Too afraid to take a shower (vertigo) *non triggering

zivalover16 · 06-04-2015, 04:18 AM

I was recently diagnosed with vertigo and am still learning what makes it worse and what not. Wednesday-Saturday my parents and I were visiting family in Pennsylvania. I went to take a shower Thursday night and after washing my hair the room started to spin and I felt sick. I slowly got dressed and leaned against the walls to get out into the living room (thankfully not very far). My dad jumped up and quickly came to me and supported to me to the couch to sit down. I cried because I really didn't like how it felt and I scared my cousin because she didn't know what was going on with me and she has bad anxiety.
I am writing because now I am terrified to take a shower. My mom said heat can trigger it and I can't stand cold. I don't know what to do because I have to take a shower at some point but my anxiety goes through the roof just thinking about it. Any suggestions? Am I being stupid?

griddlebone · 06-04-2015, 08:57 AM

Omg yes, finally someone else!!I literally have the same as you and showers made it worse for a long time. The first thing I have to tell you, is that I literally just got out of the shower with no symptoms/no anxiety so it WILL get better.

When it was really bad, I would literally spend the smallest amount of time possible in there, hop in, wash hair, hop out and sometimes when it was really awful I used to wash my hair in the sink, which at least got the job done. I never once actually fell in the shower but there were times it was very close and it is scary.

One thing that I found really helped and it sounds silly, but singing in the shower/listening to music really helped to keep me distracted long enough to not panic about it. Is there enough room for you to sit down in the shower?If it was a different shower to your own at home then it could've been the fact it was different that made you disorientated.

If you ever need any advice or someone to talk to about your vertigo, please let me know, I know what a lonely illness it is.x

zivalover16 · 06-04-2015, 12:04 PM

Thank you sooooo much for responding. When I am home I tend to listen to music while in the shower and maybe that is why I haven't had a problem before. I am able to sit down in the shower at home. Plus as you said it was a different shower completely. Your response made me want to cry in a good way because now I know I'm not alone or going crazy.

zivalover16 · 06-04-2015, 12:05 PM

Did you ever have to do physical therapy for your vertigo?

ironholly · 06-04-2015, 04:25 PM

Can you sit down in your shower so you less lickly to fall and you might feel more gorunded ?

griddlebone · 06-04-2015, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zivalover16

Thank you sooooo much for responding. When I am home I tend to listen to music while in the shower and maybe that is why I haven't had a problem before. I am able to sit down in the shower at home. Plus as you said it was a different shower completely. Your response made me want to cry in a good way because now I know I'm not alone or going crazy.

Lol this made me feel the same way because I have never seen anyone who had the same issue!

I think they were all factors, but the one thing I would recommend is to keep trying, I know its horrible when you're anxious but the more times you do it and nothing happens the less like it is to make you freak out.

I have had exercises to do which I think probably helped more than I gave it credit for. I did have medication for a while but they can't give it for long time apparently. The biggest thing that helped me was losing weight but obviously I can't recommend that as a cure but it was what helped me. I find being in a better headspace really affects it.

I have had vertigo for 7 years and it has started to lift in the last 6 months or so, so it may take a loooong time but it will get better.x

Horizon · 09-04-2015, 04:22 PM

I'd never met anyone else who experienced this! This happens to me too - at one point it was so bad that I couldn't get in the shower without someone being outside the door because I was afraid of getting dizzy and something going wrong.

I would usually talk to myself and reassure myself that I was okay, or I'd sing a bit. Being able to see around the curtain or through the shower doors seemed to help as well since I didn't feel so closed in while dizzy.

zivalover16 · 12-04-2015, 11:39 PM

I'm finding that distracting myself (aka singing) helps when I shower. I am still having a tough time convincing myself to take a shower but I get to a point where I need to. Thank you everyone for the tips and support and letting me know I'm not alone. Last night I was having a bad night emotionally and ended up sitting in the shower and singing and my vertigo didn't hit while I was in the shower. It just hit while I was attempting to dust the living room this morning so my mom saw me do some interesting balance acts lol. I stayed off the stairs when I almost fell down them....