5yo Anxiety attacks/emetophobia ruining her childhood.

[KrispyKremes]

I'm really hoping some of you can help me with some ideas/support.

At the end of August we all caught a stomach bug.

DD (5) was sick for a night. But other than a tired day or two after that was fine.

But since then the fear of getting sick again has just escalated. And it's reached fever peak now.

Ever single thing she eats she asks me if it'll make her sick.

She has panic attacks from the worry a couple of times a day. (Racing heart. Looks a bit pale.)

She won't stroke animals other than our two at home. She won't ride rollercoasters or other rides (loves them). Today she didn't each lunch at school.

I've tried everything I can think of. Worry monster. Telling her about how the school kitchen is clean. Hand sanitiser before school. Telling her it's unlikely she'll get sick again. Rationalising that out of the last 1000+ days she's been sick on only one of them. Deep breathing. Thinking of something funny instead.

But it's not helping. It's getting worse.

Should I take her to the GP? We have health insurance if that could help us persue any avenues. But that seems a bit extreme maybe?

Would love to hear if anyone has tackled similar please.

Yes. Hold on and I'll link my old thread.

You have my sympathies!

It was the book that really helped us.

I think my 8yo is an emetophobe http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childrens_health/3025915-i-think-my-8yo-is-an-emetophobe

Good luck 

@JustWhatINeededNow

Wowee thanks so much! I've read your thread and ordered the book too. Xxxxx

Yes it was horrid at the time, but it did pass.

The book was wonderful and I'd recommend it to anyone.

If things you try at home don’t work I would definitely take her to the GP. I have emetophobia and it often causes problems for me. I’m currently 6 weeks pregnant and emetophobia combined with morning sickness is unbearable. I think it’s great you’re taking this seriously and trying to help her now before it becomes too entrenched.

@MeredithGrey1 I worked through the book by Rob Kelly called cure your emetophobia and thrive. it changed my life.

Oh poor baby!

I’ve suffered emetophobia (still do to an extent but it no longer ruins my life like it did) and still suffer anxiety. To think of a 5 year old going through that is awful

I would take her to the GP or pay privately for therapy if you can afford it.

Thanks so much everyone.

I've ordered the book and my husband and I have read some stuff this evening online.

I spoke to her about it being ok to worry and be scared. As up until now we've focused more on telling her she needn't worry rather than addressing the fact she is worrying.

Even that in itself seems to have helped a little.

We'll keep up the openness, book is due to arrive Monday (amazon prime being weird there.....) so will also see how that goes.

Then I'll think more about GP/private.

The times scales you describe appear the same as ours last year.

Hopefully you won't need anything more serious in terms of treatment.

One thing that wasn't in our favour was that I'm not married to their Dad. So weekend contact was time away from me that made him anxious. Sounds as though you and your DH are together and can agree a united approach 

My DS is older but suffers from anxiety related to emetophobia. He stopped eating for a while a few years ago because he thought that if he didn't eat he wouldn't throw up. It was a truly awful period.

Things are slightly better although a family member recently got food poisoning so you can imagine how that set him back. While I should have been focusing on the ill person, I was helping my DS through the days and actually talking him back into the house on one occasion.

We've had a CAHMS referal but they didn't help much - told us to practice mindfulness and breathing exercises which we do anyway.

My DS has only actually been sick once since he was a baby. He is 12 now (I hope I haven't jinxed him!) but the fear is crippling and it is awful to see.

I don't have advice but you are not alone. I too will look at that book.

I have bought an anti viral hand gel for his lunch bag. I'm sure it acts as a placebo more than anything but it gives him the reassurance to eat his lunch at school or when we are out and about and handwashing facilities aren't available. I'm not sure it is the answer or the right approach but the hunger strike terrifies me.

Have you seen this thing? Hate to link to daily mail but a post-illness infection has led to children presenting with psychological symptoms. I don't want to scaremonger but your DD seemed to change a lot after that short illness?

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6330875/amp/The-children-turned-strangers-simple-bug.html

It’s interesting that people suffering from emetaphobia seem to rarely get sick. Once in 12 years?!! So lucky! And only 1 time in 1,000 days for a five year old?? That’s also lucky. But obviously suffering from this phobia sucks. I am a sufferer and it’s not easy with two young kids. Growing up I rarely ever was sick. But my dd seems to get a tummy bug twice a year! She hates vomiting, but mainly because she sees my fear of it. I feel so bad about that. But if she says she feels sick I freak out or if she vomits I run out of the room freaking out :( my ds seems to have the better immune system. But still has committed at least 3 times and he is 5! I wonder why some kids are more prone to it and others not?? I really want another child. But my fear of the child getting sick puts me off. As a child I had it after someone in class threw up next to me. It made my tummy hurt and I felt like I would vomit too. I never did, but it gave me a fear of it. I never ate breakfast and ate very little amounts at school. I always had a fear a child would vomit in class. As when you are young it happens sometimes. As I got older I thought I outgrew my fear, but know it was because I was not around vomit so much anymore, as when kids got older they would make it to the toilet at school and immune systems got better.

It’s a common phobia and it sucks. I wish I had advice for you. But I don’t. But one thing is for sure, as pp have said, its good you are supportive. My mom didn’t understand it at all. Actually I kept it a big secret as a child. But now that I’m older I let people know.

I too will buy the book to see if it can help me. I also am hoping it’s not too late for my dd who is 6.

I wanted to speak to class teacher this morning, but she wasn't the one on the door.

So instead I phoned the school office once I got into work and explained what's going on and my concerns and asked for any advice.

A couple of hours later I got a call from the school SENCO, and she couldn't have been more helpful.

She's going to have a meeting with DDs teacher and TAs so they're all on the same page, one of DDs TAs works doing 1 to 1 stuff with children with worries anyway, so that should really help DD.

And she's going to do a CAHMS referral in case we need some extra help with the anxiety.

Feeling saddened it's come to all this, poor little thing, and guilty that it's something we've done wrong in raising her. but also positive that it's being taken seriously and we can help her together.