A little support and advice needed please

[lostinme]

I’m in need of a little support and advice please.

Im not sure where to start but over the last couple of months or so I no sooner get better from one thing and come down with another. I am a very sickly person however and do have a lot of physical problems with one thing and another and I seem to have a low immune system. However over the last few months it seems to be one thing straight after another. This doesn’t concern me to much, however I seem to have a headache most days, but I’ve put this down to the stress of keeping on top of doing my CBT homework etc doing it constantly day in day out for the last two years. I’ve become terribly clumsy and often loose my grip when holding things and at times very forgetful, over the last couple of weeks I’ve needed to confirm my daughters date of birth for things and Ive got it wrong, which is something I’ve never done. Tonight I was making dinner and everything needed to be cooked at different times etc so I was writing it down when they went in so hopefully it would all be ready at the same time, the chicken went in at 6.10 and for some reason I’d wrote it down at 5.50 and the same happened again later, I didn’t realise it at the time Id wrote it, it was only when I was checking the times a bit after to make sure everything would be ready on time. I know it doesn’t seem a major issue however I am finding it worrying, my partner and daughter have been saying for a few week now that I need to see the doctor, but I’m just thinking it could be stress related and the fact I keep getting ill, I’d no sooner started to get better after one cold that lasted around 3 week, that I then caught another which I have now and at times I think a head cold can affect you differently. 

I’m not sure if I should make an appointment to see the doctor or am I being over anxious  

[taurean]

Hi lost. 

We get forgetful when we are stressed, and a headache is typical of stress or tension. 

Re getting one thing after the other, the immune system thing may be the trouble here. Not sure how one goes about boosting one's immune system, but it would seem worth taking that point up with the doctor to see if they have any suggestions. 

 

[taurean]

Having said that, memory now tells me that my sister didn't have a great immune system as a child. 

My Mum used to give her vitamin C to help it. 

You could get soluble vitamin C boosters - they were called Redoxon - and I found they gave me too a boost and aided recovery. 

A quick Google shows you can still freely purchase Redoxon supplements. 

Edited September 27, 2018 by taurean

[Lynz]

I would go to the GP if I were you, lostie. Tell them everything that has been happening. They will probably do a routine blood test to check everything over, and even if it does turn out to be all stress-related then the GP will be able to help with that. As an almost nurse I would never say to patients that they should ignore stress and suffer in silence. In fact, over 70% of complaints to the GP are stress-related these days, so you wouldn't be alone anyway!

[taurean]

That's good advice Lynz. 

[St Mike]

Hi Lost, I agree with your daughter and partner. A trip to the doctor's would not be unreasonable even, if stress was to be attributed to be the cause of your symtoms after the check up.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2018 by St Mike

[cookiemonster]

Get a gp review it might be stress or I could be something like low HB levels in your blood. 

[Dragonfly]

Hi Lost, sorry to hear you’ve been poorly. 

I personally would go to the gp, just to get checked and put your mind at rest. We all go through times where our immune systems get low, and it’s one thing after another, so try not to worry. Same goes for being forgetful etc, so many things may contribute or cause that, stress being one. I find I forget the most obvious things at times, but then when I look at my level of stress or anxiousness that day or moment, I can see why. My friend who’s the same age group as me also said her doctor had explained it’s to do with age in some women, the changes in hormone to do with the menopause can begin occurring steadily as early as 40. So it really can be any number of things, and they can be sorted out. 

I take multi vitamins now and Oil of Evening primrose, they really seem to help me, but your gp can tell you what they thinks best for you. 

Easier said than done I know, but try not to worry X

[Avo]

Hi Lost,

Sorry to hear your struggling so much at the moment, I think some good advice and possible suggestions by has been given by others, a check up with your GP sounds a good plan.

Hope your feeling a bit better today?

 

 

[Wonderer]

Hey Lost, sorry ur not feeling too good at the moment! I have those forgetful symptoms and clumsiness when my anxiety is bad, at one point I was thinking there might be something going on in my brain! I did go to the doctors though and was reassured that stress was the cause, I had bloods to rule out anemia and vitamin deficiencies, I definitely think u should make an appointment, at the end of the day we should not put everything down to stress because then one day we may neglect to look after our physical health! I have a compromised immune system too, after an illness 5yrs ago, I get injections to boost it every time I get my flu jab, maybe u could ask about that to help with the sickness you keep experiencing? Deffo do not feel like ur wasting a doctors time, u are as deserving as anyone else and u need to look after yourself! Feel better soon xx

[lostinme]

Thank you so much everyone for all your kind reply’s 

Im so sorry it’s took so long to reply but it’s been an over hectic day with never enough time and sadly another hectic one to do again tomorrow,  I even logged in and i have been juggling between doing several things and reading all your kind reply’s.

