Note: I am a 'worrier'. Occasionally, I lie awake all night, unable to sleep, going
over and over things which are on my mind. Other times, I will awake at midnight or so, and
spend 2 or more hours working things over before falling asleep. Consequently, the following warning
about possibly getting into a 'death spiral' applies particularly to persons like myself, who are
'worrriers'. The loss of sleep and mental/physical exhaustion which can result over several days are apparently
damaging to the effectiveness of our immune system, adding to one's mold illness susceptibility.
For persons who have become sensitized to a mold, one needs to be aware of possibly entering a 'death spiral'
which could be entered in several ways. For me, This danger is partially created in that my normal sleep pattern is
modified by mold sporulations. I must avoid these sporulation times to avoid inhaling the biotoxins associated with the
spores. I think of the resulting situation (a somewhat restricted sleep pattern) as increasing the possibility
of a 'death spiral'.
Associated with the possiblity of ending one's own life is a feeling/condition apparently known among other mold sufferers,
but not often described. The closest I have read of a description fitting this particular feeling is 'awful'.
It is as though the mold forces have convincingly robbed one of any hope for a future free of pain and suffering. A feeling
of loss of control to the microbial forces which have taken over one's life. Having this feeling of despondency in addition
to the continaual physical pain increases the risk inherent in the 'death spiral'. Also, certainly, being
alone increases the risk. It increases our sense of helplessness and hopelessness.
Perhaps the feeling is associated with the headache; the feeling that is so terrible; that trumps the will to live.
It is connected with the headache and the nausea. And it isn't so much the pain, it's the overall feeling.
One could enter the spiral from at least the following different ways.
- get sick, and realize that you need continuous rest, but that with that needed rest will come toxins
entering your body because you can't easily avoid mold sporulation times
- find that you can't seem to stop the toxins from entering your body (for some different reason), and
that you are entering a condition of 'brain fog'
Awareness of the danger of getting into a 'death spiral' for me came from simply thinking about my condition of
sensitivity, and my vulnerability. I then actually experienced a condition which warned of a possible
'death spiral' which was accompanied by physical exhaustion, and by also being frightened by the possibility of
not seeing a way out of the downward spiral. This personal experience is related in some detail on the page/Tab
identified as
Current. On this page, click the link entitled
'a close call'.
As a separate possible example, consider the situation in which you have contracted flu, and need to be in bed
for several days. How are you going to avoid absorbing mold toxins in this condition? One simply will have too
many things to manage, and brain fog from both the toxins and from the flu won't help. One will probably need to
be cared for by someone or by some organization which understands mold illness. Something like this should be a scary
situation for one who has become mold-sensitized. Particularly so if you are a 'worrier'.
My experience has been that it is very helpful to have a backup plan in case things don't go the way one anticipates. I
have had several cases where things have gone awry, and before long, one is below the dynamic 'threshhold'
for diverting toxins from the system. Suddely clothes are all toxic, and the trailer is nearly all toxic.
Situations like this accelerate the downward spiral, and soon one feels overwhelmed with seemingly few good options.
One experiences panic.
Backup plans for contingencies can halt the spiral downward. Ask the question "What should I do if 'such-and-such'
happens", and then act on the answer to provide a backup plan. This should result in a reduction in anxiety which helps your
immune system to remain at its peak, avoiding the downward spiral.
