you described I can completely understand, as I have had similar experiences albeit outside the gym. Gym is a complete no-go area for me.

[Lazy_dog_lover]

Too bad for them. Who knows why the big scare? Mosquitoes and influenza kill way more people every year. The issue, I guess, is no vaccine.

Don't worry about how others perceive you. You just be you.😉

[BrokenWings83 in reply to Lazy_dog_lover]

Thank you for the advice Lazy_dog_lover. Just be you! It is great advice... just so difficult to implement.

[Lazy_dog_lover in reply to BrokenWings83]

I get it. How are you doing, now?

See if your local store has elderberry lozenges. Elderberry is supposed to have antiviral properties and it soothes the cough. I do elderberry capsules, the lozenges, and vitamin C twice a day.

[BrokenWings83 in reply to Lazy_dog_lover]

Thank you for asking Lazy_dog_lover. I'm struggling a lot with my GERD/asthma symptoms, and I was in between diagnostic appointments when all this Covid-19 social distancing/lockdowns started.

Will check at the grocery store for Elderberry. I take Halls sometimes to soothe the throat, but I read somewhere that people with continuous/chronic conditions should not take it regularly. Is it the same with capsules, lozenges etc.

Man, I do have to get some multi vitamins, I am so stressed out at the grocery store I have forgotten it in my last 2 visits. It probably is not even available anyway with people stockpiling.

[Feathe]

I meant vegetable oil frying and cut white refined sugar, use coconut sugar or jaggery or honey, date syrup, stevia instead

[misslillie]

I don't think so. I think there will be so many of us coughing and sputtering that we will be preocuppied with our own hankerchief. Social anxiety will be the norm instead of the exception

[StrongMom]

I’m sorry to hear that you are not being taken seriously because of the coronavirus pandemic, and that people around you are freaking out as well. I can relate to the people freaking out part, at least. I have hay fever, which started the same day people started realizing this was a pandemic, and I went to the doctor to be sure I wasn’t having a more serious lung issue since my inhaler wasn’t stopping the crackly noise when I breathe. The doctor said it could be hay fever or it could be a virus, and also added in that my hashimoto’s disease can also cause throat problems of this nature, but assured me it is not a lung problem. So when I got to work my coworker (cubicle mate) wanted an explanation, as he was worried I might be spreading coronavirus, and when I told him I don’t know for sure but I feel fine other than the throat issue, he was still overly worried and became OCD around me. Thank goodness we are now working from home! This has been a nightmare.

Good luck getting the specialist appointment, keep bugging them every day and they’ll come around.

[BrokenWings83 in reply to StrongMom]

Sorry to hear about how you must have felt at work, when your co-worker was over anxious. Personally, I am not as worried, but being in public is so stressful. Especially when you don't like being looked at.

I am looking for work from home positions, but my skill level and options are limited. Glad you are working from home. It definitely gets you through the day.

And thank you for your concern. Luckily I was able to get an appointment for my endoscopy in April. I expect the worst, given my symptoms....

[Laurennnnnnn]

I have an immune system issue so I’m almost always coughing, sounding, and looking sick so I feel ya- it’s always horrible but especially nowadays with covid 😩

Even do I do get some stares now and then, it’s usually not as bad as I expect when I go out