Emetephobia

[Kalin]

Earlier this year I had a brief but nasty bout of the stomach flu and it was the first time I vomited in seven years. I am emetephobic and it was rather traumatic. A week later I started having panic attacks, and fear of vomiting is one of my biggest triggers.

On Monday night, I celebrated my boyfriend's 18th birthday and stayed the night at his place, and Tuesday morning woke up to him retching and vomiting in the bathroom (we live in dorms and he has a suite, the bathroom is connected to his room).

Now i can't stop stressing out. I feel like I'm going to get sick againa nd I can't afford that...I'm already very behind in school and the thought of vomiting again is making me panic. If anyone can offer advice I'd really appreciate it. I'm so exhausted and stressed out I'm thinking about dropping school...I'm afraid to even eat.

Also, my doctor gave me sleeping pills because I haven't been sleeping and she wants me to try to get on a somewhat normal schedule again, but I'm afraid to take them because if I do get sick I want to be able to wake up and not choke on my vomit.

[ross_m]

Can you sleep on your side? The chances of choking on your vomit is quite low unless you are severely incapacitated, i.e. drunk or drugged to the point of unconciousness. If you are gonna vomit in your sleep you will more than likely wake up before hand with the sick feeling in your stomach. Hope this helps, all the best!

[Meg]

Get some help for this soon as the fear can grow .

EXPOSURE THERAPY... (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2712)
To Emetophobia sufferers (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2253)
1st day CBT exposure for emetaphobia = scary (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4930)
A visit to the Doctors (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5503)
CBT for emetophobia my experiences... (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5998)
Emetaphobia 101 (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7053)




Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[Kalin]

I know how bad it can get, mine is already fairly severe. Lately I've been afraid to eat. My counselor is baffled because he said usually getting sick helps overcome at least some aspects of emetephobia but it has made mine worse. He thinks I may be one of the few people that react badly to the medication I'm on and become more anxious instead of less anxious, though.

The thought of going through exposure therapy is enough to nearly send me into a panic attack. They make you induce vomiting? [Ugh]