Emetophobia and anxiety

[Button]

Hi everyone,

I know there are lots of other posts about emetophobia but I wanted to post mine seperately.

I suffer with very bad anxiety. Sometimes the cause of an anxiety attack is very obvious. Most of the time it comes out of the blue and I don't know why it is happening. Anyway, when it happens it becomes a catch 22 as the anxiety gives me imagined (or sometimes real) nausea which in turn makes the anxiety worse and so the spiral continues. It is pretty awful.

Regarding my phobia; the last time I was actually sick was my first year of university near Christmas time and I think it was a bug or something I had eaten. I know that that night I did not panic. I just got on with it. I haven't been ill since but every time I feel like that since, I get EXTREMELY scared. Often my mum and dad have resorted to forcing me to take a tranquiliser because otherwise I just get worse and worse.

In the last six months I have started counselling. My anxiety has trigger depression before and for the reason that I felt it was returning, I bit the bullet and referred myself for therapy. It is going really well although we haven't approached the vomitting phobia. That said, it seems to be less of a problem recently. I think about it less but still at least once a day and usually shortly before bed time. If my partner does not feel well I can get quite panicky but I don't tend to show it because I worry he thinks I am being stupid. I am pretty sure he doesn't but I wouldn't want him to so I don't say anything. I am quite sure he knows what I am going through as we have spoken about it quite a lot. I worry particularly that he might be unwell because of something we have eaten, and that it will make me ill too.

I work with children and I am lucky in that all of my work colleagues know I am phobic about vomit and don't mind me not tidying it up. I usually busy myself tidying somewhere else when this happens.

However, I still have quite bad anxiety attacks. As I mentioned, I am having counselling and whilst I know it is helping, sometimes I get really anxious.

What are peoples coping mechanisms? How do you calm down from a panic attack? I use Rescue Remedy which works well but I would like to not use it sometimes...

[sweetypie]

im sorry to hear ur suffering with this awfull fear hunni its very hard to deal with
but ur post made me think well its not that easy to catch bugs
people make it out its so easy like just walking in the doctors u will pick up a bug but its not so uv made me feel a bit more reassured just posting this post thank you because u said u work with kids but havent been sick since university and is it hard for u working with kids and having this fear?
how long ago was it u was last sick from a stomach virus? sorry for asking

if u ever need any one to talk to about this fear just pm me
iv been suffering since i was 11 about that im now 20 and my fear as took a turn for the worst
xxxxxx

[Button]

im sorry to hear ur suffering with this awfull fear hunni its very hard to deal with
but ur post made me think well its not that easy to catch bugs
people make it out its so easy like just walking in the doctors u will pick up a bug but its not so uv made me feel a bit more reassured just posting this post thank you because u said u work with kids but havent been sick since university and is it hard for u working with kids and having this fear?
how long ago was it u was last sick from a stomach virus? sorry for asking

if u ever need any one to talk to about this fear just pm me
iv been suffering since i was 11 about that im now 20 and my fear as took a turn for the worst
xxxxxx

I have had this phobia for about 4 years. The last time I was ill was 2004. I am not sure whether or not that was a bug.

I have worked with children for 7 months now. Never through a winter when all the bugs such as the dreaded Norovirus (dreaded by me anyway!) BUT during the winter (the last 2) I have worked with old people and they carry even more bugs than children as they don't wash their hands at all and they finger their butts and stuff - I've seen it!

It is probably worth mentioning that I am borderline OCD in the ways that I take care of my hygiene for example ALWAYS washing my hands, never touching my face and generally using loads of alcohol rub. In the time I have worked with children, I have had more cold and flu bugs than I can count on two hands and both feet (nearly one every other week)!

It may be slightly obsessive but it works for me. Rescue remedy is a new addition to my medicine cabinet. I also use Pepto Bismal (abysmal I like to call it because of the flavour) occasionally and I also very occasionally use Gaviscon to combat acid reflux - IMAGINE what that does to me, as an Emetophobic! To combat the dry skin on my hands from excessive washing and rubbing, I use Body Shop Hemp Hand Moisturiser!

[rich303]

Hi Button, like you I'm emetophobic and feel nauseus when I have a panic attack, I've gotten much better at dealing with it over time. I try to go with the panic attack rather than fighting it, telling myself that the feeling will pass and can't hurt me. I also try to distract myself, looking at something and losing myself in it's detail even if I'm staring at the ground.

I did this a couple of weeks ago when I last felt this way and was fine again in about 5 minutes.

I haven't been sick since 1985 by the way.

I hope this advice helps you, feel free to PM about it any time.

[Button]

1985... I was only being concieved then! That's good going!

I would give all I own to never be sick again. I am super duper carefulnow which maybe explains why I haven't had the winter vomitting virus the media makes such a fuss about - I always wonder just how much of that is hype and made up statistics. In 2007 they made a HUGE fuss about it on the news like "1 in 3 will get it" and stuff. I didn't know anyone under 75 who got it that year. Or last year. But I still panic like crazy every winter when they start talking about it on the news.

Talking about my feelings with people so understanding really helps. Thanks all. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. I still feel bonkers though when I wake my partner up in the night and tell him to promise me I won't be sick and to distract me by talking about the most mundane thing in the world. The last time it was 3am and we talked about my Crayola Sticker Maker that doesn't work properly and ALL the details. Within 15 mins I was asleep again.

