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MrPom
13-10-14, 09:15
Helloo, I have just joined today because my sister recommended me to :).
I just feel I need reassurance and someone to talk to about my very specific phobia. Since I was about 7 I have had a phobia of vomiting blood. Such a bad phobia that I would convince myself it would happen, didn't eat anything red for over 5 years so if I was sick I would know it was blood no food. It led
On to just a general fear of being sick I had to drop out of uni because I spent too much time hiding in the house or worrying. I'm 24 now and I was doing really well and had been reasonably worry free for over a year.
But this Ebola in the news and potential spread to the uk has literally reversed all of the therapy and CBT I have had over the years. One day When I was about 14 I was googling things that would cause you to vomit blood. (Which I shouldn't have) and I came across Ebola and other similar hemorrhagic fevers. I then went on to use the fact that Ebola was rare and only in remote parts of Africa to reassure myself. I used Ebola as a therapy to remind myself i would never get it and am fine and nothing would be as bad as that. But now it's become a possibility I just don't know what to do with myself! This weekend I came down with the flu I have had fever and chills and a cough and headache. I know that really there is no chance I have Ebola but I keep having panic attacks and thinking but what if that person I say next to on the train had it and now I do. I don't believe that it can be so hard to catch if a US nurse in full protective gear managed to catch it. Surely if someone coughed on their hand then touched a handle it would then have Ebola on it from saliva? This is really frustrating me because I want to lead a normal life free from anxiety but I don't ever see that happening. :( sorry it's such a long post I just needed to get it out. X:scared15:

venusbluejeans
13-10-14, 12:23
Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your problem.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

ItShouldGetBetter
14-10-14, 20:37
Hi there, a lot of media frenzy about Ebola, but it's really nothing to worry about. There's been bigger Ebola scares in our lifetime which came to nothing and are so trivial that even people who are old enough to remember such a time don't, they've already forgotten.
There's no reason for you to have Ebola or even come in to contact with it.
Wash your hands before eating / touching your face, but you'll be absolutely fine.

There is a lot of head cold/ flu going about, if it were more serious it would have progressed over the weekend.
Take time to relax and take care of yourself

Joe

honeyp1e
28-10-14, 17:07
Hi am emet too I HATE this phobia and wish I had a wand to get rid of it for all of us,, am constantly over thinking / worrying and never get five minutes peace in my mind,,
One thing I've not worried about is this Ebola (weird) but I just think it's been here since how long now ?? The tv do go OTT and it scares a lot of people,, I TRY good hygiene constantly washing my hands I would change my phobia in seconds if I could :( my daughter and partner were sick about 5 days ago OMG it was so stressful with all my over thinking but bleached everywhere

Sparkle_
29-10-14, 18:01
You're probably pretty unlikely to catch ebola- remember that it spreads the most in undeveloped countries where they don't have nearly as good hygiene as developed ones. As far as I can tell (not been keeping up with it as it's way overhyped, the next Swine Flu if you ask me) most of the deaths have been in Africa. The few US deaths seem to only have been people who visited and caught it, and even then I've heard of people recovering from it.

Don't worry, you'll be fine.

MyNameIsTerry
30-10-14, 03:54
Hi there, a lot of media frenzy about Ebola, but it's really nothing to worry about. There's been bigger Ebola scares in our lifetime which came to nothing and are so trivial that even people who are old enough to remember such a time don't, they've already forgotten.
There's no reason for you to have Ebola or even come in to contact with it.
Wash your hands before eating / touching your face, but you'll be absolutely fine.

There is a lot of head cold/ flu going about, if it were more serious it would have progressed over the weekend.
Take time to relax and take care of yourself

Joe

I agree with Joe. Ebola is a big thing thesedays but this is the 27th outbreak since 1975! Why didn't we hear about it back in those days? Simply, the media have latched onto something that sells them newspapers! Also, we didn't have all the online media we have thesedays.

Medical staff are catching it but what about all the medics that don't? We never hear how many have successfully avoided catching it vs. the odd few that have. They may be in full protective gear but if they don't follow the correct protocols, they put themselves at risk.

It can be transmitted by bodily fluids but it seems more likely to be caught through blood and faeces. Since you have eventually used Ebola as a form of exposure therapy up until now, would it increase your anxiety to learn about its transmission? If not, perhaps understanding that will reduce it back to how you felt about it before?