Anxiety is typically described as a feeling of apprehension or dread in situations where there is no actual real threat and is disproportionate to the situation faced. Unlike stress, anxiety persists even after a concern has passed. In some cases, anxiety can escalate into an anxiety disorder and can affect day-to-day life.
Recently I’ve been experiencing episodes of anxiety. Here is a list of physical symptoms of anxiety:
Not Experienced (Yet) Palpitations Panic Attacks Shortness of Breath / Hyperventilating Restlessness Difficulty Performing Everyday Tasks Dry Mouth Teeth Grinding
Anxiety can affect anyone and can be quite debilitating. It usually has a trigger. In my case there has been several concurrent triggers. You can get diagnosed with anxiety and treated for it.
Treatment for anxiety can include medication and/or counselling therapies.
Last week was the worst of my life. The hole in the roof of my mouth got bigger. It took away my ability to speak and be understood clearly, restricted my diet and fluid intake and made taking medications challenging.
It sent my mood very low. Apart from attending a coupe of medical appointments, I slept. Day and night. That’s all I did. The situation felt overwhelming.
Its taken me a week to figure it out. I’ve been stressing and worrying about things that I have no control over. It reminded of this page in The Alcohol Therapy Workbook:
So I am re-focusing on what I can control: me. My thoughts and behaviours.
I’ve had time to reflect on my recent health consultations (see The ENT Specialists) and I can honestly say that I’m feeling devastated.
I knew the hole in my septum had gotten bigger, but seeing the state of the inside of my nose on a monitor attached to a camera on a flexible cable really traumatised me. I have plenty of health-related worries right now including:
Do I have vasculitis and if so, what does this mean for me in the long term? Vasculitis is a very rare condition.
If its not vasculitis, then what is the cause of this extensive nasal destruction?
What will the biopsies show? Could it be Cancer?
They want to operate urgently in the next two weeks. What is going through the mind of my ENT Consultant?
What has caused a small hole in my septum to lead to complete septum destruction in around 4 months?
Will the pain ever be resolved? Or is this it now? Chronic long term pain.
Could other symptoms such as fatigue, a psoriasis-like rash on my elbows, difficulty standing for short periods, right hip/knee pain and difficulty sleeping through the night (insomnia) be related to my nasal passage problems?
How will they decide to fix the problem? Is it even fixable?
How will all this impact on the management of my type 1 diabetes?
What other autoimmune diseases does this increase my risk of getting?
How will any or all of the above affect my life expectancy?
What does all this mean for returning to work and life?
Will I ever feel normal again, or is this the new normal?
Why did nobody ever tell me to go and get my constant blocked nose checked out? Would it have made any difference?
Why didn’t I get any ENT experience as a Student Nurse or in A&E. This would have at least given me some clinical experience in the area?
Why did I decide that my constant blocked nose was because of developing an allergy to my two gorgeous cats?
Will I ever be able to smell normally again? At the moment, I can’t usually smell anything, unless I try and it is particularly strong. Sometimes, I smell what smells like rotting flesh.
Why is the waiting list so long to seen ENT? Ear, nose and throat systems are vital to health and wellbeing.
And more questions continue to fill my head on an hourly basis.
I have plenty of questions right now, but not a lot of answers. It’s the not knowing that causes the most anxiety.
During my working and personal life I have met people who have told me that they are on the autistic spectrum or have been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. But I’ll be honest, I don’t know that much about autism or Asperger’s syndrome.
So I’m writing this Autism & Asperger’s Syndrome Series to educate myself and others.
What is Autism?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the name for a range of similar conditions, including Asperger syndrome, that affect a person’s social interaction, communication, interests and behaviour.
In children with ASD, the symptoms are present before three years of age, although a diagnosis can sometimes be made after the age of three.
It’s estimated that about 1 in every 100 people in the UK has ASD. More boys are diagnosed with the condition than girls.
Asperger’s Syndrome is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder that falls within the autistic spectrum. It is a life-long condition, which affects about 1 in 200 people, more commonly in men than women. Those with Asperger’s Syndrome are usually of average or above average intelligence.
The condition is characterised by difficulties with Social Interaction, Social Communication and Flexibility of Thinking or Imagination. In addition, there may be sensory, motor and organisational difficulties.
The signs and symptoms include difficulties interacting with others and unusual thinking patterns. Behaviour is likely to be affected, as explained below:
Examples of Autism Spectrum Behaviours:
Communication
Echoing words/phrases without context
Taking an adult to the biscuit tin rather than asking or pointing
Taking language too literally
Social Interactions
Preference to play alone
Difficulty relating to other people
Not understanding other’s thoughts and emotions
Repetitive behaviours
Hand flapping
Toe walking
Spinning wheels
Lining up cars
Restrictive behaviour
Eating only yellow food
Insisting on walking the same route
Only watching Thomas the Tank Engine
…
People with autism may or may not have the following:
Exceptional attention to detail
Sensory differences, this is most noticeable when children are over-sensitive to stimuli e.g. distress at loud noises
Trouble with co-ordination
Unusual eating behaviour such as only eating certain foods
Additional learning disabilities
A very small percentage have unusual abilities for example with music or memory
People with autism and Asperger’s syndrome are at higher risk of developing or have these other conditions: learning disabilities, ADHD, epilepsy, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, OCD, depression, anxiety, bipolar, sleeping problems, Tourette’s syndrome or other tick disorders.
People get diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s syndrome by their GP referring them to a Specialist Team. These days people are often diagnosed as children. The specialist team usually includes a Paediatrician, a Psychologist, a Psychiatrist, a Speech & Language Therapist and a Occupational Therapist.
Treatment Approaches
As every person with autism or Asperger’s syndrome is different, the treatment for each person is different; depending on the individual’s needs. However treatment includes interventions around developing communication skills, interaction skills, the ability to imagine and traditional academic skills.
It is also useful for parents/carers and other family members to go on a parenting and autism course. This is because these courses are packed with strategies to best support a child with autism.
Parents/carers and other family members can also get peer support which will help them feel less isolated and give them opportunities to learn from others at a local support group. If there isn’t a group locally, there’s lots of message boards online.
In the next post in this Autism & Asperger’s Syndrome Series I’ll be listing useful websites around autism and Asperger’s syndrome.
Write soon,
Antony
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Wednesday 18 July 2018
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Antony Simpson - Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.
Author of eight books.
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