Advice on how to re-direct and deal with irrational thoughts

[Alicat]

I'm new here and am just looking for a few words of advice. People will tell you becoming a mom can make you feel like you are going crazy, but I've experienced major anxiety since my first was born 4 years ago. (I now have 2) I'm currently working as a chemist and although I have had my anxieties about work-related hazards, my current stressor takes the cake. We moved into a new lab and over the summer I've been experiencing odors (moldy, sour) coming through the air vents. At times it would be so strong I could almost taste it. So, I did what any other employee would do and I requested it be looked at through my company once it started to cause me eye irritation. Months go by and no one can figure this out and eventually they stop investigating. This odor is only in my lab and in another woman's office who complains as well. It only smells when the cold air is running, not the heat, so I probably have a break from it for awhile until it warms up again. However, my anxiety about it is through the roof. I'm having physical symptoms from the stress (throat tightening is driving me nuts) My boss is going to try and help me figure out the cause when it becomes an issue again, but in the meantime I'm walking around sniffing and stressing. Answer is easy: find a new job... although that's not a possibility at the moment. So my point here is I need some advice on some exercises that may have worked for you guys. I'm naturally a little high strung, but this work thing has me worried I'm going to get sick (over time) and die from these odors and leave my children motherless. Typing this out really makes me see how irrational I'm being, but thoughts of possible mold exposure can be frightening too. I know the stress I'm giving my body is probably worse, though.

Any help is appreciated.

[discocole]

Hi, welcome to the site. I myself have just recently started posting again. It's tough because it's not like you're imagining the smell, you stated that a coworker also smells it. Smells bother me too and can sometimes get my anxiety going. What I try to do is breathe in and think to myself "yes! delicious toxins! Make me throw up. I'd be really impressed if you made me throw up or gave me a disease." I'll find that quickly the irrational thoughts I'm having about the smells will stop. It's tough to think in a way that may be horrifying to you, but these methods really do work. It just takes persistence and practice.

[anxiousdad75]

I'm new here and am just looking for a few words of advice. People will tell you becoming a mom can make you feel like you are going crazy, but I've experienced major anxiety since my first was born 4 years ago. (I now have 2) I'm currently working as a chemist and although I have had my anxieties about work-related hazards, my current stressor takes the cake. We moved into a new lab and over the summer I've been experiencing odors (moldy, sour) coming through the air vents. At times it would be so strong I could almost taste it. So, I did what any other employee would do and I requested it be looked at through my company once it started to cause me eye irritation. Months go by and no one can figure this out and eventually they stop investigating. This odor is only in my lab and in another woman's office who complains as well. It only smells when the cold air is running, not the heat, so I probably have a break from it for awhile until it warms up again. However, my anxiety about it is through the roof. I'm having physical symptoms from the stress (throat tightening is driving me nuts) My boss is going to try and help me figure out the cause when it becomes an issue again, but in the meantime I'm walking around sniffing and stressing. Answer is easy: find a new job... although that's not a possibility at the moment. So my point here is I need some advice on some exercises that may have worked for you guys. I'm naturally a little high strung, but this work thing has me worried I'm going to get sick (over time) and die from these odors and leave my children motherless. Typing this out really makes me see how irrational I'm being, but thoughts of possible mold exposure can be frightening too. I know the stress I'm giving my body is probably worse, though.

Any help is appreciated.

Hi. The problem probably isn't the mold smell itself. It is good that you and your boss are going to try and get to the root cause of it. My guess though is that once that issue is dealt with you will redirect on something else to be anxious about. You have to treat the anxiety, that is my best advice.

If you aren't seeing a therapist or anxiety specialist you should, that is the first step to recovery in my opinion. Hope that helps.