Stress Center Peer Support

Hello. When I signed in, I was anxious about beginning college...now I'm there, and I think that fear was mild.

About this time last month, I got a sore throat, which lasted two and a half weeks, on only one side. As it went on, two things held sway over it: the amount of sleep I'd had the night before (often little), and whether I was thinking, especially worrying about it or sometimes something else bodily related. When I got enough sleep and felt calmest, like on the weekends, with no classes to worry about and no alarm clock, it all but went away, only to come back on monday. I could literally make it go away by distracting myself and finding a reason to smile, and speaking of mornings, it was never there upon waking up, coming on as I went through the day expecting it. I saw the doctor three times, and each time, they reported just a little irritation and nothing to worry about, especially because it came with no other symptoms, not even little ones. Zero. It never developed into a cold, though it felt like something that was going to and was said to probably be a virus. Nothing, not one swollen gland.

Now here is my context: I am reaching the tail end of my first semester of college, some of the worst few months of my life thus far, if not the worst. I tried pursuing a major that I was very unfit for, even though I knew better, and the stress it has caused me is like none other. Combined with that, due to living in dorms, a new environment, and, in fact, a new country, I have got a few more colds than usual this fall (two). Everyone but my (unfairly lucky) roommate is in exactly the same boat, but that doesn't stop it from stressing me out even more. Every day, it feels like I'm waiting for more germs to get here. Waiting. Feeling incredible tension, like I want to scream and run away, but I can't. And then I got this sore throat for 2.5 weeks, which seemed like too long and scared me so much that I was barely able to leave my room. At that point, I arranged to change my major for a more suitable one next semester...and a few days later, it was gone. I could sleep more, feel happy, and do anything without worrying again.

And this week, a symptomless week and a half later, in the middle of finals, it came back after a night of almost zero sleep, same side of the throat, not at all severe, due to an impending, worrying early final. A day later, when I got my sleeping back on schedule, gone. I stopped worrying until last night, when I suddenly wondered, what if it comes back? What is it? Is there such a thing as sore throat chronic fatigue? What if it's something I've never even heard of? So, I entered "chronic sore throat" into Google...don't do it. Don't ever do it. I don't even want to talk about the sorts of things I found, but I have been trembling with fear and crying every night. I worried so much and concentrated on that area so much that it's sore again, almost negligibly, but still. Not gone, and now I'm afraid it will never go away. That I have something horrendous that will spread everywhere and that my body and mind will be destroyed. That I, a writer, will lose the ability to write--if I did, I would have nothing. What if not even doctors can help me?? Etc.

For what is usually such a small, non-worrisome ailment, this is hellish. I've never been so terrified in my entire life. I am waiting every minute for more horrible things to set in, and the tension all over my body is insane. If there are any typos in this post, it's because my hands are shaking; I tried to catch them all. Sorry.

I understand your feelings.....body symptoms are what can still trigger my anxiety even though I know what it is.....

Sore throats come for all sorts of reasons and mostly they are harmless.....you might be someone that breaths through your mouth at night and that is very drying to your throat, you might have postnasal drip many many people have this all year round but if you have allergies to dustmites as many do then being indoors during winter months is tough on that. Then of course if you live in a warm climate the mold and other allergens are high so there really is no escape. You might want to ask your doctor about some antihistamines. Either an oral one or a nasal spray. That will help to dry some of that goop up.

Another reason for sore throats could be heartburn. Again if your stressed and worried your tummy makes extra acids and those sometimes tend to bubble up and cause irritation.

Sore throats are mostly harmless and we get them often I have one right now at the base of my nose and the beginning of my throat its so bad it caused me to wake up from the snore. So annoying.....but its the congestion from a lingering cold so Iknow in time it will go away.

Things you could try are to gargle with warm salt water, or drink hot beverages like tea, or decaff coffee I will even just sip on hot water to sooth a sore throat. Pain is usually controlled pretty well with over the counter meds like tylenol or advil. Steaming your face with a little bit of apple cider vinager is helpfull too although it stinks but it works.

good luck and dont worry your throat is most likely not serious. If you are totally concerned you could always seek a doctors advice and if he says all looks good then you know to try some home remedies.

Hmm...maybe it isn't the end of the world. I am living in a new place that is both freezing and extremely humid at this time of the year, and I have to go outside quite a bit. When I look up all the worst possible things, my vision tends to narrow to one possibility, no matter how unlikely--I'm sure a lot of us here can relate. Thanks for your response.

It is SO!!!! normal to be stressed out when you start out on a new path in life. So, you moved, started a college, chose a major with all the expectations that go along with it, have classes, have met strangers and now finals.

cut yourself some slack. Focus on what you need to do right now. Get through your first round of finals and then move on. Your story reminds me of the tape where Lucinda talks about distracting herself with a sore throat, etc. when she was stressed about a business opportunity.

I am totally not coming from a place where I think I am perfect. Please don't take it that way at all. I have compassion for you-- as someone who has been through college twice before herself and stresses her way thru thick and thin. I have gotten a million times better by sticking with the old adage of "control the things that you can, and let go of the rest" and "live one moment at a time- you can't cram a week into the next 20 minutes".

Good luck with the end of your semester. You'll get used to the routine as you go thru it over and over, and you will become more efficient in your endeavors. Be true to yourself-- I made that mistake. I told someone, on a whim, that I was going to major in Chemistry in college. It was so HARD, but I felt like I would let "someone" down if I switched or failed. I didn't take care of me. It's all worked out now, but if I had known then what I know now I would have been more tender with myself and worked with my natural bent a bit more.

Maybe we can relate a little more--I just left physics for history. A few months ago, I would have seen this decision as defeat, but going with a subject that comes naturally now just feels hopeful.