So worried

[bluepurplepinkyellow]

My little girls been sick and I've got a phobia of being sick I'm so worried, any advise ? It's her first tummy bug and I am really really worrying and stressing over it, she was sick once and hasn't been sick since 10am but I am terrified about catching it

No I'm still shaking, I've come to mums had a bath and hair wash put dd to be and am sat doing some knitting but I need sleep but so worried about feeling unwell, I feel guilty that I've left dp alone too Thankyou for talking to me at the awful time of night it's really helped me

No problem OP, I know it's a horrible feeling of dread. Try and not feel guilty, she has your DP and sometimes the kindest thing we can do is remove ourselves so they don't pick up on our fear.

I hope you managed to get some sleep in the end and are still feeling ok.

She’s sneezing too? I’d get her a covid test OP. Covid can cause vomiting and stomach upsets in children.

I took dd with me she's still doing little sharts but I can just about cope with that, it's the night times I find the hardest, dp understands why I've gone he's been more caring than I expected him to be, I've phoned the doctor to ask for some anti sickness tablets just to see me through, I really hate this phobia it's ruled my life. Why can't people stay at home if they're unwell

Doctor has given me anti sickness tablets, dd has now got full on diahorrea now too I don't think I can cope anymore

Unfortunately you are just going to have to cope. I know it's not nice. But DD needs you to care for her. Good hand hygiene is the key.

I absolutely feel you in terms of the phobia, especially through childhood I was terrible. Even now I will actively avoid, i.e. very careful about what I eat (and where from) when out, and hate doing things like getting on a night bus if there is drunk people etc...

However, I have genuinely found that trying to force myself to face my fears over the last 10 years or so HAS made things better. I get less panicked and hot/sweaty/anxious. Think about the realistic prospect of the worst thing that could happen.

ABSOLUTE WORST CASE you happen to be sick. It's grim, but very short lived, and so much quicker just to get it over with than spend ages feeling absolutely horrific by trying to stop it happening.

Plus if good hygiene is factored there is no real reason why an adult should definitely catch it from another. Plus this will help develop immunity for your daughter. As other posters say, try and be prepared with a 'kit' so your're not flustered in future. Just try and relax - I know it's so hard, but its JUST a stomach bug - 48 hours time it'll likely all be over...

I feel so selfish coming to my mums the last thing I want is for her to be unwell I'm so stupid 🤦‍♀️

OP, if you catch it, it could be just a very mild version. For example, I have 4 children, so have experienced them having many tummy bugs. In all this time (8 years), I have never been sick myself from something I've caught off them. I either don't catch it or catch a very mild version, where I feel slightly off, but don't actually vomit. Many others I know have said the same (mothers in particular).

When was the last time you were sick in your life? I've heard of many women with emetophopbia, who struggle with their phobia less after they've been sick a lot for whatever reason. I guess facing their fear put paid to it somehow.

Dd has just been sick again 😩

Fellow emetophobe here, just wanted to say I think you're being incredibly brave and strong, I can feel your fear through my phone screen as it's my fear too but you're doing so well to still be with your dd.

This horrific phobia is one of the main the reasons I never had kids, people outside it just don't get how strong it is. Sending you many good thoughts, remember this too shall pass ❤.

Thankyou for your reply, I literally am not coping at all my lovely mum is helping but I'm so worried she'll catch it 😢

I've not eaten for over 30 hours now I'm so exhausted xx

You poor thing op. I don't share this phobia, but I can feel your panic from your posts. Just wanted to say that I've been a parent for nearly 20 years, and never gotten a stomach bug from my kids. I've been careful with hygiene, and maybe it's luck too. But it can happen. .

Thankyou I think I'm more worried because dp has got it so worried the adults will get it too 😢 I've been having a few panic attacks and my skin is burning where I'm so stressed

This is what I mean with my skin xx

How are you doing OP? Hope the worst is over for you? X

Thankyou for checking in, I'm in such an awful state it's awful I feel very selfish for feeling this way too I've decided to phone the doctor and ask for some help with the phobia xx

Asking for help with the phobia is a really positive step.

Please make sure you keep eating and drinking, even if it’s small amounts. Exhausting and dehydrating yourself is not going to help anyone.

If it’s been a couple of days and you’ve still not caught it, it’s looking more positive that you won’t.

Op, I think you can probably say that if you haven't caught it yet, you're not going to. You've been caring for your daughter during her illness for 3 days now. In my experience you'd have shown signs of illness yourself by now, of a tummy bug, if you were going to catch it.

I haven't eaten for days now but having sips of water and lemonade, I thought I was over this phobia, I went through my pregnancy with feeling sick and I was fine but this is a completely different 😢 Thankyou for all your kind words, this has been such a struggle for me xx

I don't think I could have got pregnant with a sickness phobia. Morning sickness with all 3 of mine and I do absolutely anything I can to actually avoid being sick.

@bluepurplepinkyellow

I'm stressed worried and panicked but I am keeping or shall I say pretending to be calm for my dd, if anything I've sat in the room all day with her not flapping as you put it. A phobia is real

My mam is the same, (she jumped off a moving bus when someone got sick years ago kinda of phobia), you're doing a great job, I never knew my mam was this way until I got a lot older. She also never got sick from us as she would have as PP have said just maintained hygiene. Good luck

She's slept most of today is that normal ?

My son has been sick several times in his 3 years and I don't think I, or my husband, have ever caught what he has had (even when catching it with my bare hands)

Their immune systems are still developing continually where ours are pretty robust by adulthood. Not saying you're immune from catching anything but from experience I never have.