Long COVID and Anxiety: Expert Advice for Finding Relief

Health Anxiety often accompanies health threats that feel dangerous and uncertain. Long Covid emanates this quality of health uncertainty and is alarming in nature. I call this the "Double Whammy" because one condition often triggers the other.

If you suspect that you may have symptoms of long covide, please see your medical provider to help you manage those symptoms. If Health Anxiety is present as well, here are some links to help you:

👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 Here is a free Health Anxiety Assessment

👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 Rapid Recovery from Health Anxiety Course

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people globally, and while some have recovered from the virus, others continue to experience physical and mental symptoms months after their initial illness. This phenomenon is known as Long Covid.
Some of the most concerning symptoms of Long Covid are its impact on cardiac health and autoimmune conditions. Studies have shown that individuals with Long Covid are more likely to experience changes in heart rate and rhythm, as well as chest pain and shortness of breath.
The persistent symptoms of Long Covid, combined with the uncertainty surrounding the virus, can make it difficult for you to feel in control of your health. Unfortunately, this uncertainty surrounding the impact of long covid is also causing another debilitating condition called health anxiety.
Health anxiety, diagnosed as illness anxiety disorder or somatic symptom disorder behaves more like OCD than an anxiety disorder. Individuals with health anxiety may experience physical symptoms, as well as mental symptoms, such as obsessive worry about their health. And to cope with their obsessive health worries, they may begin to avoid doing certain activities like exercise or traveling or begin to use safety behaviors like excessive googling or frequently checking on their body symptoms like taking their pulse or blood pressure.
If you can relate to any of these symptoms, it is important to seek help from a healthcare professional for information and guidance on how to manage your physical and mental symptoms from Long Covid. However, if your health anxiety is not treated as well, you can unfortunately begin to associate your physical symptoms with your fight or flight response, causing even more selective attention on your symptoms and heightened sensitivity to what you are feeling in your body.

Rapid Recovery from Health Anxiety: A Step-by-Step Guide to Stop Worrying and Reclaim Your Life

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Until next time, I will see you in session,
Paige

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(Although Paige Pradko is a licensed psychotherapist, the views expressed on this video and this YouTube channel including comments or any related content should not be taken for medical, psychological or psychiatric advice. Always contact your physician and mental health provider before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.)

[PaigePradkoTherapy]

👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼Here is a FREE Self-Assessment for Health Anxiety:

👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼Free PDF: Why Do I Feel That in my Body? Explanations of Bodily Symptoms Due to Anxiety, Stress & Panic


👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼For HELP: Join my online Health Anxiety course and support group today:

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Thank you for watching. Please leave me your comments and questions. I would love to know how you are doing and how I can help you.

[kirkiecookie]

Glad to see you post about this, Paige. COVID is someone with anxiety's NIGHTMARE. I thought it would be similar to the flu but found out that various symptoms linger for weeks after and there's a ton of fear and uncertainty that any normal person would have around that! I'm sure many people who never had health anxiety are having some now due to the oddness of this virus. So thank you for putting this out there for everyone!

[Juliiebee]

This topic has been a nightmare for me quite honestly :(

[kaystephens]

I had it 2x. I can definately relate. Haven't worked in 2 years.

[Savitar.]

For me, long covid is manifesting in anxiety, depression, and dpdr. I never had any of these before getting covid. It feels like it's never going to end.

[pc]

I have been blessed to never get Covid because I don’t be exposed by lots of people daily and stay away from crowded places 🙏🏽

[shanehall]

I have been experiencing some unpleasant symptoms lately because I have health anxiety about having diabetes without knowing because I get anxious and feel odd when hungry. I guess feeling strange and anxious are normal when hungry but I have intrusive thoughts when hungry. I was wondering if you could make a video on hunger and feel odd?.

[markj]

Ok. This question is not really on the topic but I have some things to share.

I contracted Covid April 4th, 2020. I will never forget that day because I lost my taste and then I started feeling bad. I went to a local clinic for a COVID test and you guessed it, I tested positive.

I was on back for 6 weeks. I couldn't eat, sleep or breathe. Scary!

Thank goodness I made it out alive but you know what Paige, everything seemed to change after that. My life was still fairly normal but I felt a gradual change. My mood. My appetite and eventually my mental health.

I have a 2-part question. No one really speaks on special diets or foods that can help or hurt with anxiety. Do you know if, let's say, gluten or sugar can cause anxiety to spike. Can diets filled with vegetables and leafy greens help or hurt anxiety.

We spoke about how consuming alcohol may not be a good choice when dealing with anxiety. I am curious to know if there is a direct connection to certain types of foods. Can being overweight be an issue? Curious

[bmint]

No one has given clear symptoms yet..🤦‍♂️.. I’ve had ALL OF THEM.. but they can all correlate to something else.. I’ve never actually tested properly.. so who knows right?
I think we all need to find a way to accept this and move on and maybe that will be the cure?

[ryno]

How do you differentiate health anxiety to physiological / elevated hormones from a dysregulated nervous system? My cortisol and epinephrine is high on labs - blood and 34 hour urine

[candychimes]

I had covid last year January. But around in May last year i started feeling asthmatic in the morning when i wake up or not long after i wake up. Because i have rhinitis and sometimes asthma, i thought that there is something making me feel that way. So i did try avoid things making me asthmatic. But this past few months ive been dealing with insomnia and finally i experience couldnt sleep anymore at all for several nites and went to see a neurologist and ive been diagnosed with anxiety. While taking the meds, i realized that actually my feeling of asthmatic is actually anxiety. And my feeling of like having so many sickness is part of anxiety. Its like my brain will amplify smells and made ne feel trap and anxious or like will auto pilot to this reaction in any place i have an episode before. Are their any supplements i can take to lessen anxiety? Does B1 helps?

[MachinesOfInterest]

Was he vaccinated with mRNA ? is is genuine anxiety or vaccines side effect ?

[danabare]

It doesn't help we spent years being brainwashed to be terrified of covid.