MRSA

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

Hi everyone. As some of you might remember I've been struggling with anxiety/phobia problems for the past 7+ weeks. After getting on anti anxiety meds and signing up for therapy sessions, my mom bought me a plane ticket to have a "momcation" for 5 days. I'll be staying at her house.

I've been doing okay lately but some days are better than others. In the last week I had about 3 rough ones (anxiety and phobic driven behavior)

I went out last night and drank with my cousin... Today I had bad anxiety again. My husband thinks alcoholism is a big factor in my depression/anxiety. I'm going to make sure to not have an alcoholic drink for the next 30 days to see if it helps at all.

Aside from this- and the real reason for my post... I found out by my cousin that my 3 year old niece has mrsa on her butt. I freaked out.... Started reading about it online. I'm upset that no one was going to even tell me. When I called my mom and sister about it they both acted like it wasn't a big deal. My sister said that she was on medicine and it's gone now.

What do you guys think? I'm already planning on buying Lysol spray, using lots of hand sanitizer and all that but I of course have anxiety over this now. This was supposed to be a chance for me to regroup & spend quality time with my family but now I'm totally freaked out that I'm going to get mrsa and bring it home to my kids!

Ugh... Because of my serious anxiety lately I can't gauge if I'm over reacting or not. Everything I read online leads me to think that mrsa is kind of a humongous deal and I shouldn't even be visiting them...

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

Oh I meant to also add, my niece spends atleast 2-3 days a week at my moms (where I'll be) and I'm sure I'll see her.

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

Thanks.. I didn't know much about mrsa and it is probably community acquired so good to know Its not a huge deal.

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

Taking vistaril for almost 2 weeks... Up to 4x/day "as needed" for anxiety.

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

WhoCanItBeNow said:
So it's gone and you still think you need to flip the fuck out about it? So are you just never going to see your family ever again?

Yeah I was flipping out about it. My cousin is a nurse and kind of freaked me out about it and made it seem like my niece needed quarantined. I didn't know anything about mrsa beforehand. Glad I know it's not a risk if it's gone.

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

Yeah.. The alcohol is more than likely exacerbating my anxiety. I'm not going to drink anything for awhile. My husband is being supportive and he isn't going to have anything either so hopefully it makes a difference.

As for the internet searching.. I know that it's fueling my anxiety. I'm aware of that. It's more of a compulsion. If I get fixated on something I research the shit out of it (first it was bugs, then mrsa...) and scare the hell out of myself. I will try to stop.. Easier said than done.

KaramelSutra · June 2014

Maybe instead is relying in an as needed drug such as vistaril, you should be on an ssri that treats anxiety and depression such as Zoloft or Paxil.

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

@KaramelSutra‌ I have citalopram too.. I just didn't want to take something daily but am rethinking it now. It's the generic celexa I think.

KaramelSutra · June 2014

If you are up to 4x/day as needed anyway, you probably already ARE taking something daily. You may see a huge difference and more of a plateau in your anxiety.

LEMSA · June 2014

As long as you didn't touch her infection with your bare hands, share clothing, or otherwise be in contact with the infection, you will be fine.

Also, I agree w PP, you need to be on a daily long term med. Not an as needed one if your anxiety is that severe.

KaramelSutra · June 2014

Eta: instead of peaks and valleys of anxiety, you may be more of riding a lumpy terrain. Sure you'll have bad days, but more often than not you'll be able to get thru.

MrsT0514 · June 2014

Im sorry you're still struggling with this. I think it is in your best interest to stop drinking entirely and keep taking your meds as directed.

That said, I've had MRSA and so has my mom. Honestly, what the dr told me is that MRSA is a bacteria that is pretty much everywhere. Besides hand washing and general hygiene, there is really nothing you can do to prevent it from occurring. Some people have mrsa bacteria on their skin and never know it. For others, it causes an actual infection (most commonly a skin infection, like in my and my mom's case).

I know my main problem that contributes to some mild hypochondriac in my case, is google. Looking stuff up on the internet is just no good. So I've decided to just stay away from dr google and if I have questions, I ask my real doctor. Maybe you should adopt the same philosophy? No sense in overloading yourself with information and making yourself crazy.

Try to relax and enjoy your trip.

