Emetaphobia (being sick) panic attacks

[Pinkranger89]

Hello.

I have just registered to NMP today. I have suffered with generalised anxiety since I was a girl and I'm now 26. Ever since I can remember I have also been afraid of being sick. As a grew older I realised it wasn't so much the act of being sick itself (as long as I am in private and in a safe place) but more the disabling nausea feeling and the thought of being sick in public.

So I have started to get really bad nausea panic attacks. I will start to feel sick (like every day) and then I will start to panic. It is literally stopping me from doing everything, and the worst thing is that I know it's all in my head. I have had some strange tummy issues over the last year where I have randomly woken up in the night and vomited, so I think this has triggered it off again.

In 2010 it got really bad and I would make myself sick before I went out just to get it out of my system, thinking that it would help. I would stick my fingers down my throat to induce it. My thoughts were that if I was sick at home I wouldn't be sick later.

So now the sick thing has returned and it is literally running my life right now. Everything I do is being affected by it. Driving has become a nightmare, I am always looking out for areas I can pull into just incase. Work is a nightmare. Public transport, even going into a supermarket.

Another thing I have noticed is that it gets worse with pressure. Any sort of pressure like time pressure. Say I know I have an appointment at 4, my mind will just say "hey, you hate disappointing people, wouldn't it be terrible if you were sick right now?" So then I would feel sick and so the panic attck would occur. I am constantly looking for a place to escape. Normal toilets won't even do now, unless they are secure and not a cubicle where no one can hear me.

Every day is a struggle right now. I am currently on Sertraline 50mg (just started and transferred over from citalopram) and I am waiting for CBT. I previously sought out private councelling which really helped but I couldn't afford to keep seeing her.

Can anyone else relate? Any tips etc? Xxx

[venusbluejeans]

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.

Also take a look at the threads in this sub forum you may find them some help

[justashortinterlude]

Hello Pinkranger89,

I just stopped in to say that I am in the same boat as you. I have such a fear of being sick and it has stopped me going out, I can’t even walk the dog through fear of being sick. When you say that you make yourself sick I do feel for you, I think back to times when I have previously been sick and how much better I felt when I had been sick but the feeling of nausea is awful, no one understands it.

I have previously been on Sertraline, have you tried anti-nausea tablets? I have prochlorperazine 3mg buccal tablets which I stick under my upper lip and let it dissolve. Sometimes this takes the feeling of sick away and sometimes it doesn’t, I have also started taking travel sickness tablets but I don’t think these are helping. It might be an idea to talk to your GP to see if he can prescribe an anti sickness tablet.

I am glad you are waiting for CBT, it was a great help for me a few years ago, it really helps break your negative thinking pattern.

I wish there was a tablet that could take away the feeling of feeling sick and the fear of being sick. Through my therapy sessions I have been told to not ignore the thoughts and feelings but it is so hard when you are in the moment.

xx