How Has Anxiety Impacted My Life

As I noted in this post here, I was diagnosed with anxiety at a young age. This was back in the 1980s when I spent six months at an asthma hospital. Back then, my counselors and psychologists did not specify what type of anxiety I had. And this is because such specificity about anxiety did not exist. However, they were able to determine that my anxiety probably was effecting my asthma. 

How did anxiety impact my asthma? Before being admitted to the asthma hospital, I often experienced asthma symptoms. However, instead of seeking help, I would try to manage it independently. My anxiety played a significant role in this decision—I worried about burdening my parents and feared potential judgment from doctors regarding my frequent use of the rescue inhaler. Due to these concerns and others, I hesitated to involve adults in my care. Unfortunately, this anxiety-driven reluctance to seek assistance led to inadequate self-care, allowing my asthma to worsen.

Back then and for many years thereafter, I vehemently denied having anxiety. I was even irritated that the specialists caring for me would suggest it while I adamantly declared, 'I don't have anxiety, I have asthma.' Despite my resistance, they skillfully addressed my anxiety, emphasizing the importance of seeking help promptly when experiencing symptoms rather than attempting to handle it alone.

Repeatedly, they emphasized the crucial message that seeking help promptly and addressing asthma episodes early on was the most effective strategy for gaining better control. Additionally, they underscored the significance of consistent use of my asthma controller medicines—emphasizing the importance of taking them daily and avoiding forgetting or skipping doses.

Furthermore, they provided thorough education on all of my medications, plus education about proper inhaler and nebulizer usage. And these efforts, ensured that my technique with these devices was stellar to guarantee I was receiving the correct dose of my respiratory medications. To help me control the anxiety itself they prescribed for me a medication called Xanax. 

All these measures did seem to help me obtain better asthma control despite my anxiety and my asthma. And, in return, these allowed me to enjoy a much better quality of life once I was discharged from the asthma hospital in July of 1985. I somehow managed to keep my asthma well controlled for the next several years. And I managed to keep myself out of the emergency room for the next six years. And this was a HUGE improvement from the years prior to my stay at the asthma hospital.