Daughters fear of being sick

[frogosaurus]

My daughter is 9. She has just recently started with a fear of being sick. She wakes in the middle of the night feeling hot, sweaty, her heart races and she is just very scared thinking she is going to be sick (although she hasnt). The only way to make her feel better is to distract her and these feelings generally fade.

Anyone been through this or have any advice?

Thanks

[ZipadiSoozi]

Could these be panic attacks, my ds1 had them around that age. Was only in the dark or at night time. DS now grown out of it, it lasted about 1 year on and off.

[bibbitybobbityhat]

Would echo what Pixie says.

She needs treatment for her anxiety. Emetophobia is 100% horrible. Please arm yourself with as much knowledge about it as you can (its something like the 5th most common phobia iirc) and go to the GP and do not be fobbed off. It could affect the whole of the rest of her life . Imo the best treatment is cbt, but I am not an expert, just a sufferer.

[frogosaurus]

Thanks for your replies. I have a doctors appointment for her on Friday so hopefully he will come up with a solution eg, CBT. I suffer from panic attacks myself so i know what she is going through, just hope it goes as quickly as it came.

Bibbity - My daughter has to move schools soon as we are moving house. Can this kind of stress (although she says she isnt bothered) make the symptoms worse? Feel for you if you going through this too.

[bibbitybobbityhat]

Frog - its very hard to say if your house move has anything to do with your dd's anxiety about being sick. The two seem unrelated, tbh, don't they?

I have suffered bouts of anxiety and panic attacks, briefly, over other things in my life. But they have always been entirely separate to my emetophobia. For eg. I suffered claustrophbia to the point of being unable to travel on trains, the underground or aeroplanes for a couple of years. A quick course of hypnotherapy cleared that up for me!

The emetophobia has been far more pernicious. I am 47 and have suffered since my early teens. But I am doing better now, thanks to CBT. I expect it would all have been a lot better had I not left it so late to seek treatment .

[ZipadiSoozi]

bibbity - what treatment did you have for your emetophobia?

[Marne]

Please try and get her CBT, i have had the same phobia since i was 5 and my mum did nothing to get me help, my phobia is now the worst it has ever been and i have just started CBT.

[frogosaurus]

Went to see the doctor and we are now waiting for an appointment to see a physcologist. Hope we wont have to wait too long, some days are better than others but night time is the worst.

[mummychristines]

Hi I am new to this message board but have a 10 yr old daughter who I think has emetaphobia, she has lost significant weight and cant eat much at all as well as constantly feeling sick and thereafter a panic attack follows. I have had her bloods checked, all fine, we have an appointment with our GP this Friday. I have found various posts about in on the net, Hypnoanalysis seems to feature a lot as a treatment... anyone tried this? And would be much appreciated if you could tell me what CBT is? Many thanks, feel I need all the help I can get at present. Worried Mum,Christine.

[naturopath]

Hi frogosaurus and mummuchristines - I also suffered from this phobia from a similar age or younger, and still suffer from it. I agree with the other posters - definitely try to get some CBT or other therapy from her now so that it doesn't affect her for the rest of her life. Distraction is good, so well done, but this needs to get sorted properly.

Post back on here and let us know how you get on.