By Jiya
Picture this. You are reading a profoundly written book, with fuzzy socks on, and a comfy blanket hugging you. This is the best moment you’ve encountered all day and then out of nowhere, you feel a tingling in your mouth or a strange sensation in your throat. You then panic and the “allergic reaction” mindset kicks into play. But within a few seconds, those symptoms just simply disappear. I have been through moments like that many times and they can get so irritating! After the termination of the fleeting symptoms, I am physically well but the mental aspect lingers within me, and I am left to address my allergy-anxiety thoughts. Every time this experience occurs, I always go to the mirror and check if I am okay, and take many deep breaths ensuring that I am healthy and safe. Yet, it feels as though my day has been thrown off track due to that false alarm. I forget how much fun I was having before, and become hung up on the tiny symptoms I felt for a second. I begin to anticipate those symptoms coming back or arising, and sit with those thoughts for a while until I feel like I will be okay for the rest of my day/night. I like to call these occurrences “Peek-A-Boo” reactions because they are not severe and at times just a feeling of a reaction for an ephemeral, yet they surprise you out of the blue and just leave you to deal with your thoughts during the following moments. Let me know if you have ever experienced this and feel free to elaborate on how you feel about this!