throat anxiety... i hate being on campus
Posted , 3 users are following.
hi all. i have been trying to cope with my extreme health anxiety, and i was so happy i had actually recovered! but then... my university decided to open back up at full capacity, and no one follows SOPs, either. albeit we have to get tested every two weeks to be allowed on campus - the thought keeps bothering me, that what if i get exposed to covid and i don't know? all my family members are high risk and it gives me extreme anxiety thinking about it.
what's really bothering me though, is that i have been developing a swallowing/throat obsession, in that i am hyperaware of my throat all the time. my throat constantly feels tight, or that it has a lump in it. i recently noticed what i thought was a "bump" below where my "adam's apple" would be, and i've been in... extreme on-the-verge-of-a-meltdown mode since then. i have also been having an on/off sore throat, that makes me spiral even further.
i don't have any swallowing issues and my voice hasn't changed, or anything like that. i don't want to go to the ent because i've already been to the pulmonologist as recently as two weeks ago, and he checked my ears, nose and throat and couldn't find anything wrong with them. 😦 it's honestly ruining my life because i don't even feel like talking to anybody anymore, i'm just a miserable existence at uni and i feel hopeless. what should i do? does anyone else have this lump-in-the-throat/sore throat sensation?
0 likes, 5 replies
jan34534 atz0000
Edited
The lump in the throat sensation is very common with anxiety. You’ve already been checked out by a doctor so sounds like you’ve already been checked out by a doctor so sounds like everything is OK.
I would suggest that the main thing to do is relax your mind as much as possible. Listen to some meditations for anxiety on YouTube as much as you can. some deep breathing exercises would be great for you right now.
i had a mild sore throat thinking I had Covid but it turned out to be allergies.
this is definitely not a hopeless situation. In life we go through many changes . things go uphill and downhill at times. It’s not so much the situation that’s important, it’s our reaction to it. Always have a positive attitude and it will help you a lot. Remember, this too shall pass. Before you know it Covid will be gone and not be a threatening virus. You can get through this! This is just a tiny snippet in your life. You have an entire lifetime ahead of you. If you learn now how to cope with things like this, you’ll know how to the rest of your life when things come up!
have The mindset that you are going to take care of yourself! That you will get through this! One day at a time. eat healthy, get a little exercise, listen to positive affirmations, don’t overthink things, stay busy, things like that. You’re going to be OK! If you need to, there’s most likely a counselor on campus you could talk to. Have a great day! ❤
atz0000 jan34534
Posted
thank you so so so much for responding with your kind message. i told myself last night that the lump in throat is just anxiety, and it actually went away and it didn't bother me today for the first time in a few days. however... i did have a "mild" panic attack this evening, in that i suddenly felt breathless while talking and it freaked me out so much. my throat suddenly started hurting after (being fine the whole day) so i guess that means it really is related to my anxiety. i've been feeling overwhelmed because of uni, and because i have an extremely long and busy day tomorrow... but im just going to try and stay positive, and tell myself that this too shall pass. thank you for your kind reminders too❤️
jan34534 atz0000
Edited
you are very welcome Sara. when you feel a little breathless, just slow your breathing way down and take long slow deep breaths through your nose and out through your mouth as though you were blowing out a candle. Remember, the waves of life are always around but with the right thinking, you can get through anything! ❤
CarlywithaC atz0000
Edited
I get weird throat feelings/pain. Like the outside area of my throat (so technically my neck?).
I've had CTs and MRIs of my neck and they haven't found anything related to the symptoms I've been having. My left side of my neck (the side that is bothering me) is larger than my right, but apparently only I can see the asymmetry.
The issues tend to pop up when I go through times where I am forced to think about it specifically or I have nothing else to distract me. I've been to my GP and an ENT, they all say my scans are fine. The instructions I got were to take an NSAID/ibuprofen/other OTC pain meds when anything bothered me. I also get vocal fatigue if I talk too long interrupted or go out with friends and talk a lot. That part is frustrating for me.
I know this probably doesn't help much. I hope you find relief!
atz0000 CarlywithaC
Posted
you helped me a lot, thank you so much for responding! i feel really happy to hear that all your scans are clear. thankfully the lump in my throat problem has been solved, but the on/off sore throat isn't going away. i got my braces tightened yesterday, and i woke up with my throat feeling a little sore (my jaw and head were aching as well) so i assumed it might be because of the braces. i got a pcr test done on thursday (university requirement) and it came back negative, and it's funny because i was like "of course i'm negative!" the thing is, i ran into my friend on campus on thursday too, and he told me he was exposed to someone who tested positive, and he got tested on friday. i assume he came back negative since he didn't say anything about it and he's going about life as usual, but ugghhhh i just can't help but think of the possibility. 😦 i've been obsessively checking my temperature today, and trying to busy myself so i don't spiral again. i hate this. all i can do is wait for it to pass and hope tomorrow is a brighter day. i wish you endless strength<3 anxiety isn't easy.