Emetophobia Thread

[CyanShip]

Hi all, I haven't seen a recent thread about emetophobia so thought I'd make one.

I always thought I couldn't have emetophobia, despite sending myself into a severe panic every time I felt sick, as I wasn't diagnosed and don't relate to every symptom. I'm now entering my early to mid 20s and realising just how much it's effecting me.

Anyone else feel the same way?

Hi CyanShip, I just found your thread, hope you are well.

I’m currently waiting on a phone call from GP to talk about my teen daughter who suffers with this. She’s had issues from when she was young and I feel it’s now time to get some help.

She suffers from anxiety in any situation where there is a possibility someone could be sick, school especially. She is now in an important school year with exams, so hoping we can find some coping strategies for her.

I've had it for as long as I can remember.

I was referred for CBT when it got 100 times worse after the birth of my second child.

This has helped to a certain extent, I can now comfort my child after they have vomited instead of hiding in another room crying, but can't deal with any actual vomit myself.

We were at the cinema a few weeks ago and a young girl was sick everywhere, I was quite proud that I only thought about it obsessivley for a few hours rather than days like I would have before.

@RaspberryBeret1999 Apologies, I haven't logged on in a while. I hope you found help for your daughter - it's great to hear that you're taking her seriously. I feel often woman aren't listed to in our healthcare system.

I won't list things that help me, as it's different for everyone. Learning to know my limits and which situations to steer clear of has really helped me in the past few years.

@Usual2usual As I grow closer to the age of thinking about kids, I find myself worrying more about being sick during pregnancy than giving birth. I really appreciate you sharing that CBT helped you - it's something I felt I didn't need as I didn't take myself seriously enough, but at the end of the day it is a fear that is perfectly as valid as the dark, for example.

@CyanShip I'm emetaphobic and put off trying for a baby for years because I was more scared of morning sickness than childbirth. I'm now pregnant with my first child and my emetaphobia is still very much there, but I'm out of the first trimester and although suffered constant nausea wasn't actually sick once. Feel a bit silly for putting off trying for so many years now and would definitely do it again without the worry now. When I mentioned it to my Midwife, she said her experience of pregnant emetaphobes is that they often aren't sick- obviously that won't be true in all cases though.

I remain terrified at how I will cope when my child is unwell though.....

God yes. I have had it since I was four. It makes life miserable and I dread autumn and winter.

I am 40 this year and have had this phobia my entire life - ever since childhood. I have no idea where it stems from but it really ruins my life.

As an example - in the last week alone, I:

a) had a panic attack outside a Chinese restaurant as I was worried the food we'd eaten wasn't cooked right and we'd get ill

b) had a huge row with DP for throwing out food he'd planned to eat because it went off that day and I thought that if he ate it, he'd (yes you've guessed it), get ill

c) had another panic attack at 2am when DP got home from a few drinks and said he felt sick

d) refused to go on a mini break to London as the last time I went there a few years ago I was sick afterwards and it now makes me think it's "cursed"

I really don't know how to get over it. People say "oh, just be sick and you'll realise it's not that bad". Well I have been, and it was.

@CyanShip My DD has been having good days & bad days. She is quite private about it, but finally agreed to let me talk to her school, who have been helpful and put things in place for her to have some time out if she needs it, and she is on the wait list to see the school counsellor.

She recently had a panic attack before a class test, as a pupil mentioned they felt sick, but she was able to leave and take the test in another room. This has now highlighted to the teachers that they may need to make provisions for her when it comes to sitting her main exams next year, just in case she panics.

I did a course recently with an esteemed mental health expert and one of the case studies was a child with emetophobia. A comment made was 'All phobias come from a story untold', as in something you haven't expressed or been able to express or perhaps you haven't been heard. In this child's case she carried a lot of guilt and responsibility for her mother and didn't feel she could have her own feelings and felt alone in it all. The approach suggested was a 'What if?' no judgement approach. 'You have a terrible fear of being sick. What if that happened?' and then 'And then?' repeatedly until you get to the crux of the event. I'm not explaining it very well maybe but the child's responses were repeated and acknowledged in between each 'And then?' and then the adult summed it up, empathising with the feelings around the event, which reflected what was underneath the phobia itself, and asked the child if they had it right. CBT while effective in some situations and useful for many, is results driven and doesn't tend to look at or process the causes for the situation so I'm not surprised it hasn't been effective here as the person's story is left untold, unacknowledged and unprocessed.

Anyone been able to get through pregnancy with emetophobia?