I think with what my daughter and partner have said and with all your kind advice also that it wouldn’t hurt to go and have a check up and see that everything is ok. 

Thank you everyone for being so kind and hope you are all good and well 

 

[lostinme]

I can’t help but feel that this is having a detrimental effect on my recovery, I’m trying really hard not to let it interfere with my ongoing CBT work. However it’s making the doubts increasingly worrying, if I can forget one thing and not be totally aware of what I’m doing or writing how can I be sure I’m not capable of doing the things I doubt about OCD wise. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still working really hard on continuing with my set tasks and doing them, however it seems much harder because of these nagging doubts that linger in the background so to speak.

Im telling myself that things are fine and its because at the moment I’m very rushed, stressed and very tired and continued viruses are having an impact on my wellbeing. 

Even though it’s a difficult time for me at the moment there is some good coming from it and I’m still learning. I’ve noticed over the past few days, that the more we try to suppress our thoughts, the more forefront they become, the more we doubt ourselves and the more we think about what we are doing the more we focus on it. 

[Wonderer]

Awww Lost I’m sorry...BUT u will never carry out ur intrusive thoughts, why? Well because ur so anxious that u might! Being a little forgetful will not make u do anything that u don’t want to do, especially when it comes to obsessions because I’ll bet that even though you have had a foggy head, there’s not a day goes by that u aren’t aware of what ur doing around ur obsessions and compulsions because u are actively working on them, this is just another ocd thought and u need to let it go and not focus on it so much. You’re deffo just feeling a bit stressed and poorly and u need to look  after yourself and be kind to yourself xxx

[lostinme]

Bless you Wonderer and thank you for your lovely reply 

I know that things are getting a little out of hand regarding this and my thoughts have been more forefront for the last few days and I do realise that I’ve got to nip it in the bud now. I’m giving the thoughts importance and the time of day and I realise that before this I was stopping them in their tracks of what utter nonsense and now I’m doubting them again because of the what ifs. I need to put what I have learnt back into practice because I can see where this is going to take me and I don’t want to go down that path again. I need to see it for what it is and nothing more 

Hope you are keeping well and both you and your son are still doing well xx

[taurean]

Remember that little phrase I coined lost "listen to WE not the OCD". 

Well it certainly seems that we here are just putting the forgetfulness and lack of awareness down to what's going on in your life at the moment. 

You have had a number of unwanted negative events - but we all get periods when this happens, times when living can be an endurance test. 

My wife was unable to cope with continuing to support me going out to work, and do all the necessary caring for her mother. This is why I retired from work 9 months early, and threw myself into helping her. Her stress levels soon came down as a result. 

I understand your fear with your OCD theme, and I think Wonderer has the right take on this, the one to adopt. 

Edited September 29, 2018 by taurean

[lostinme]

Thank you Roy 

I think I’m in need of a little slower lifestyle at the moment and then hopefully the stress levels will decrease too 

Ive been sat a couple of hours tonight and enjoyed every minute of it, i think I was definitely ready for it.

Im going to give the doctors a visit next week, but in between time I’m going to try not to overdue things and take things a little easier 

Hope you and j are doing well 

[taurean]

16 hours ago, lostinme said:

Hope you and j are doing well 

We are thanks lost, but both needing to rest today after a busy week

 

[lostinme]

5 hours ago, taurean said:

We are thanks lost, but both needing to rest today after a busy week

 

Bless you that’s good 

Id planned a day of rest today however the cleaning, washing, shopping etc got the better of me so it’s been another busy one but at least I was at home 

[taurean]

Indeed. It's oh so good to go travellin' but you can't beat a nice day at home. 

[lostinme]

You can’t Roy, but it is so different for me now because I make a choice to stay at home and I’m not forced to because of this dreaded disorder 

After a week of being out and about my home was ready for a good clean up, so bang went the feet up day 

I just realised too that I wouldn’t have even dreamt of leaving the house until it was all done and dusted I can’t believe the changes 

[taurean]

Where you were before is totally overpowered by the rules and restrictions of OCD. 

Me too with the constant fear of another relapse, and triggers being literally "all around me". 

But it IS possible to unshackle the OCD chains that bind