Managing Anxieties that come with having Allergies

"Developing allergies in my late 20’s brought on more anxiety. I became overly concerned about what I ate and drank. I was nervous about being exposed to allergens in buildings and outdoors.

I already felt anxious about having an autoimmune condition. I feared flare-ups of pain and fatigue. I worried the undifferentiated connective tissue disease might evolve into something worse.

And my health was not the only thing that weighed heavy on my mind. A lot of everyday things troubled me. General anxiety has affected me since childhood.

But over the years, I have learned much about my health condition and healing. I have also grown in my ability to handle anxiety. Below are some things I do to deal with the added stress from allergies.

Noticing When Anxiety Relates to Allergies

For me, noticing when anxiety relates to allergies is vital to dealing with it. A lot of the anxiety I experience stems from distressing and traumatic situations that happened in the past. However, the anxiety related to my allergies tends to revolve around preventing reactions from occurring in the future.

I often fear trying new things that could result in an allergic reaction. I may worry so much about the possible side effects of a new medicine that I hesitate to take it. Although I get bored with what I eat, I stick with foods that haven’t caused issues.

When I realize anxiety is affecting how I think and behave, I can do something about it. I ask a lot of questions before I use new medicines. In “Choosing Restaurants On My Food Allergy Journey,” I share my steps to venture into a new restaurant.20s

Controlling My Environment

Controlling my environment helps me keep anxiety from allergies at bay. I certainly don’t have power over things like trees and weather, but I can choose when to spend time out of doors to limit my exposure to pollen and other environmental allergens.

I have made my home a safe, comfortable place. I bought a newly constructed house to decrease the likelihood of reactions to chemicals and mold. I clean my house often with products that don’t have fragrances and harsh chemicals. I stock up on allergen-friendly foods.

When I visit other buildings and homes, I take precautions and adapt as needed. I sometimes take my food with me. If something in the air bothers me, I don’t stay long.

Communicating with My Health Care Team

Communicating with my healthcare team assists me in dealing with added anxiety from allergies. I have an amazing primary care physician with whom I schedule regular appointments. I reach out to my doctor and her staff whenever I have concerns or questions like the time I took too much allergy medicine. Their compassionate, informative, and timely responses help me feel less anxious.

Talking to a counselor also equips me to handle anxiety. I have worked with several counselors in different seasons of my life. Through cognitive behavioral therapy, I have learned to process my feelings and replace thoughts that fuel anxiety with truths that calm me.

Praying

Praying is one of the most powerful things I do when I feel anxious. Essentially, I ask God for help. Peace fills my heart and minds when I trust God to care for me.

Learning to pray through anxiety has been a process. Even now, anxious thoughts can build up and overwhelm me at times. In those instances, I reach out to my husband or a close friend and ask them to pray for me.

People have also taken the initiative to pray for me. One time at work, I had a reaction to a medicine that had built up in my system. My coworkers prayed for me even though they didn’t know what was causing my symptoms.

Keeping a Good End in Mind

Ultimately, I try to keep a good end in mind with allergies. I remind myself that health tests can pinpoint new allergies, and treatments are available. I have seen how homes and workplaces can be cleaned and adjusted to accommodate people with allergies. I reassure myself that my healthcare team will be in touch soon and that my prayers have been heard.

Allergies-related anxiety is another challenge on my health journey. While I wish I didn’t have to face this, at least I know what it is. With prayer and support from my healthcare team, family, and communities like Allergies.net, I can deal with the added anxiety from allergies.