COVID-19 Debilitating Anxiety

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Does anyone else who lives in California have debilitating anxiety regarding COVID-19? I'm always wondering if my counselor is okay because she has a health condition so she has to be careful and so anytime i look and see a death in the county that she lives in my first instinct is to text her to ask her if our session is on for the right time just to get some type of relief that she's okay. And I never want to go out anywhere and don't want my two younger sisters and my other sister and her husband and daughter to come down because I get so much anxiety wondering who they've been around and are they sick and asymptomatic and will it transfer to my counselor and get her sick (which is my biggest fear of all time during this past year). In addition hate neighborhood kids coming into my parents house and sitting in the chair that I sit in for dinner when they come to play with my nieces and nephews. I just wish I knew if there were people similar to me who are dealing with these thoughts and fears; and wish I could just get rid of them.

I for one feel like that too. I'm always afraid that I would pass it to my parents. I'm scared of going to school even though I wear a mask. They are in their 60 and 50. My moms a nurse so I'm always scared for her when she goes to work. I try my best not to think about it tho so I don't worry. The news doesn't help.

That makes me feel so much better that I’m not the only one dealing with this and have these horrible and dreaded feelings. On top of my autism I’ve also been diagnosed with ptsd, generalized anxiety disorder, ocd, depression, adhd, and some type of mood disorder (although I can’t remember if my depression is the mood disorder or if there’s a separate one). I hate going out and the thoughts are always in my head what if I get it and give it to my parents (my moms 61 and my dads 57) or my counselor because of her health condition. And because I live in Sutter county in California our county has the highest positivity rate in all the state so my counselor told me because of the increase in cases we have to go back to phone sessions but my biggest fear is her getting it. And I feel like I can’t stop myself from texting her even if it’s to ask her what time our appointment is even though I know just to hear back from her to know that she’s okay. I just wish I knew how to make the thoughts stop,

Oh, i also have g.a.d, MDD, ADHD, and waiting to be tested for bipolar disorder. I know it's hard to slow the thoughts and even harder to stop them. I mean you can't really control that but slow it guide it.

It’s hard to slow the thoughts because i feel like I’ve got to look at the charts of the numbers for each day but that probably makes it worse. But I also don’t know if I have to look at the numbers each day because it’s numbers and it’s very black and white because I can multiply numbers in my head without a calculator; or if it’s just become an ocd and anxiety thing. Any advice?

I have been fine with this all the way through but the UK's announcement yesterday that we have a vaccine being rolled out from next week left me in an anxiety riddled mess. I think it is the thought of going back to 'normal' that is affecting me. as an introvert I have shut myself away from the world for the past 9 months, and the thought of breaking that and having to mingle with people is making me panic.

I don’t have a lot of anxiety about COVID, but I do take it seriously. I am fortunate that I can work from home and our governor has extended the state of emergency for another three months.

I know when I get really anxious, it is hard to back away from. I use sleep and reading to calm my fears.

My fear is more the people I care about having something bad happening to them because of COVID-19 and I don’t know how to make the thoughts stop.

I'm sorry, but the thoughts don't stop. You can only get better at slowing and handling them.

Yeah at least them slowing down would help them.

But when I have the anxiety my fears are all I can think about and it’s hard for me to sleep or eat without thinking about it

I only have a cat but I’ll try at least cutting down if not cutting off energy drinks and soda. But I still need my cup of coffee in the morning. And I have a hard time going outside even if it’s for a walk because of my fear regarding COVID-19

I'm also dealing with anxiety due to Covid-19. I'm afraid to look for work because of the virus going around. I'm afraid to go on buses because they can be cram packed. I don't particularly like shopping either, because people don't get the concept of physical distancing. Nothing turns me off more than the thought of some person standing 6 inches behind me, breathing down my neck without a mask on.

Glad I’m not the only one who’s dealing with this type of anxiety and to know I’m not crazy.

Some people are reckless, but this sounds like the opposite problem. When England was having a problem with letter bombs, one of the men assigned to check for them couldn't handle the anxiety, and killed himself.
Try to remember a time when you had to be brave, and go through the same process. You take all the reasonable precautions, and then get fatalistic.
A friend who had been to Africa after a major disaster said that all the survivors were "walking in prayer."
Remember that people are pretty bad at assessing risk. Someone can be very worried about germs on their food when it is actually killing them with sugar and fat. They worry about sharks and zombies, but not about cars and cancers.