Hello! I'm from PA and since Tuesday morning, it has been snowing/sleeting and it is supposed to continue until Thursday morning. I used to love when it snowed (before anxiety). I work from home so thankfully I don't have to drive in it. However, as soon as the snow started yesterday morning, my anxiety started kicking up. I have pretty bad health anxiety. I usually obsess about my heart but I really obsess over any little ache or pain. Like this week I thought I had toxic shock syndrome. I'm ridiculous. Anyway, I had to shovel snow yesterday so today I'm a little sore (back, chest, arms, legs) and I'm totally freaking out about it. I'm just sure the pains are from some kind of heart issue and I'm going to either fall over dead at any moment (I'm 33 by the way) or something is going to happen and they won't be able to get to me because of the horrible condition of the roads. I feel so trapped right now. My husband is going to be leaving for work soon and I'm going to be stuck at home with my kids. I always worry that something will happen to me when my husband isn't home and they won't know what to do and how horrible it would be for them if they saw me die in front of them. I don't know why I think about these things. My anxiety really has been under decent control and I was feeling pretty good until now. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I really needed to vent. I guess I'll just keep looking forward to Friday when I can get out of the house again. =)

A lot of what you describe sounds like Pure OCD. It is just another type of anxiety dissorder, but it is treatable via meditation and/or CBT. I remember when I used to live in NY. I would get depressed especially towards the ed of the winter because of the lack of light and the grey days that go on and on and on. This mad my health worse. As for the shoveling of snow, that probably did you nothing by get you some god exercise in. Are you on any medication or have you seen and anxiety specialist about your dissorder?

Later,
OE

OE - No, I'm not on any medication. I was put on Paxil for some stress 1-1/2 years ago and it caused me to have a panic attack which has started all of this. I did go to counseling for a while and they told me that my job was my biggest mental health hazard. I cannot say what I do according to the rules on this board but I guess I can say I know more about health-related issues than I care to. I'm at a place in my career that I cannot change jobs so I feel like I just have to deal with it. I have taken Ativan in the past which helps very slightly but I haven't taken any in months. I usually can talk myself out of my bad anxiety moments but sometimes the anxiety wins. Hormones play a huge part in my anxiety and right now is "that time" for me which really makes things worse. I know it will get better, it always does. Thanks so much for your words of encouragement!

i have been thinking about almost the same thing today.. i was going to start a new med today.. but then i thought "what if i have an allergic reaction to it and need to go to the hospital, i don't want to drive through all this snow"
i am in NW PA and we are getting hammered with snow :mad: .. but lucky for us we avoided the ice storm..

so i am just gonna wait till tomorrow to start my new med.. i know the thought is a little irrational but not something that could never happen so i am just gonna play it safe and wait a day.. i think just about every time we have a nasty snow storm i worry about "what if something happens to my wife or me and we can't get out for help" i really think a lot of people think about that... but maybe not to the same level i do.. or someone with anxiety does.

i also live in the pocono mountains be have been snowed in on and off most of the time for 2 weeks, and got another snow storm. stuck with a handicap i have to bathe, feed, and do everything else for as well as care for my 7 month old who is teething, i started having SEVERE panic attacks, i was going to call 911 once, but my doc has me on 2 mg xanax 4 times a day, that seems to help.