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

Thank you so much @MrsT0514‌ ... I will see the therapist again this week and am probably going to start the citalopram. I want to be/get better. I feel like I'm always waiting for something bad to happen or expecting it. It's just been hard for me to admit I need help and my family (besides my DH) is very anti- medicine. They want me to do other things like meditate and drink chamomile tea... But tea isn't going to get me through this.

MrsT0514 · June 2014

I think starting the citalopram is a good idea. Give it a good month or 2 and see how you feel. If you're still not feeling better, follow up with your dr. You shouldn't have to suffer through this.

RondackHiker · June 2014

MRSA is really no big deal, but the MRSA isn't really the issue here. It's the level of your obsession and your freak out that's the issue. You'd have done the same if she had HFM or an unknown rash or if you traveled through an area with measles or so on.

Ignore your family. They're idiots if they think tea and meditation will handle this.

Call your doctor. Explain how bad you're freaking out and the drinking. I'm really sorry you're dealing with this. I'm not going to scold you for looking things up online. It sounds like a compulsion for you, one you probably need therapy to control.

Karadee1 · June 2014

I've shared my experiences with anxiety a few times before on various threads, but I am passionate about this topic so I will share it again.

Medication and therapy changed my life. I felt before medication/therapy as if I were living in the dark dangerous world - anything and everything was out to get me. I actually thought this anxiety was good in some twisted way, that because I anticipated everything that could go wrong and expected bad things to happen, I would be prepared for these bad things. Truth is it doesn't really work like that.

Once I started therapy and medication, the dark cloud dissipated. Being vigilant about germs/danger whatever is one thing, obsessing about it is no way to live your life. Once you are consistent with the celexa and therapy the hope is that you will see the world the way it was meant to be seen - possibilities and happiness instead of everything that can go wrong.

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

@Karadee1‌ Wow.. I feel like you perfectly described the mental state I've been in. It's always been there but every so often it completely consumes me. The online research IS a compulsion that I need to get control of. I've been scared of everything lately and it's literally robbing me of any joy.

I started the citalopram (celexa) this morning. 1/2 a dose for one week, then up to a full dose after.

Really want to get my life back... I don't like being like this.

Karadee1 · June 2014

@Tessybell2007 when you find the right treatment that works for you, it will be amazing to you how different life can be. I know that sounds cheesy but I've had anxiety my whole life, and with treatment life looks completely different to me now. It will get better!!! If you ever need to talk or anything feel free to PM me too.

plus12012 · June 2014

Rule #1 if you have any type of anxiety stay away from Dr. Google.

It sounds like you could definitely use a good vacation but, if you think staying at your Mom's would cause additional stress or anxiety maybe you could think of another option. I love my Mom but it definitely brings me extra stress to stay at my parent's house (even though I do). But, if I had any type of stress or anxiety disorder I would not be able to.

Tessybell2007 · June 2014

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm glad I posted here ... It helps me to see other people's perspectives on my behaviors .. Kinda solidifies that it's a problem within. I always convince myself that I'm just being a "realist" or pragmatic... But it's not.... It's flat out pessimism.

Karadee1 · June 2014

Tessybell2007 said:

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm glad I posted here ... It helps me to see other people's perspectives on my behaviors .. Kinda solidifies that it's a problem within. I always convince myself that I'm just being a "realist" or pragmatic... But it's not.... It's flat out pessimism.

To be fair though, it's probably really a chemical imbalance in your brain. I'm not trying to make assumptions about you or assume I understand your exact situation, I'm only speaking from my experience. People with the type of anxiety I (and maybe you) have can't will themselves out of it - it needs proper treatment. It's easy for outsiders to say "just stop thinking like that." Normal people can just stop those thoughts, people with anxiety cannot just stop. It causes very real consequences too - sleep deprivation, stress, depression, etc. It's not your fault, and it can get better.

Disneygeek77 · June 2014

Oh my, I remember those days, those dark dark days. Days of compulsively searching the internet for answers and comfort and never finding it.

Keep talking someone about how you are feeling. It could be the medicine you are currently on isn't right for you and you need something that will be a better match. That is ok and please don't listen to your family. Your body is literally not making the right chemicals right now and you need medicine to fix it. Not having that medicine would be like telling a diabetic they shouldn't take insulin.

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