To Emetophobia sufferers

[bubblestar]

Hello everyone
ive been suffering from metaphobia since i was 14,and now im 21.
ive had patches where i alomst recover and feel ok, then something sets me off and im back on the downward spirla. 2004 has been my worst year so farwhere i have been signed off sick by my doctor since april and seeing a clinical pyscologist. I also get panic attacks and social anxiety.
what im posting for today is to ask how long its been since you were last sick? it keeps coming into my head that i havent been sick for a couple of years so it must happen soon, i cant go forever avoiding it,
how long have you been able to go without being sick?
Seeing as we are so good at avoiding it like over cautious on food and drink,staying away from ill people and everything else is it possible to never have to be sick??
Would really apprieciate your views!

x

[nomorepanic]

Bubblestar

I was confused there for a minute cos metaphobia is the "fear of eyes". I am sure you mean emetophobia - fear of sick?

Is that right? If so I will change the topic title so people don't miss it.

Nicola

[bubblestar]

yes it is fear of sickness. sorry! always thought emetaphobia and metaphobia were same thing but different nameChange it if it would make more sense.
fear of eyes is Ommatophobia.
thank you
x

[nomorepanic]

Ok I changed it..

I think so many phobias have multiple names don't they?

I am impressed that you have manged not to be sick for 2 years. I haven't been sick much but certainly a couple of times in that period of time. I do not, however, suffer from this phobia like you do.

Are you receiveing any counselling etc for this phobia. I was also reading earlier that hypnosis is very good at curing it - have you tried that?

Nicola

[twister]

Hi Bubblestar

I have only ever been sick 3 times in my life and they were all through drinking! Some people are rarely sick but I think it makes emetephobia worse because I used to have it too. If you were sick more often you probably wouldn't be frightened of it.

But don't worry there isn't a specific time limit for it - it just doesn't work like that.



Emily

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit
Understanding is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad

[loz04]

Hey bubblestar,

i suffer from the same phobia n have since i was about 4years old. some people r lucky, like my grandad who has never been ill in his life apart from on boats! the last time i was ill was when i was 11years old and thats coz i got into a panic attack so bad that it made me ill...but from something being wrong with me, i havent been ill since i was 7years old and im 20 now! i wud rather die than be ill, and it affects my life everyday coz i worry so much, but i know logically that i'm luckily healthy and i kno that i will go thru life with more chance of never being ill than being ill, so i try to calm myself down thinking like that. wot u have 2 do is think that u're obviously quite a healthy person, so bcoz u havent been ill in so long it means u have less chance of bein ill!! i look at my grandad, who i take after in a lot of ways and think that i'll go thru life like him, healthy n that all this worry is for nothing!
another thing i was told by a hypnotherapist and also a normal therapist, was that bein ill is all in the mind. if ur completely relaxed then its impossible 2 b ill! most ppl wen they feel ill actually want 2 b ill 2 feel better, but i kno i'd rather not live than go thru that...ur mind makes everything worse and by thinking positively and taking ur mind off it u can prevent it, even if u actually had something wrong wiv u.
i'm like u in that im very careful wot i eat and always wash my hands and dont get 2 close 2 people so i dont catch anything.
please remember that not bein ill 4 such a long time works in ur favour over u phobia as it's less likely to happen.
i dont think goin thru the experience wud make it easier. my fear wud only b worse as the memory of it wud b clearer, so just try 2 remain calm and think logically. tho i know it doesnt always work as i still always worry (i should listen 2 myself really shouldnt i??lol)
some people can go thru life and never be ill (as u can tell i cant even write the four letter word that rhymes with pick very easily!!)...hopefully u are another one of the lucky ones, so remain positive!
if u ever wanna chat u feel free 2 email me!
anyways, hope i've helped!
Laura.
x

[bubblestar]

i just typed a whole long message with loads of info in it and i went to post it and there was an error!
so frustrated now!!! cant remember what i said!
erm.....
thanks for your post loz, was kinda reassuring. i over analyse things alot and always think about worst case scenario.. when i shuoldnt because it only makes me worse!

private message me if u wanna chat some more? think we have a lot in common..similar age too.

xx

[mumof4]

I have suffered with the fear of being sick since i was 13 and im now 26. It caused me to have panic attacks and i even stopped eating for about 2 years well i still eat but not much my weight dropped from 10 stone to 6 stone.

in 04 i started counclling for it as i realised i had a problem with it i went to counclling for about 4 months but then i changed my life.

In march 04 my mum died from cancer then a month later i fell pregant and god knows how i was only 6 stone.

From that day i decided that life for to short to worry about being sick and i had the baby to think about and i started eating not alot but i took it gradualy and after a while i was eating meals.

I was sick twice through my pregancy it wasnt pregancy realated just took 2 bugs and i realised that being sick wasnt the end.

No more do i worry about being sick now but since ive had my son 7 weeks ago my panick attacks have came bakc but not about being sick i now have the fear that im dying though i have been to the doctors with it and ive to go back in 2 weeks.

I hope u can overcome ur fear.

[Indea1984]

Hi newbie here

I have always had a fear of being sick, I will do absolutley anything to avoid being sick. I thought I was going crazy, then 2 days ago I descovered that there is actually a medically recognised name for this phobia.

I have been petrified of being sick from about the age of 5, but since last May I have had nothing else on my mind, and I have become very ill through not eating, in fear of being sick. If someone I know or is near me says they dont feel well, I instantly start quizzing them on whats wrong, do they feel sick, have they got a bug - then I worry myself sick that I am going to get what they have. Sometimes I think I feel sick because I have convinced my mind that I am feeling sick.

It is such a relief to know that I am not alone in this. I am considering hynotherapy to help me - has anyone else had this, and if so did it help.

If anyone wants to PM me, please feel free. Look forward to talking to you all soon.

Indea x

[Mike26uk]

I am always worried about being sick in public places. This in turn makes me anxious which of course makes me feel sick.

I have tried to reason it through however. When I feel sick due to anxiety I feel it most in my throat. Given that you aren't actually sick from your throat then I know to recognise this feeling as false.

When you are really sick, (Which is very rare) then the feeling comes mostly from your stomach and is quite different.

no one ever died wishing they had spent more time at work