Severe anxiety about flu season

Mah dear, I think you're starting to get what all nurses, doctors, and scientists get after awhile due to all of their knowledge - you're becoming a pathogen-phobe!

As a nurse, you know what sanitary practices you need to keep in order to protect not only yourself, but others. Be confident in your knowledge.

Since you are a nurse, what do you think you should be doing each year...since 2009? Flu shot! You got them before you were pregnant and nothing happened. What changed? What stopped you from continuing to get them? Go get it each year! Give yourself that added layer of comfort that and get yourself that flu shot each year.

Also, one more...again, since you're a nurse...you also know that the chances of the flu killing you right now are what??? Slim to none? What kind of condition do you need to be in for the flu to kill you? Severely immunosuppressed, elderly, other confounding illnesses such as cancer, etc.

So you KNOW very well that your thoughts aren't rational and that you are just fine. Remember your knowledge, remember your training, pick up your head, smile, and go get your flu shot.

Hi

Sounds like you are dealing with health anxiety which can really take over your life if left untreated.

Stop reading up on the flu as this will only make your anxiety much worse and instead speak with your GP about your concerns and see what they suggest.

We have some good links in our resources so take a look.

Hibee

R.,

I am sorry you are struggling with this fear...I get it, as I too dread the thought of the flu. :/

Great advice above...so I will just add these two tools to help keep your thinking in a rational place.


Positive Mantra/Affirmations for Anxiety Management
anxietynetwork.com/content/coping-statements-anxiety


Therapy Work Sheets:
www.get.gg/freedownloads2.htm


S.C.

Well, I did end up with type A flu, just like my son. I got it exactly one week later. It wasn't that bad, not like 2016. I just hydrated and took otc meds. They gave me tamiflu but I decided not to take it. Its just crazy how I took all these precautions with my son, even masking, and still got it. My husband didn't take precautions with any if us and is fine. The np I work with says I probably lowered my immune system with all the stress and anxiety so I was more suseptable.
Anyway, now I refuse to go anywhere except work and I wear a mask there. For all the good it did the first time.

I have only been to the store (in and out) twice since January 13th. My husband is doing the shopping lol. That's saying a lot because I LOVE to shop and go out. Everyone makes fun of me at work because most of my 12 hour shift I'm wearing a mask.

I hope this season ends soon or at least peaks. Every time I go out in public I almost have a panic attack and I'm not agoraphobic at all. I can't even make myself go near my kids faces and hands or kiss my husband. I mean I've had type a h3n2 according to the doctor, but I could still get another strain and die.

I'm trying. I went in Wal-Mart for a minute today. I'm also going to start Zoloft again.

Ok so the ones that had the flu what was the symptoms you had? And how long did it last?

I have had headache, sore throat, and mild cough with tight chest since Saturday so hopefully I feel better tomorrow

I randomly googled “scared of the flu” and this popped up. I spent NYE in NYC with my 18 year old ...rode the subway ...touched anything and everything. Thought nothing. Came home and was fine then a week and a half later felt a tiny bit feverish. Suspected flu but still blissfully unaware of the increasing spread of it. Went go local ER and was positive. Then I flipped out bc I have a 3 year old with an extra chromosome 11 which she goes to a local St. Jude’s affiliate for every 3 months for a check on her...they do labs like AFP and also an ultrasound to check for anything suspect. So it’s standard precautions for her to see the hematology/oncology dr. She’s had good checks each time but I flipped and sent her to my moms hoping to not infect her..she’s had other issues and lots of specialists. She got the flu 5 days later...initial assessment neg for it but I took her to pcp the following day...pos for strep and flu A. We both had hardly any symptoms and took Tamiflu with good response. Just stayed home for 2 weeks. Then I went off and wiped anything down ..Lysol and Clorox wipes was my sanity. I had actually wiped down my milk jug before putting into the fridge. Spent 2 months that way others shopping for me. Felt as if I had gotten her sick. I had gotten better but she goes to therapy two times a week and got strep 2 more times and I am telling you I lost Lt. Was better but they said Flu B is now going around and anxious again due to my 3 year old. She had a St. Jude’s visit last month and I asked to be called at her appt time for her ultrasound bc I was scared to wait In the large waiting room of LSU in Louisiana. Bear in mind that we was fine til we were seen at LSU for another dr for her her in January. I don’t know but I suspect that was where we got the flu. I had not seen anything referring to it until we walked in the door there. Signs all over and people all had masks...I have seen Comtagion..read “The Stand”....& this was scary and when she got the flu I just went germ crazy. Reading on it ..CDC this and that. I am trying to get back to regular but I have anxiety daily and it’s embarrassing and I had to see my GP finally for the anxiety. I’m sorry for anyone that suffers from worry and hope al stay well. It’s no fun being nervous 24:7...even lost weight worrying over the 3 year old. My 18 yr old shopped for us and was kind even though I tried a lot to hose her down after all she’s an active teen with a lot of school stuff. Tired of living this way and just trying to do my best.

I relate to you COMPLETELY. I got the flu this January.1'm 20 years old and it was my first time that I believe I got it, maybe I did when I was younger, but don't remember. I got influenza B , I caught it from my boyfriend. I was in the hospital on New Years eve and went back twice because the body aches and fever hit. I have asthma, its not super bad but sometimes I get irritated throat and use my inhaler, I'm not sure why When u got influenza B I had a fever for 10 days, was coughing up blood from coughing so much, got my first nose bleed, and pink eye, THANK GOD I didn't get Pneumonia. But I'm so paranoid I went to the doctor pretty much everyday or every other day to get X-rays, since I get the flu during peak season every where I would turn flu deaths would pop up in healthy people. I was terrified. Fast forward 3 months later, and I'm currently writing this with a sore throat freaking out that I must caught the flu again but the time STRAIN A because you can't get the same virus twice in one year and Im scared because If I handled influenza b SO POORLY, and was coughing so much and had such a high fever, i'm convinced influenza A will kill me, Influenza B is supposed to be the one that is less dangerous and I was so ill. Influenza A I am scared will give me pneumonia for sure, and the horror stories of people being fine and within 1 day collapsing from pneumonia are so terrifying. I went to the gyno yesterday and the lady was hacking coughing not covering her mouth , visibly sick from the sounds of her coughs, and pretty much infected the whole waiting room. She wasn't there when I went but I had to pass her and stand around there for a couple minutes before I walked out. And if you know anything about the flu, you'll know droplets can live in the air for up to an hour, I am now terrified and need to wait a few days to see if I get all the flu symptoms, so far weird feeling in my throat and nose that I had since yesterday. Please god bless me, because I'm not sure I can handle influenza A. and I felt sick last time before the flu hit me, I got this weird feeling im feeling now of weird feeling in throat I think and just feeling sick, then dry cough hear and there, until on day 4 it hit. I am so scared.I'm a college student and even wear a mask to classes that have sick students, who also don't cover there mouths.