[Jamie_]

I had a form of emetophobia, quite recently

Basically i didn't like eating as i thought i was going to be sick after..totally irrational as i never felt like i was going to be sick, i just felt full..as one does

It would bring on anxiety which would manifest into what happens before launch, then a surge of adrenaline would come and i would run to the toilet..

Standing there..thinking to myself 'what the fck are you doing?' as the feeling would vanish..so i would casually pretend i went for a pee :roflmao:

I got over it pretty quick, although now and again i still get it but i quickly take control

Realistically though, you vomit for one purpose only, to get rid of potentially lethal toxins which can make you ill..so in that sense, why are you scared of something that may be saving your life?

I wasn't even though of in 1985 haha

Last time i was sick naturally i was about 11 and i had eaten something bad, was getting cramps etc, went in for a bath, as soon as i got out and my body started to cool, blam, probably wouldn't have been sick if i didn't go for the bath

Last time i was actually sick it was my own fault, i drank to much alcohol and i was really young about 14, i was edging really close to alcohol poisoning, but i was sick (luckily i was on my side as i was lying down) and passed out, so it saved my life

[Button]

I don't drink ever. Not because I am an emet but because my mum is a recovering alcoholic and was drinking heavily until I was 16.

I know it is a fairly natural process but that's what makes the feelings we have so irrational. I guess because it isn't an everyday occurence like making a bowel movement (everyday for MOST people anyway), it is more of a shock when it happens.

[jessieblue]

Hi Button, Ijust wanted to reply to your post as I feel very similar to you about my emetophobia. I am 46 and havebeen emet since a child, I don't ever remember not being terrified of being sick! I have had periods in my life where it hasn't been so dominant, but its always been there. I don't thinkI will ever be free of it and in some ways thats ok with me as its the emet that keeps me from vomiting. I just want to be in control of it rather than it controlling me. The last couple of years its been bad and it has taken over my life manifesting itself in anxiety and panic too. It is a really horrible thing and I don't think most people understand, ok, no one likes being sick, but that is VERY different from being absolutely petfified of being sick all day, every day and taking extreme measures to protect yourself on a daily basis!

If you ever want to chat or ask any questions please pm me. I have experienced just about everything you could imagine and would be happy to help anyone with coping strategies etc.

[fairyclairy]

Hi Button,
I too have this horrible phobia.. mine started when i was 11, when i was sick on the first day of high school after something id eaten in the canteen.. Im now 21 and has had these attacks for the past 10 years!!
The first couple of years were the worst.. i didnt kno what was going on, i thought i was going insane!!
I tried councelling but that didnt work because i found it hard opening up to the woman. I then tried CBT (Cognitive behavioural therapy) which worked wonders!! She taught me about the fear, we went out into places which frightened me.. she put everything in prospective and i learnt to deal with them.. i learnt to accept them rather than try and fight against them (that was a real turning point)
Once i had accepted them as part of me, i then learnt to control them and get on with things.. My coping strategies are rescue remedy but tend not to use it all the time, i also try and get my mind off panic and get my mind fixed on something else.. sport, art, or just chatting with friends! I am very good at distracting myself from panic now so when it starts, it never reaches its peak because i get rid of it before it takes hold!

I too work with children, which everyone thought was soo strange because everyone knows children are the sickiest of people!! But i love it and havnt let my phobia stop me.. i find that when im working with children, beecause they take up so much time, then i forget completely about my problems and focus on them and their needs!

I hadnt been sick in 10 years.. even with working with children! But a couple of months ago had to face my fear when i got food poisoning.. but it was really strange because i just dealt with it! It was definitly not as bad as i always thought... i didnt have one panic attack whilst i was ill and quite enjoyed having a few days off and getting sympathy! lol

I thought my fear would have gone after that but it didnt.. stayed the same which is weird! But i just cope.. its part of me, everyone knows i have them and i am not ashamed! You've jus got to think.. whats more important, worrying yourself 24/7 and letting it stop you live your life... or going out and telling it to basically f*ck off cos its your life.. not panics life!!

My panics have increased at the moment due to me finishing uni and starting my full time job in about a month, but i am not going to let it take hold again, the more you fight through panic and stand strong without running away.. the more it was decrease and you will win the fight!

Good luck and pm if you ever need a chat xx

[Button]

Thank you everyone for all your replies.

I have been having therapy and as I have found my anxiety decreasing, I have also found the effects of my emetophobia to be lessening. I have learnt a lot about IBS recently and discovered that it does not just affect the bowel but infact, the whole digestive tract. It carries with it a whole heap of other symptoms I never realised were anything to do with IBS. I find this quite reassuring too.

The strangest thing is that I find when I retch during my teeth cleaning, it sometimes actually makes me feel better if I am anxious or have a feeling of nausea.

[Cat80]

Hiya Button

I too have bad anxiety (gad) and emetophobia. I had 18 months of counselling and CBT and have tried about 5 different anti anxiety medications and nothing has helped at all.

I am now taking Inositol which has helped take the edge off the nausea and the fear of being sick.

When I am really anxious I try to distract myself by watching tv, listening to music, entering some competitions online etc. I also take an anti nausea medication for my own piece of mind because I know I can't be sick if I've taken my metoclopramide.

The last time I was properly sick I was about 12 and I'm now 29 so don't know why I fear it so much.