What is going on with my head?!?! page

[jammies]

This is off-topic. But I would love to get any feedback people may have.

Lately, I have been finding myself more prone to freaking out. My whole life I have been known as the calm one. I almost never lose my cool and have been in some pretty intense situations.


In particular, I have never been overly panicked about health issues. This is a good thing, since I have rheumatoid arthritis and have been on major immune-suppressing drugs for many years now.

However, lately I have been more worried about things. For example, yesterday I ate some raw oysters. They were from Whole Foods and shucked in front of me. They came from a local northern california oyster farm. Anyway, after I finished them I realized it was probably not a good idea to eat them. I looked it up, and yes, immunosuppressed people should avoid raw foods - in particular oysters. It really bothered me. The more I read, the more I freaked out. I finally called my doctor who said not to worry and only to come in if I got fever, chills, etc. But I can't let it go. I had a little loose stool today (probably from eating too many nuts) and have checked my temp 50 times and about lost it when it was as high as 99.1. I know that is not a big deal, but can't let go of the anxiety.


What happened to my zen'ness? Why am I freaking out over a low likelihood event? I am stressing more over work and life too.

Why?!?!? I miss being centered and happy.

[Lewis]

I'd have thought that people have been eating raw oysters for a very long time. And it didn't seem to worry your doctor.

I don't think it's a matter of you're interested in food and diet, so you make too much of it. Interest in something doesn't have to raise anxiety. And you also say "I am stressing more over work and life too".

Maybe it's driven by something at a biological level -- perhaps the stricter form of the diet has resulted in your not getting all the nutrients you need for your brain to be happy. That's just a thought -- I don't know.

Perhaps meditation and/or some form of biofeedback would help. You're getting enough sleep and in the dark?

[jammies]

I'd have thought that people have been eating raw oysters for a very long time. And it didn't seem to worry your doctor.

I don't think it's a matter of you're interested in food and diet, so you make too much of it. Interest in something doesn't have to raise anxiety. And you also say "I am stressing more over work and life too".

Maybe it's driven by something at a biological level -- perhaps the stricter form of the diet has resulted in your not getting all the nutrients you need for your brain to be happy. That's just a thought -- I don't know.

Perhaps meditation and/or some form of biofeedback would help. You're getting enough sleep and in the dark?

Now that you mention it, my sleep has been messed up too. I have been falling asleep very late and due to a family illness, I've been getting woken much earlier than usual. That could be part of it.

Also, I have been really slacking on the use of magnesium oil and have not been taking my D3 lately. Hmmm....perhaps there are some easier to address things that I haven't tried.

I'm going to use some magnesium oil now.

Thank you for the excellent suggestions.

[JoanieL]

Panic and anxiety are no fun at all. And losing sleep only exacerbates them. If the natural stuff doesn't work, sometimes just a 15 day Rx of something gentle to break the pattern of no sleep really helps.

I hope things get better for you.

[noodletoy]

Now that you mention it, my sleep has been messed up too. I have been falling asleep very late and due to a family illness, I've been getting woken much earlier than usual. That could be part of it.

Also, I have been really slacking on the use of magnesium oil and have not been taking my D3 lately. Hmmm....perhaps there are some easier to address things that I haven't tried.

life stresses often manifest health-wise in ways you don't always connect. it's like having your finger in the dam, but the hole is growing bigger and drops seep out anyway.

over the years, i have had to do some serious brain-reorganizing about how i stress. the stuff i can control? like my eating and activity? dial it in, and it will run itself. instead i would obsess on it and have little bandwidth for stuff more out of my control and that stuff could easily go to shit.

get back on your supps, take a walk outside on your lunch break and do some sleep improvement things, like powering down everything 2 hours before bed and being in utter darkness.

hope life gets easier soon.

[quelsen]

whenever i act "funny" (to myself) I look at diet first, then stressors, then old shit.

while one can reframe most anything, i have found that to be less helpful than a handful of cashews and a rare ribeye.

what has changed in your diet? maybe you need to put it back?

Low DHEA, Vitamin D, O3 are all things that can contribute to anxiety attacks

[hulahoop]

I hope you feel better soon jammies, anxiety takes over everything. I agree with concentrating on getting back into a good sleep routine and taking extra care of yourself xx

[Sam Cree]

One of the reasons I like going "primal" is that I'm always much more calm. I attribute it to not having sugars in my system. I think sugar makes people hyper.

[palebluedots]

Well, I mean, some oysters from northern cal were just recalled due to harboring bacteria. It was all over our paper yesterday that Drakes Bay Oysters did a voluntary recall. So maybe you subconsciously saw that headline on a paper somewhere and that's what's really worrying you?

[kiks]

hope you feel better soon! I too was going to suggest getting your vit D tested, and maybe even b12? And cortisol?
And as mentioned, sleep is very important. I too have had issues with anxiety (i was the calm person in my family too - but alas i have low vit D)...anyway I started the paleo diet for just a month now (eating those ribeyes, as well as being diligent with my multivitamins on a daily basis and making sure i sleep for at least 8hrs/nite) and am slowing but surely feeling better.