Fear of sickness

[Wednesdayafternoon]

Anybody else have a really intense fear of sickness?
I'm 31 with 2 children. In December they BOTH had 2 rounds of sickness bugs each and i don't think I've mentally recovered still 🙈
I've had a horrendous fear of sickness my entire life, literally as long as I can remember. The fear is being unwell and everyone else being unwell. After the antics in December I'm even more on edge. I've just learnt there's a really bad sickness bug going around my sons class right now and I'm feeling really on edge! My son has been really run down the past couple weeks with a cold, I'm just so hoping he will be ok but I can't switch off from worrying about it :(

Anyone else the same or have any tips?
I've had cbt and counciling... but still suffering with this worry 😰

Yes...me! I have always been frightened to death of sick! The slightest hint of feeling sick and I sit dithering pathetically. It takes hours from first starting to feel ill to actually being ill and I can't think about anything else, it totally consumes me. I don't know what it is about it that scares me either, but I'm immensely jealous of people who just find it an annoyance. I'm 45 and have never gone to the toilet to be sick alone and I dread the day there's noone here to be with me (I know how ridiculous that sounds). It rules my life, there's foods I'll avoid, countries I avoid even if I think there's a higher risk of being sick. I have to really be strong with myself to sort my children out when they're being sick, it's an awful phobia to have. Sadly no advice but a fellow sufferer just wanting to say you aren't alone. Watching for tips too!

Yep exactly the same.
My dream is to do the Thrive training with a coach, but I don't have 800 quid knocking about.
There's a good workbook though, it's called Cure emetophobia and thrive or something similar. Helped me temporarily but it's hard to keep up with anything. Almost easier to worry.

Find a good hypnotherapist. You want one who's been trained to help you find and resolve the root cause, rather than one who just does suggestion therapy.

I'm the same and ive got a two year old. I've had this phobia most of my life and sometimes it flairs up and other times it's manageable. But lately I'm finding myself so anxious about my toddler going off to pre school/school and being around all these bugs. I miss the lockdowns where I felt so much safer, which probably sounds crazy!

@Disneyblueeyes I've got the thrive book and I've half heartedly read through it but have now resolved to go through it properly. I totally agree that even the first couple of chapters help but my mind finds it easier to revert to the worrying!

@TotalRhubarb I've seen people recommend hypnotherapy but they rarely recommend a name, there are so many when you Google! I've got a free consultation coming up with a guy based in Harley Street that has good reviews, David Samson?

I would just love to not have the fear anymore, I know it's ridiculous to worry about something that rarely happens and the fear and anxiety itself makes me feel really ill.

I'm the same. I've always been terrified of sick and everything that goes with it despite rarely being ill myself. Maybe that's why 🤔. I can feel sick for days when there's a bug in the house without being sick.

My DD luckily so far isn't at all sickly but my DS is and I'm on the edge every time. I always manage to deal with it well but in robot mode and I'm always screaming on the inside and just waiting for the next person to succumb to it.

I wish I had advice but you're not alone

When you say 'sickness' do you actually mean vomiting, diarrhoea or some other illness symptom? What therapies have you already had, as you said you've had this all your life? If not already, the speak to your GP about CBT or find a counselor/hypnotherapist to help.

@MarmiteCoriander I think I can say for all of us here that it's vomiting! I'm fine with anything else. I've had CBT but it seems to wear off quickly and with a toddler I sometimes struggle to focus on going over it. So I'm hoping a hypnotherapist can help.

OP- Why didn't you just say fear of vomiting in your OP rather than us all guessing what sickness you meant??? If you search for emetophobia posts, you will find lots with many useful links for support.

I am a fellow emetophobe too! I have always been the same, no idea where it started although I will say my lovely mum is also the same so I wonder if she unwittingly instilled the fear in me. My sons are grown up now but I dreaded hearing that there was a bug doing the rounds at school. I did manage to look after them and didn’t always catch their bugs. I would be very careful with what I ate when they were ill too. I used to eat “dry” foods until I thought I was clear of catching it. I don’t eat shellfish, avoid buffets, check hygiene ratings before I eat at a restaurant etc.
I think I am slightly better than I was and try and rationalise the fear.
So, I know that feeling sick is awful, being sick equally awful but quick and I will feel better afterwards. Worrying about catching a bug from someone is something I do, so if I have been with someone who has been ill I will worry, but then think that I could have stood next to someone in the supermarket and not known they had been throwing up. I hope this makes sense, not sure how well I am explaining it.
If someone is sick but I know it’s not catching I can deal with it, it’s not great but I cope.
If an animal in my care is sick I am not bothered in the least 🤷🏻‍♀️
Its a horrible phobia to have though and one that a lot of people just don’t understand- sympathies!

I'm the same, I trained ds from being about 2 to sort out being sick on his own, I even had to walk out the cubicle when ds was sick in hospital as I nearly joined in. Ds has always known that if he feels sick he gets the bucket straight away & to wash the bucket out afterwards. Mine stems from my mum having horrific morning sickness when she was expecting my brother.

Luckily my DH has always dealt with any vomit related things in our house but he can't cope with poo so I dealt with that. I just do the practical things, getting cleaning stuff etc. DD is 15 now so obviously she can sort herself out more these days.

Someone above said they couldn't be sick alone. I am the opposite and need to absolutely be on my own if I am sick.