Fear of being sick is ruining my life - PLEASE HELP ME!

[xPandax]

Hello, firstly, ive just joined this forum so this may not be the right place to post, im not really sure - so i posted this SAME post in multiple forum sections, just deleate the wrong ones please. Thanks.:)

About me::blush:
Im a 15 years old boy and ive suffered from the fear of being sick for as long as i remember, my parents say it was because of a bad experiance in primary school but i cant remember it at all.
Every day i suffer from this feeling, even if im just sitting at home by myself i feel dreadfully sick (even now), i know im not seriosly ill because i have had many blood tests and im a very healthy boy. I havnt been sick sinse i was about 7. (9 years ago).

What?::shrug:
Knowing that im not seriosly ill helps for about a day, but then in that time i feel that i could have developed something very seriosly wrong, theres no genetic illness in the family that i know of. Sometimes i will literally start gagging for no reason, im scared to go to school in case im sick and this is a constant struggle.

Current help::weep:
Well im not having any theropy lessons, id even feel sick going to them, but i do try some other remedys. When i get the feeling to be sick i would take i peppermint sweet, this sooths and takes away the feeling, but it soon comes back. Another thing is i take around a pair of "Sea bands" everywhere i go, school, town everywhere. They are a pair of wrist bands which stop you being sick physically, that help, but the second i take these bands off i feel sick. Its not just a little feeling, urges to throw up, even sometimes i WANT to be sick because i feel that if i am sick, it may help cure me, but i cant be sick.

What i want::D
Obviously this is taking over my life, i cant go and meet my friends because of a constant fear, i havnt told any of my friends because i will just be lauphed at. For a while this went away, about 3 years, i was independant and could go on school trips to other countrys, now i cant even go out the house. It all came back when i got a stomach bug - i wasnt sick, it still came back.

I want change in my life, i want to have this burden lifted asap because i need to start living and not worrying, every day at school im shaking and its not because i dont eat, i do, im 6 foot and weigh about 9 1/2 stone.

If ANYONE can offer any help that would be great, im trying to cure myself online, if that doesnt work i will turn to theropy i think, if anyone can talk to me i have MSN, rockingitoutallnight@hotmail.co.uk.

Please help, Thanks!

[thoughts and actions]

hi panda

can i just say that you are not alone- there are many many people who suffer from a fear of being sick (emetaphobia.) This can range from quite mild thoughts to excessive and histerical.

Have you discussed this feeling with your friends and family

I do feel that the fact its ruiling your life and preventing you from doing things you would like that you would benefit from therapy and speakign to your doctor. But you have to believe that you can and will get better.

Firstly, emetaphobia is a fear - it is the fear factor- if you were actually physically sick (and i have emetaphobia and sweating typing that lol) then nothing bad would actually happen- it would be your body getting rid of something it didnt want- it would be it helping you but unfortunately our minds dont see it like that. We imagine the worst- the most catastrophic thing- we are at 1 and suddnely go to 10 we dont logically think through 2-9 and thats what therapy does

Its the fear thats in the mind and unfortunately if we think that we feel sick then chances are we will- we wont physically be sick but we will feel it- have you ever wondered what would happen if accidently instead of wearing your sick bands one day you wore sweat bands but didnt no- you wouldnt feel sick coz you have your safety bands on - do you see what i mean its in your head- and unfortunately our minds and thoughts can be so strong.

I honeslty think you should try speaking to your doctor and working out what will ne the best form of counselling/therapy for you- they can also prescribe anti sickness tablets to stop the nausea when you are feeling anxious

hope this has helped huni

take care

x

[xPandax]

Yea thanks a lot :)

Ive been told that before by my parents. i KNOW its in my head, but its just how do i know? if that makes sense, i havnt been sick in so long ive forgotten what being sick feels likee, so every morning i ask myself: am i ill today?

See my problem, and the idea of medication is ok i guess... but, wont i get hooked on it?

I got school in a week and im dreading going back, Just the thought makes me feel sick.

I really want this to be cured before then (i know its impossible tho =[ )

thanks anyway. any more suggestions would be great!

[andie73]

Hi Panda

I have had this fear since I was very young, I'm now 35:blush: . It is a very common fear. I was talking to a counsellor who is helping me with this and other fears as I have just found out I am pregnant (scary!!) She said that fear of being sick is now the third most common phobia. You are very normal to have this fear, and there are people out there that can help you with this. Please go and speak to your GP. Do not feel embarrassed or anything because trust me there are lots of people with this fear.

Phobias are hard to overcome but not impossible. Challenging your ideas is the way forward but you are probably better to do this with qualified help. It is good that you have been able to tell your parents, but without being disrespectful, if they have not suffered a phobia they will not understand. It may be in your head, and be an irrational fear but that does not mean it is any less scary than being chased by a huge monster. Us phobics cannot just put it out of our minds and move on, we need guidance and support.

Recovery from this, however, is possible. Well done for posting on here, I think it was very brave of you. And recognising the issue is the first step to overcoming it.

PM me anytime if you wanna chat.

[xPandax]

Thanks Andrea :) as for opening up with the illness i hope my parents understand, they say they do, and my GP does know i think, because this has been a very long thing and we have explained to him.

And its so hard to overcome it, i dont want to tell me friends because they will lauph at me, and at school i give the impression of a normal person, people cant see my sick band that i wear every day, and that keeps me calm.

I understand its very hard to overcome, i just want the quickest solution though like everybody else :(

Ive spent all day now sitting at my computer, i feel i "Am actually sick this time", but i dont know if its in my head or not - Ive been feeling sick ever sinse i heard about a flu going around.

Thanks so much to everyone so far.

Keep the advice coming, thanks,

[Angelai]

Hi Panda

Sorry to hear about your phobia, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Like you, I was very young when it started - I'm 35 now and would give ANYTHING to be 'cured'. Please believe that there are others who know exactly what you're going through, it may help just a little bit ;P

Good luck with school x

[Cathy V]

Hi Panda. My grandson suffers with this too and he's only 7. I hope it doesnt go on throughout his life but im realistic enough to know that our fears don't just disappear because we want them to, that would be too easy wouldnt it? I think we sometimes just have to accept that its part of who we are and to find a way to lbring them down to a level we can live with.

I also think that alot of people don't like to be sick, I don't have a phobia about it (mine is about heart attacks) but i know that if i feel ill i really don't like the idea of being sick, and i think thats true of most 'normal' people too. Its a feeling of losing control maybe, that our bodies are suddenly out of our control, as well as being embarrassing when we are out with other people.

If its been so long since you've actually been sick, then what are the chances of it happening as often as you think it will? Yes you can probably bring on a panic attack, and your anxiety can bring on nausea, but the gagging reflex only happens if your stomach needs to get rid of something bad, and that doesnt happen unless youve eaten or drunk something bad.

Panda, I was in my 20s when my heart phobia started and im now 55 years old. Ive been waiting for the heart attack for more than 30 years...how sad am I? But im still here and it didnt happen. You just need to bring your fear of being sick down to a managable level, say to the level its at for most of us. Feeling sick, horrible though it is, doesnt mean we will be sick. Try if you can to seperate the two...not easy I know.

Take care
Cath xxx

[xPandax]

Thanks, ive got school tmorrow and im really dreading it, im sat here shaking just thinking about it :(