Stress Center Peer Support

Well, over my years of anxiety, I have collected what could only be described as a home triage center. I take my temp all the time, I have a blood pressure meter, I have a glucose tester, stethescope. I sit there and take my blood sugar, blood pressure, temp, listen to my heart beat and stomach. I'm not diabetic, I've never had high blood pressure, it's just "checking." Does anyone think this is a bad idea? Does it enable my anxiety rather than help in the long run? As long as things are fine, I think it helps for the moment. If my BP is high, or my temp is high, then I'll worry. I dunno if I should stop checking all these things.

Sue

I did a similar thing a long time ago. It started out with the Dr telling me my BP was a little high and I should check it a few times a day to see what triggered it. (it was the coffee!) Boy did it snowball. People would come to my house and ask me if I was training to be a nurse! That's when I realized I was really overdoing it. Unless I'm diagnosed with diabetes or on meds for BP etc. I realized checking all these things were not necessary and actually made any anxiety I had worse. I stopped checking everything unless a DR tells me it's necessary.

My biggest fear is throwing up and passing out, not at the same time, lol. I had a friend who said his blood sugar was so low, he fainted. Ever since then, I've been checking it often just to make sure it doesn't get low and I pass out. My BP cuff went bad and said it was 220/120 and I know I was reading it correctly. Luckily, I was able to check it somewhere else shortly after and saw it was only 140/85, which is still high for me, but I'm sure it was because I was nervous. I check my temp way too often. 10-15 times a day. Sometimes it hits 99.4 or 99.5 and I really get worried and check it every 10 minutes. I think I should stop, but, maybe this is keeping me from running to the ER, ya know, if I see my vitals are all OK here.

i also did a similar thing with bp and pulse, i was first checking it once a day, which turned into like 6 or 7 times a day, which is bad to do, it caused me anxiety when i saw something was to high, i finally am on meds and refuse to check my bp/pulse anymore, i check it once a week at work, put the one we had at home AWAY, i am trying to live life daily and NOT WORRY so much:)

Aim

STOP CHECKING!!!!! Throw it all away or put it in a box on a very high shelf that you can not reach. Stop the checking and feel the anxiety. You think the anxiety will hurt you. It won't. You think the adrenalin will hurt you. It won't. You think the overwhelmedness will hurt you. It won't. Feel the anxiety. Use your tools to guide you THROUGH the discomfort.

STOP sign
Calm breath
Shift your attention to something in the present moment. ie: sing, whistle, clean house, do dishes, throw the ball, play paddle ball by yourself. Play solitaire, but STOP driving yourself nuts! You are avoiding feeling anxiety by doing all this checking so feel the anxiety. Learn you can survive it and have some fun in your day.