Having Allergies Makes Me Angry

Having this wonderful community space to document and share our allergy experiences is truly amazing! People who suffer in the same ways can connect and empathize. We can hold space in this online community without fear of people becoming fed up or irritated at us allergy warriors going on about our issues.

Sharing about my allergies so others can relate

This is a safe space to vent and "let our hair down," so to speak. That said, I get a little fed up and bored with my constant internal monologues, but you didn't hear that from me!

Sometimes I still think that people reading this will say, "Ah, they're banging on about this again!" But by sharing my experiences, I hope that others with allergies will be able to feel connected.

As you may or may not be able to tell, I use humor as a device to distract me and keep me sane during difficult times. In truth, I think having allergies all my life has made me quite an angry person.

Feeling angry during an allergy flare

Don't get me wrong, I don't walk into public spaces smashing the place up and being rude to others. It's a silent, passive type of anger that, if not controlled, is detrimental to my physical and mental health.

I can always recognize when this passive aggression is brewing. I usually feel the anger brewing internally if I am having a stressful day at work and my sinuses are completely blocked. Other times it happens while dealing with an eye infection or if my chest is tight and wheezy. Then someone may say something ignorant to wind me up. I'm getting wound up about it now, and nothing has even happened yet!

It's hard to deal with stressful situations

The truth is that my anger is related to my inability to deal with stressful situations during an allergy flare. When I read about the positive experiences of people with allergies, I marvel at their positive attitudes when dealing with allergies. Internally, I feel like a child screaming, "IT'S NOT FAIR; IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!"

This internal dialogue and reaction is not healthy and can actually make me feel quite low. I have been dealt these particular cards. I've just got to get on with it.

Some have it better, and some have it worse

I keep reminding myself I am luckier than many, but I know that I am more unfortunate than many too. It is because of my various health conditions that I essentially lead a solitary life. So in my mind, I am allowed to scream on the inside every now and then if it releases some tension.

Channeling my anger to reflect

Anger can be used as a positive notion. For instance, it is helping me right now to produce this article. Like any other emotion we have, it has to be kept in check, but it's not all bad.

I do feel guilty about getting angry at my loved ones sometimes, but again, I have to remind myself that it is a normal human reaction. I hope I am not alone in my thinking here.

Does anyone else sometimes feel angry because of their allergies?