Wednesday, January 10, 2007

This is a First

Now I know why I’ve been under the weather and more anxious than usual. I’m suffering from the Let-Down Effect. Here’s the gist:

It's most commonly noticed after the completion of a stressful project of any sort — training for an athletic event, working to get that proposal in at work, getting through the crush of the holiday season — and just in time for a weekend, a holiday, a vacation, or even retirement, you get sick.

This has got to be the first time I’ve self-diagnosed myself with a disorder that doesn’t lead to death. Although I'm not sure what this means:

The body feels it has some sort of infection going on, and rather than sending in a couple of marines, it sends in the whole brigade," says Schoen. "The effect is, the body has far more inflammation than it needs. There are too many marines in one spot. And with too much inflammation in one spot, it begins to whittle down the body's systems and organs.

Whittle down organs? Maybe that liver pain isn't cirrhosis, but my immune system slowly eating away at my liver. I'm off to look for some stress releiving techniques.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, I have trouble with severe panick attacks, as well. I haven't had them as bad as they are now in quite a while, but it is quite debilitating, as you well know. I was wondering if you have trouble leaving the house? And if you do how do you get around that?

Leila V. said...

If I had it my way, the only time I’d leave the house would be to go to work, and maybe not even then. Luckily, I have a boyfriend who’s experienced in dragging me out of my cave, (and it’s not an easy job).

I get more panicked before I go somewhere, than I do when I’m actually there. I try to keep in mind that nothing is ever as bad as I imagine. I think it’s just willpower and forcing yourself to get out there.