Differentiate Between Sickness and Anxiety

So, very often I struggle figuring out if I'm just having anxiety or I'm actually sick. One way that I can tell if I'm just feeling anxious is if the more I think about it the more symptoms I feel.

If you begin feeling sick, write down how you are feeling. Say something like "I'm having difficulties breathing and I'm dizzy". Then, a little later, write how you are feeling again. If your list has more symptoms than before, you are probably feeling anxious. When anxious thoughts get out of control your whole body can be taken over and trick you into feeling sick.

Think about things rationally. This is much easier said than done, but trust me, it helps a lot. I'm 16 years old, and I've had a stomach bug twice in my life. So when I do the math and figure out that I've been alive for about 6,059 days, and 3 of those days were spent with sickness, then what are the chances of it happening again, right now? Well, I guess the chances are 3 in 6,059! That always makes me feel better.

Try to understand why you think you're sick. Were you around someone sick? Did you eat something bad? Did you expose yourself to germs and not properly clean yourself after? Almost all of the time, I can't think of something that could have made me sick.

Just take a hot shower and put on clean clothes. Then, what I do often times is take an AirBorne tablet, which are over-the-counter pills that are meant to strengthen your immune system. I'll also have an Emergen-C, which is another immunity booster, but it's a powder that is stirred into water(it actually tastes really good-- I like the raspberry and the lemon lime!). Another thing that I'll do is eat a greek yogurt. I don't particularly like yogurt, but is supposed to be really good at replacing the good germs in your stomach that help fight off diseases.

Here are links to my favorite immunity-boosting products:
http://www.amazon.com/Airborne-Vitamin-Citrus-Chewable-Tablets/dp/B0096YTCFK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1451078239&sr=8-5&keywords=airborne+tablets
http://www.amazon.com/Emergen-C-Vitamin-Supplement-Raspberry-Tropical/dp/B004L56DT2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451078280&sr=8-2&keywords=emergen+c

Good luck, I hope you get through this without getting sick!!

Is it a Panic Attack?

If you're new to this whole anxiety thing, and all of the sudden the most horrible feeling comes over you, like you're going to die, it is really, really scary! As someone who has experienced these panic attacks countless times, it is a lot less surprising to me. It still sucks, but I understand it just a little bit more. I want you to know what it feels like to have a panic attack so that you will know what is going on, and that you're NOT going to die. It will pass.
First, for some people, there is a trigger. Say your friend gets sick, and that makes you really nervous about catching it. That is a trigger. For me and a lot of other people, you can't figure out what caused it-- it literally feels like a brick wall that hits you so hard and so suddenly, you feel like you're never going to feel okay again. You will, I promise.
What I experience physically when I have a panic attack:
-My palms and forehead will sweat
-My hands and legs shake uncontrollably
-I can't swallow, my throat feels insanely dry yet I still feel some sort of lump that makes me feel like I'm going to throw up
-Extreme nausea
-Difficulty breathing
-Rapid heart beat
-On some occasions, I dry-heave, like I do the action of throwing up but nothing comes out
What I experience emotionally when I have a panic attack:
-My thoughts race
-I can only think of the worst possible ending to what's happening
-I assume I'm sick and dying and having a heart attack
-Think that I'd rather die than feel the way that I do
-The more I think about what's happening the worse I feel

If this seems similar to what is happening to you, then you most likely are having a panic attack. I know how much it sucks, but trust me, there are plenty of things to do to end it and feel better, and even try to prevent future panic attacks.

My Fear

How my fear of throwing up began is a mystery to me. Everyone says that they have had some sort of traumatizing experience with it, and that is why they're afraid-- not me. It's just a phobia that my brain is forcing me to deal with and I want to help you guys while I'm figuring out how to live with it myself. I want us to know that we're not alone, and that we can support each other. If you're frustrated with your phobia, and you wish you understood what was going on, just remember that me and a ton of other people know exactly how you feel and can get through it just like you will. I am going to be using all of my own ideas here, so it is all from personal experience-- not facts that I've read or researched. Now, a junior in high school, everything triggers my fear. Someone says they feel sick. Someone says someone they know feels sick or one of their family members feels sick. I eat something and don't know if it expired. I see someone throw up on tv, or worse, in real life. If I even think about throwing up I have an anxiety attack. I carry around loads of hand sanitizer, I don't use public bathrooms, I don't try on clothes in stores, sometimes I don't even eat food from other people's houses because I'm afraid that it's not safe. I can't seem to shake this fear, but I've figured out some things that help me feel a little better and more safe.
I suffer from severe panic attacks, I have had so many that I can't even imagine the amount of hours I've spent feeling horrible because of them. I am on medication, which helps, but I still experience too much anxiety for one person to handle. I may be young, 16 years old, but I have so much experience with this phobia that I know I can help. If I help just one person, this will all be worth it because no one deserves to feel the way that we do.
I remember clearly being in fifth grade and going to the nurse everyday, complaining that I didn't feel good. That seems like it would be how my fear began, but I also remember throwing up(at school!!) in fifth grade and not being particularly bothered by it. So I may not know how long I've had this fear, but I sure do have a lot of experience with it! I want to share my experiences and ways that I cope with my phobia. I remember, and this was only a month or two ago, my little brother, age 12, saying that he felt sick. I immediately ran out of the house, crying, imagining him throwing up, miserable. I love him so much and I don't want him to feel like that. Not in a selfish way, but I got so afraid that I would get sick. I can't even begin to imagine what I would do. I walked around my neighborhood for hours, too scared to go into my house. Eventually, I ran inside and went directly into my room. I washed my sheets and all of my clothes and wanted to shower, but I was too afraid to leave my room. I stayed there for a long time, and eventually came out using napkins to open doors, I didn't use silverware or plates for my food in case he had touched them, I didn't sit on the couch or go into the bathroom. I literally would go to my grandparent's house(which is next-door) to go to the bathroom. It was so debilitating and I couldn't do any simple, everyday tasks for about 10 days. He never even got sick, may I add. If you've had an experience like this, please comment and let me know-- we have to conquer this horrible phobia together!!!