Hello,
So this is something I’ve been struggling for years. When I was younger I was scared of being sick, like lots of people are. But it passed after I had a few bugs and realised it wasn’t that awful after all.

But when my (nearly 6 year old) was 1, she had a vomiting bug that made her very sick for 72 hours and then pretty much sick once a day for a week. It was horrible and pretty disgusting and my fear of her being sick developed. Since then she’s been sick in my face, on my bed, on the floor, on the sofa etc etc, as children are. In the summer holidays she caught a particularly nasty one which ended up in her getting reflux & her needing gaviscon after meals for about 6 weeks. Since then she felt sick the other day and got really upset over it, which was really sad to see.

I however, have added it to my list of fears. Sometimes when my anxiety is high I worry about it at night eg: is she going to be sick tonight.
There’s a sick bug going round at school & they are dropping like flies. I keep getting WhatsApp messages on the class school group saying another one has it - which is really not helping my anticipatory anxiety. She’s going to a party today and I worry that it’s just another chance if catching it, so I’m not looking forward to the party & I shall worry for a couple of days after, just like the last party .

She’s not worried about it thankfully. She’s taken our reasoning on board - if she catches it she catches it, being sick is rubbish but you get better quickly etc.

But I can’t quite make myself stop ruminating about it.

I realise it’s become habitual for me to worry about it, but I don’t know how to stop. I mean the threat will always be around, so how do I just deal with it? My rational partner just doesn’t worry about it because it hasn’t happened and may not happen. But me, sigh.

Sorry this is such a long post. I don’t really like to post about my own anxieties on here but this one seems to not be getting any better. I thought it might help to write it down.... it hasn’t . Can emetophobia also be a fear of your loved ones being sick?