Fear of getting sick?

[Hears The Water]

Hi y'all. I was wondering if you know what the name for a fear of getting sick would be? In the past I have labeled myself a hypochondriac, but now I am wondring. My personal definition of a hypochondriac is one who obsesses about getting sick to the point of "finding" new diseases to suffer from. Almost like they like to be sick and go to the Dr. My problem is that I fear being sick. This time of the year terrifies me as it is flu season. I am terrified of the flu. I am also scared of Doctors and medications, so gettig the flu shot is out. I am so scared of getting sick that I obsess about getting a fever. If my face gets hot or red I freak out. I will work obsessivly to make it cool down and not be red. Like taking a walk in very cold weather, or using a cool wash cloth. I understand that those things alone probably are not bad, but I am realy in fear the whole time I am doing it. I realy get bad when my children or husband get sick. I have even stopped kissing my husband over this. When my phobias and panic attacks first started 10 years ago, I would take my temperature a lot. It got to the point of an obsession for me. I even ruined my wedding ring when mercury got on it. I have since stopped taking my temp, but I still obsess on getting ill. I realy do not like going where there are a bunch of new people because of this. We have been very reclusive (I homeschool my kids) and recently we have joined a group so the children can make new friends and so can I. They have been super supportive of me and I have realy grown by going there. But we have been sick three times since Sept. because we are around new germs. We have to go back in Feb. and I am not looking foreward to it. I don't want to get sick. Any thoughts on this? Sorry it is so wordy, but the whole thing is rather complex. Like most of my fears. Thanks for listening.
God Bless you and yours
Hears The Water

[Buby]

hi hears the water.

i am terrified of people vomiting, a little about getting colds just incase people are going to vomit though just because they have i high tempreture. i do not know the name for this fear but i would also like to know.
Im on vitamins tablets that contain vitamin A, C, D, E, B2, B5, B6, B12, CALCIUM, ZINC. the whole lot. im on them for 3 months 1 a day. ive only started them last night. and i already feel loads better. its my first night without panicing for 4 days. they're called ' Bassetts, soft and chewy, multivitamins with minerals & prebiotic nutrients'. ( just in case you want them , you know )
and about the hotness of your face, i so panic about that too. i have my fears for 10 years and im only 14. im scared of going to school, the heat, me and others vomiting, crowds violence and going to bed. vomiting and going to bed are my scariest fears. its hard to live my life.
i hope the vitamins, if you decide to have them will help, im not sure if you can get them in the US of A but you might be able to. they're in a pink/red pack over here but i dont know what they'll be over there.
if you find out the name of this phobia, please let us know. and i do know how you feel.
hugs ratchit aka rachel.xxx

[Meg]

HTW ,

So what set this off first of all ?? Something happen to someone / something you saw/ read / heard about and dwelled on ad nauseaum ??


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[stimpy]

Hi HTW

Jeremy Vine (on UK BBC Radio 2) Did a phone in on the subject of hypochondria and the Fear of Being or Becoming Ill. It is Defined as "a persistent, and irrational fear of becoming ill" and is fairly common in people who are anxious, and it may be related to stressful experiences with illness and death in childhood or adulthood.

Some people fear one specific illness while others fear many different illnesses.
Illness fears can be triggered by bothersome physical symptoms such as headaches.
Fears can be made worse by stories about illness in the media or from friends and family.
Because of their illness fears, some people go to the doctor frequently and have lots of medical tests. Others avoid going to the doctor because of their illness fears.

Treating the problem. The radio program suggested Cognitive-behavioural treatment may be helpful in treating the problem.

[Hears The Water]

well, Stimpy, that sounds like me. I guess that hypochondria is the correct term!

Meg, I do not know for sure what started this. I can remember when I was a little kid like 8 years old being so scared of tornadoes and storms that when I would go to school and there was a storm or a tornado drill that I would make myself literly sick. Throwing up, (sorry dear Ratcht) nausea and a fever. I was in a truck that was tossed around on the road by a small tornado or wind gusts. So I was allways a freaful child. Very very abusive and dysfunctional past. I have been very blessed that I have been relativley healthy. I do not remember any one illness that was bad or anything, and the only time I have been hospitalized was when I gave birth to two of my children. Any thoughts??? I have decided to try CBT, but I cannot afford going to a councelor or a therapist. (not whining to get sympathy, just stating a fact) Do y'all think it is possible to find a book on CBT and with a willing partner or family member do it on my own? I do have a friend looking into a benevolance fund for me, but even then It will be several months until I have a car running (another long story, my van died) and can get to an appointment. I did read a book called "The sky is falling" it was about facing my fears I am not sure if it is CBT. Any and all thoughts are appreceated. I realy do want to start working on this.
God Bless you and yours
Debbie

[stimpy]

In England we can ask for CBT on the National Health Service, admittedly there is quite a long waiting list. But you get it in the end, even if you 65 by the time it arrives !

Have you tried :

Treating Health Anxiety : A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach
by Steven Taylor & Gordon J. G. Asmundson

It does sound pretty interesting, not sure it it actually teaches the CBT you need to get well thou', but it might be worth looking at.

Love and Light

Liz xx

[HB]

i have just started CBT and actually it doesnt take that long to get to front of the waiting list... you have a review session where you meet with a counsellor who assesses whether you actually do need this treatment.... if you are in a bad way then they rush you to the front... i only waited a matter of 3 weeks before my first appointment. By the way, the fear of vomitting is called "emetaphobia". I am a sufferer and it is not getting any better!!
Take care everyone... i know how scary this can be (having been a sufferer for 15 years) x

H

[sarah]

Hiya Helen

I think it must depend where you live in the country as to how long the waiting list is. I to was lucky and only had to wait 2 weeks for my first session.

love Sarah
xx

[te34resa]

Hi. I can really relate to this as I think like this too. I'm not especially scared of any big illnesses but all the little ones that seem to plague my life. I wonder if part of it is, as I've worked out for me, worrying about letting people down and being seen as weak? I'm not nearly so bad if I'm just at home with no commitments but I care desperately what people think of me and dread having to phone sick for work or outings etc. I always think people think I'm making it up, or I worry about turning up and not doing a good job, being a good companion, because of feeling ill. I wonder if you feel the same? Just a thought...

[stimpy]

All part of the condition.

I think as sufferers we feel every ache, pain, twinge and niggle.
Not because there is anything wrong, but because our brain throws up a red light when something is not as it should it be.
Because of this, you wonder what people think about you. "Oh she's not coming in again because she's got backache or headache" "I'm sure she's just doing it because she doesn't want to come in"

I think everyone worries whether or not we are doing a good job, just because they are not feeling 100%.

Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx
With hard work and determination and all the things you know.
The world is there for you to take. There's nowhere you can't go.


[]Scatty Eccentric & 'Poet Laureate to panic and anxiety'