i Desperatly need help, Fear of being sick is ruining my life...

[xPandax]

Hello, firstly, ive just joined this forum so this may not be the right place to post, im not really sure - so i posted this SAME post in multiple forum sections, just deleate the wrong ones please. Thanks.

About me:
Im a 15 years old boy and ive suffered from the fear of being sick for as long as i remember, my parents say it was because of a bad experiance in primary school but i cant remember it at all.
Every day i suffer from this feeling, even if im just sitting at home by myself i feel dreadfully sick (even now), i know im not seriosly ill because i have had many blood tests and im a very healthy boy. I havnt been sick sinse i was about 7. (9 years ago).

What?:
Knowing that im not seriosly ill helps for about a day, but then in that time i feel that i could have developed something very seriosly wrong, theres no genetic illness in the family that i know of. Sometimes i will literally start gagging for no reason, im scared to go to school in case im sick and this is a constant struggle.

Current help:
Well im not having any theropy lessons, id even feel sick going to them, but i do try some other remedys. When i get the feeling to be sick i would take i peppermint sweet, this sooths and takes away the feeling, but it soon comes back. Another thing is i take around a pair of "Sea bands" everywhere i go, school, town everywhere. They are a pair of wrist bands which stop you being sick physically, that help, but the second i take these bands off i feel sick. Its not just a little feeling, urges to throw up, even sometimes i WANT to be sick because i feel that if i am sick, it may help cure me, but i cant be sick.

What i want:
Obviously this is taking over my life, i cant go and meet my friends because of a constant fear, i havnt told any of my friends because i will just be lauphed at. For a while this went away, about 3 years, i was independant and could go on school trips to other countrys, now i cant even go out the house. It all came back when i got a stomach bug - i wasnt sick, it still came back.

I want change in my life, i want to have this burden lifted asap because i need to start living and not worrying, every day at school im shaking and its not because i dont eat, i do, im 6 foot and weigh about 9 1/2 stone.

If ANYONE can offer any help that would be great, im trying to cure myself online, if that doesnt work i will turn to theropy i think, if anyone can talk to me i have MSN, rockingitoutallnight@hotmail.co.uk.

Please help, Thanks!

[jannnne]

Anxiety is awful, I was about your age when my health anxiety started, but it has taken until I am nearly 40 to realise that this is what I have. I have had CBT and that has helped and I suppose you come to terms with it in time. I hope your therapy helps you through sweetie xxxx

[Notator]

Hi Panda,
First off - sorry to hear you're struggling mate...
Did you know that your fear is quite a frequent one - i think it's called emetophobia - maybe someone could correct me if I'm wrong. If you search for it you'll find posts from fellow suffers & supporters.

Have you spoken to your doctor about the possibility of getting something called CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ? Basically it helps you to confront, understand and help to overcome your fears - it can be very effective.

And finally...good luck, NEVER give up fighting the bad feelings and do everything you can to get some good ones!

[xPandax]

Yeah well ive told my GP before, and i think i may get theropy in the future, i know im being critical because i havnt tryed it but i dont belive it.
I really just want something that can cure it over night (i know its not possible) but ive seen all these adverts saying "Cure your fear in 5 minuites".

Thanks everyone for all the help.

Does anybody know any techniques or tests to do that can tell you if you are actually ill or not? because i feel that if every morning i took a test and was told im not physically ill, then i would be fine.

but as it is every morning i have to ask the question if im actually ill or not, and if there is a possibility that i will be sick or not.

x

[Notator]

Panda, I dont have the same phobia myself... my phobia is of having panic attacks and making a complete d**k of myself!

Try this, when you are doing the self analysis every morning... try to remember that EVERY DAY you think that you are..but EVERY DAY it turns out that you AREN'T sick...you are just WORRIED about being ill. The reality is that you have far more experience of being well than otherwise, the likeliest option is that you'll be ok tomorrow too mate!

[xPandax]

Ye thanks for the advice, i always try telling myself that, but then i dont trust myself to make that judgement. like for example, i was walking down the street the other day and i saw 3 puddles of sick, at the time i thought nothing of it, but i get home and suddenly because 1 person in the world is ill... theres a chance i am.

Thats why ive had blood tests before, because i only belived the doctor, and even then after a few days i felt ill again.

I have panic attacks to, if i start thinking about sick i panic and it just spirals and i do drastic things like run into the bathroom and hang over the sink. Im never sick. But its that real.

Thanks people.

[Notator]

The other thing I can say in all honesty is this - I didnt beleive that therapy would help me either. I had to wait nearly 3 years to get an appointment with a therapist. When I saw them I was resentful and angry, I didnt get a lot from it. But later, when I thought about some of the things that were said... little seeds of thoughts started...and things started to get better.

I don't have answers. Personally I'd be concerned about people who think they do. But, there are things you can try, suggestions that MIGHT help.

One other I'd like to say - It's just a personal feeling of moine but I think there is an element of "big boys don't cry"... Guys are afraid to be afraid. It doesnt make you any less a man... in fact, it can make you much more of one.

[xPandax]

yeah thanks for all your help, i know that feeling that you have to be a man. I mean, thats part of the reason i dont tell me friends or anyone, Over the internet there is a certain sense of privacy because people dont really know you.

Its not like im femanine or anything, but they would lauph at me, in the way boys do. and that would make things worse.

As for the theropy, our family knows one so we could get help reasonably quickly, i just hope there is some easy cure, because so far people have had this for about 20 years, and the thought of having this problem for anouther 20 years isnt very pleasent.

Thanks everyone.

[LeeBee]

Hi Panda - are your parents supportive of you with this problem? As others have said, it sounds like you have emetophobia. Take a look at the phobias forum here on the site, emetophobia is one of the most common phobias. You might find some advice from fellow sufferers there.

As you are aware, there is no 'instant' cure, but it sounds like you are on the path to finding a way to deal with your anxiety and it may fade or leave you in time. Therapy is worth a try if you can get it - CBT perhaps, as others have suggested. If it doesn't work, as you suspect - at least you can eliminate it from your list, right? If you don't try then you'll never know.

In my opinion any kind of daily 'test' that told you whether or not you were ill would just feed your phobia rather than help you overcome it. It might become an OCD-type behaviour, like people who have to wash their hands over and over again before they are reassured that they are clean.

[xPandax]

Thanks, yeah i guess your right, and yes my parents are supportive, they said they will get help but they have been saying it for quite a while.

Thanks a lot.