Anyone experience Post Acute Covid Infection Anxiety? What helped you?

@tiredmommy, that must be a relief to have made a decision to address anxiety and to work with your doctor on a medication and dosage that works for you. I think fellow long haulers like @ldropps @kirstenk2003 @mamafluh may also have some experience in addressing the mental side effects of COVID big and small.

Here's an article from the American Psychological Association that might interest you.
- Treating patients with long COVID https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/07/treating-long-covid

Did you decide on a medication?

Thank you so much! Hadn’t read that. I’m nervous as I’ve never dealt with anxiety or taken meds, but I also realize I’m struggling to reset and just need to acknowledge (with my doctors guidance and support) how to feel better and more myself.

My daughter is a long hauler, and has found medication (she has tried several - it took time to get right) and mindfulness practices she got from her post-Covid treatment help her through. She has also learned to keep her hands busy (she crochets) and her mind occupied (books on tape or favorite movies/music.) She has good days and bad, but the good are gradually outnumbering the bad.

I hope this helps you.
Sue

PS And she is learning to pace herself better. Thursday, she felt invincible, did way to much, and is paying the price this weekend.

I've tried what @sueinmn talks about. Plus I have dogs who help a lot. I'm personally on medication for anxiety and depression which I had prior to Covid. I also see a therapist regularly. I feel like I have some PTSD both from Covid itself, but also from seeing all the doctors. I naturally tend to feel like everything is my fault and when there isn't a clear "this is how to fix this" I worry that I'm making it worse than it is. I also have chronic migraines and congenital heart disease so I see a lot of doctors.

Please know that you aren't alone. I'm here if you ever need to talk to someone. Also, I can say from experience that the folks who staff the mental health hotlines are very good.

This rings true for me

I suffer from post-Covid syndrome, since Feb 2021. For me, focusing on what I CAN do has been helpful, focusing on what I CAN eat, etc.
I started fluvoxamine 100mg in Apr 2022, split the dose and take half every 12 hrs. This has helped with anxiety, also meditation (I really like the app Headspace). The book "Loving What Is" has helped.
Before covid, I was running 2 to 3 mi 3x/week, weight workout 3x/week. That was in December 2020. I finally am back to running, no weights yet.
This past month, my taste has started improving - I can eat bananas and grapes again! It is a long haul, taking a lot more time than I expected to recover. I do think mental health is key to overcoming this physical issue. Again, focus on what you can eat, what you can do. The fluvoxamine was a game changer last year. I've started experimenting with halving the dose at night. I would love to be back to where I was! But, it's a relief to have a medication that helps.

I have had a similar experience with worsened anxiety post covid. Going on 7 months of ongoing new physical issues since having Covid - with no diagnosis for my worst symptom of constant dizziness (has been life changing). I did begin speaking with a therapist weekly and feel it has helped. She helps me put things into perspective and I try every day to actively use the tools she's given me. I am guilty of a lot of fear based negative thoughts (like dying, or not knowing what's wrong with me) and have to break that thought cycle to keep myself from a panic attack. I also try to do deep breathing exercises - I'll admit they don't help fully if I'm having a panic attack, but if I catch myself getting tense I believe they've helped me from getting that far. In terms of medication, I've tried multiple now. My biggest criteria is wanting something that makes me feel better, not worse. My anxiety is worse when I'm feeling physical symptoms (dizziness that no one can diagnose or treat), but it also causes a number of physical symptoms for me that then make my anxiety rise more. I've had bad reactions to two SSRI meds, and one that worked OK (buspirone) but didn't seem like the perfect fit. I'm continuing to discuss with a Psychiatrist in hopes of finding the right solution for me. I'm hoping for something with minimal side effects mostly, non addictive and hopefully reasonably easy to stop if and when I'm ready. I've also tried chiropractic care, and I do listen to guided meditation sessions and feel they help calm me down. I think the more I do them the better they work. I use Fitbit for my sessions, but there are many apps or YouTube videos that could help.

I hope you've found some relief, or at least a doctor who is on this journey with you and committed to finding you the right solution.