To quit my job?!?!

[Blahblahbl]

So to give the full picture I took a career break to have my children and have just gone back into childcare. Working in a nursery to be exact.

During my time off, I've developed emetophobia. It really does terrify me. For some stupid reason I didn't consider this when I went back to work, it was hard enough trying to find somewhere to ft around all the school runs and after school activities.

I've been back in work for just over a month and literally every night I convince myself I have a stomach bug, my hands are red raw and cracked from the amount of hand gel im using. I've been taking Seven Seas immunity booster too.

I just can't get over the fear of catching a stomach bug, how or even can I, over come this?

Colds, coughs, covid, diarrhea or any other germs do not bother me at all just sick!

Any advice? Put it in this section for flow of traffic! Thanks if you read this far!

I know exactly how you are feeling and I am also a primary teacher. It all got too much for me and I ended up taking time off due to stress. It panicked me so much when a child came in with a runny nose or cough. When Norovirus went through the school I had a breakdown. I had to seek help from my doctor. I did some cbt to help work out why I feel like I do and how to manage it. I started on anxiety medication and I spoke to management about how to move forward. I am now in a better place. Don’t get me wrong, some days can feel tough and I carry my hand gel everywhere but it’s definitely easier.
Please consider going to the doctors.

Thanks for your reply!

I was on aniexty and depression medication for little over 9 years after suffering really bad PND, I've fairly recently managed to come off them, so don't really want to go back on but CBT is a good shout, will definitely look into this, thanks 😊

Do you find you get every stomach bug the kids come in with?

At the start of the school year I will catch whatever bug is going around but I guess it’s actually pretty common for anyone who works education. If you start a new setting or have had some time awah then your immune system takes a bit with the bugs. I do find during the school holidays that I feel unwell as I am exhausted and run down.

cbt was great for me, it helped with gaining some
tools to use to help calm me down and how to settle myself.

What about is it that scares you? Are you worried about being sick, somone else being sick? Being ill and not being able to cope? Why do you think you have developed it and how did it start?

So glad CBT worked for you x

I think Aibu is not the thread for this subject yes you will get posts but a lot will not help you . You know this isn’t rational behaviour and
I strongly suggest you make a appointment with your gp

Even as an adult if I catch a bug it’s almost rare to the point that I can’t remember the last time I physically vomited. (And I’ve worked with school age kids!)

I guess I’m trying to reassure you while you think of things that will help get you past this.

Its so hard to explain, I understand that I must sound crazy and its such an irrational fear to have. Its the feeling of not being in control of my body when I'm being sick and just before and the actual feeling of it. Thats the most part, the other 20% is knowing i cant be bed bound and that the house doesn't function if I'm not steering the ship. Then its the kids getting it, and cleaning everything and feeling like nothing is actually clean even though its been bleached a million times.

I've no idea why it's developed, there's no one experience that's caused this., that I can put together anyway. When I was younger it didn't bother me in the slightest, its only since having kids. I first noticed that my reaction to sick wasn't really normally when my oldest dd got a bug when she was little.