Vomit phobia

Yes I don't mind going to pubs, am always a bit dubious at the end of the night about walking into the loos but generally am okay and still drink myself and enjoy getting slightly drunk so I guess I am quite fortunate that I am not as bad as others.

Your mate must be mad , they are ill on a weekly basis at DD's school in reception, I take my hat off to her, she's a brave woman.

DD's reception class teacher at home time walked out of the class covered in the stuff once, I was traumatised for weeks and hated DD going to school.

I stuff my kids with vitamins though and thankfully they have both been really well (touch wood).

Not working - drinking!

Oh, I can cope in a pub!!

I have worked in a pub but couldn't work in a nightclub and COULD NEVER EVER be a cleaner in a pub or nightclub. Now that has got to be the worst job ever!!!

It is a pretty strange choice of career isn't it?
Actually, I have a friend who has this phobia & is far worse than me - she is on a waiting list for therepy, & she works in the reception class!!

I also admire you Blueteddy for working in a school, I could not work in a school or a hospital for nobody and no great salary would get me there either.

Hi. I'm one, too. Have a great friend who is one and we support each other a lot. My phobia stems back to my sister being travel sick all over me every time we went more than 5 miles! Funnily, I am not as bothered about ME (ever heard of Buccastem - can get it over the counter - was brilliant when I felt sick sicj sick with mastitis)as I am about the kids. It dictates lots of decisions I make. Was terrified about socialising them when they were little (now 4 and 7) but made myself do it.
DH is brilliant - he doesn't get it but he knows I freak. He always gets up to the kids in the night, whatever the reason.
DS was sick a couple of weeks ago at Nursery and had THE phone call at my school to collect him. Luckily my Mum really gets the phobia (blames herself?!) and picked him up and kept him for the rest of the day. DH was in Sheffield at the snooker (yawn!) and not back til very late and Mum had to return DS at 5:30pm. Had no-one else to ask so had to put him to bed on my own and then sit downstairs holding my breath. The next 5 hours were very long!
It never gets any better with each sick experience. I do have to say that DD, now 7, knows that Mummy doesn't 'do' sick and copes by herself. The last time, I was here and she just shouted down to me every time she threw up. I didn't go near her! That gives me hope that when DS is a similar age, I won't live so much in fear.
I am scared in the car and give them joy rides even though DD has only ever been sick in the car once! And that was when she was 2! I don't think either of them are travel sick cos DH and Mum have both travelled with them without pills but I am too terrified to try!
I do feel like a terrible mother that I can't be there for my kids when they are sick but I know I am a good Mummy as much of the rest of the time as I can manage.

I think thats really great Blueteddy that you came on here and admitted you felt this way its a very hard thing to do as you do grow up feeling that this phobia is childish and pathetic and that others will think you are a joke. This was the way I thought all through my life up until I discovered the internet and found the website for emetophobia, it helped me open up so much knowing that other people suffer from this.

I am also amazed you got through the epidural without being sick - sorry Lauren I am now withdrawing the statement that will be sick if you have the epidural. Apart from the sickness I thought it was great

I have a bit of a vomit fear too (first time I have admitted this) & like Hausfrau, I have not actually been sick since I was a child, even though I have had several bad stomach bugs & have been on the verge of being sick, I can stop it happening by swallowing really hard.
I work in a school & cope with children being sick if I have to, but I don't like it.
I also can cope with my own DS's being sick, but this is due to the fact that I have to, as H is so useless!
I don't think I have a severe phobia compared to others, but I do panic when I hear a stomach bug is doing the rounds & become quite obsessive about washing my hands!
Luckily I escaped any morning sickness during pregnancy & wasn't sick during or after the births (I had an epidural both times), but avoided gas & air, or pethadine as I heard they can make you vomit.
I think it is actually quite a common phobia.

Exactly

Its nice to talk to people who are suffering in the way that you are, I sometimes feel like such a failure as a mother/partner. Poor DP is never allowed to get too drunk just in case the kids are ill at night. It will be okay on our hols cos his Mum and Dad are coming with us so I can shove the kids in their room should they get ill.

Thats very impressive - I salute you!!!

Am totally the same as you and when I was younger I could fight it but as I have grown older it seems to have got harder to fight for some reason, if I am sick it only happens once, I don't allow it to happen again!! Would rather feel sick for days than do the deed!!!

Not a nice subject I know but its not nice having the phobia either.

I always have polo's too cannot go to sleep at night unless I have my polos by my side and scream at anyone who eats the last one.

Have made DP go out at 12 at night to get me some on occasions.

Wow Hausfrau was that the last time you were sick!!! Honestly!!! I am not sick often but was sick the other week and it was horrible, still have awful memories of it now, fortunately the kids didn't see the state I was in.

I catch more bugs than they do!

Like Hausfrau says its helpful if you have a wonderful partner who totally understands your phobia and is willing to help. DP gave up a job working away (which paid very good money) so he doesn't have to leave me and the kids as night time is when I fear it the most.

I know I would and have coped in situations where my kids are ill, adrenalin just takes over, bugs are more frightening as it happens more than once. I just don't want to pass this horrible fear onto my kids, I want them to believe that it is normal to be sick and not frightening. I feel that I got this phobia because my mum did not support me enough as a child as she herself had anxiety anyway (although not same as me). I didn't have a dad to help though unlike my children who have a wonderful dad who reassures them and makes them feel better when ill.

Yes CBT, hypnotherapy, counselling, all helped a little but didn't cure me, just resigned myself to the fact that this is with me for life.

Oh Lauren I am another sufferer and can totally relate to how you feel, I am going to Portugal in 2 weeks and the whole idea frightens the hell out of me - first there is the plane, I find wearing earplugs helps so I can't hear anything and am okay as like you DP sits on the side of anyone else and the kids usually sit near me, fortunately they don't get airsick either. I always make sure we get flights that are early in the day so less likely to have drunks on board.

When I get their I worry mainly about the kids getting ill from the weather, the swimming pool, eating dodgy foods etc, its a constant worry and very hard for me to relax and enjoy myself, I do but the anxiety is always there.

My children are 6 and almost 4 and thankfully don't get ill too often (touch wood).

With regards to pregnancy, have one bit of advice - don't have the epidural as everyone I know including myself who had this was sick afterwards and for me it was horrible. I just wished I'd gone through the pain which I did with my first birth than the horror of being sick at the end of labour.