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Original poster

Vomit phobia

153 replies

Lauren2105 · 09/05/2006 14:40

I am not sure if this is the correct place to post this thread but maybe someone will have some idea!

Basically, since I was 15 I have had a phobia of sick. Sounds really stupid as noone likes sick of course but I am soooo scared of it!

I have had homeopathy medicine and hypnotherapy treatment to try and overcome this horrid phobia but they didn't work.

My husband and I are starting ttc in the very near future and I went to my doctor for a checkup etc and inform him of ttc. I also mentioned my phobia and said that I am worried regarding morning sickness and when kids are ill. He said that he will send me for some counselling when I actually fall pregnant.

I am fine with baby sick as looks just like milk but am worried re morning sickness during pregnancy and when kids are older. I couldn't bear to think of me leaving my kids throwing up - what an awful mum I would be!!

Does anyone have any ideas of what I could do now and if anyone has a similar phobia I would be so grateful for some advice.

Similarly if anyone knows if there is a better place to post this thread please tell me!

Thanks for listening and hopefully understanding.

OP posts:

DumbledoresGirl · 10/05/2006 11:10

whoops that wasn't supposed to post!

Should have said

...hiding behind closed doors suffering alone. Hopefully a few more people will rad this thread as it is on the homepage, and will know they are not alone or will understand more about what it is like for us sufferers.

So thanks Mumsnet! Sometimes bad things happen here, as they did last night, and I felt quite upset, but sometimes amazing things happen like this thread and that more than makes up for it.

quanglewangle · 10/05/2006 11:12

"..has reched the homepage.."

Would that be retched or reached?

DumbledoresGirl · 10/05/2006 11:14

Oh and about vomit being shown on TV or films: I find that absolutely intolerable. It makes me very angry when it happens, as well as experiencing all my phobia symptoms: nausea, shaking, repeated playing of the scene in my head, etc. I really don't see what it adds to any plot and I don't believe even non-phobic people appreciate seeing such graphic details.

quanglewangle · 10/05/2006 11:17

I agree.

clairemow · 10/05/2006 11:41

OMG, I thought I was alone in this fear. It's liberating not to be! My fear is all about other people being sick. I can be sick myself (got D&V last year - awful), but would hate anyone to see me doing it. I have had migraines, and once had to do it in a bin in a room on a campsite because I couldn't go into the toilet in case anyone heard.

I hate public toilets (esp in pubs) because I'm afraid of hearing someone. Everyone laughed at me at uni when I was terrified of my neighbour coming back drunk and chucking up in our shared toilet (thankfully it didn't happen that often, and a nice girl over the corridor used to 'lend' her toilet!) - I used to run away and go to someone else's room. I have avoided tubes at night for years for fear of someone being sick on me. Lauren, I always think about where to sit as well in case of a hasty exit.. Someone once did throw up on my arm, and I felt shaky, queasy etc. myself. And I was only going through a doorway. If I see someone sick I have nightmares as well.

I am also scared of when DS gets ill. So far, he's only been sick once, and that was milk straight back up so was ok - plus my doctor SIL was staying and she cleared it up while I changed DS and myself. Not sure how I'll deal with 'real' sick. What if DH isn't there? He does know about this fear, but not sure how seriously he takes it.

Interestingly, my mum suffers as well. when we were ill as children we had to go and sleep with my dad and she slept in our beds in case we were ill. Think I will do the same... although maybe I should just face it. Bleurgh.

clairemow · 10/05/2006 11:44

Oh forgot one other thing - I am also already scared of teenaged drinking, and hope we can educate ours to be sensible (how realistic is that?!). DH and I have discussed this - I'm all for grounding DS and his brother (not yet born - due Sept!) if they are sick after going out. and will leave DH to it. DH says it's all part of growing up and grounding would be too strict. Hmm. My mum once threw a bucket of water over my brother for coming home a bit worse for wear, but neither of us ever actually came home and were sick in the car/house or anything.

quanglewangle · 10/05/2006 11:56

Ah, teenage drinking! We are going through that phase even as we speak (well not literally, as he is at school at the moment, not working for his GCSE's).

It don't find it too bad. For one thing it isn't an infection. I think it is catching something that I am scared of. Secondly, I make him deal with it himself.

clairemow · 10/05/2006 12:00

but what do you do if he comes home late and makes a mess - do you leave it for him to sort out in the morning?? don't know if I could deal with the smell.. Might have to leave DH to it and check into a hotel!

Hausfrau · 10/05/2006 12:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

clairemow · 10/05/2006 12:07

I think my main fear is uncontrollable vomitting, hence the fear of drunken vomitting, as the person just does it wherever they are, no hope of finding a toilet and using it. And the fear about a small child, who may not even understand what is happening. DS might be v. upset by it all and not have a clue what was going on. Or the D & V type that comes on really suddenly. I used to teach, and one school trip all got D & V in the Peak District - they had to come back on a coach to Bristol with a shed load of ice cream tubs and plastic bags and the children and teachers kept going down with it suddenly. Hell on earth.

quanglewangle · 10/05/2006 12:13

clairmow, knowing he would have to deal with it himself helps him find his way to the loo. If i have an inkling he is the worse for wear I give him a plastic storage crate - hard to miss!! Then I shut the door.

clairemow · 10/05/2006 12:19

Good for you. Hopefully once clearing up in the morning would be enough for him! Still might check into hotel, even still!

martian · 10/05/2006 12:57

Isn't it interesting why some people are afraid of themselves vomiting and others of other people vomiting? What does that difference mean I wonder? I've been around dp vomiting, seen people vomit in public and although I hate it it doesn't haunt me in the way the thought of it being me does.

DumbledoresGirl · 10/05/2006 13:01

I am phobic about both scenarios martian - does that make me unique?!

But I worry less about me being sick because it has hardly ever happened. If I felt sick, mind... that would change things.

Hausfrau · 10/05/2006 13:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DumbledoresGirl · 10/05/2006 13:06

PMSL! I feel the same Hausfrau so why are we both reading this? It has got a bit hairy for me suddenly.

Hausfrau · 10/05/2006 13:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Lauren2105 · 10/05/2006 13:21

Sorry everyone for not responding - I am at work at the moment but will post this evening around 7ish.

Thanks everyone and please keep posting as it is really encouraging me. Since posting this I have made the decision to go and see a counsellor.

I have a couple of websites to link you to, tonight for all of you to have a read of. On those websites it states how other people react in different ways and I can relate so much.

This topic is such an important factor for parents and I really appreciate mumsnet adding it to the homepage. I think us poor people living with this awful phobia have to make others aware of what we have to go through!

Just quickly - my dh came home other week on Fri night drunk. Said he wasn't that bad but would stay on sofa to keep me happy. At 4am I heard a thump thump up the stairs and retching noises. I was so uncontrollable I locked myself in my room and hid under the duvet. Didn't sleep and when I finally built the courage to step outside of bedroom at 6am, there was vomit on carpet (was cleared up but just stained). DH and I had the most biggest arguement and I just couldn't cope - I went into one big panic attack.

I feel I am worse when it comes to alcohol related as it can be helped. I am worse with everyone else being sick - still have panic attack if it is myself being sick but the world falls apart and get depressed for about 4 days after the event. Even just seeing sick on the pavement sends me loopy. I do not have a fear of catching anything though. I releive the scene over and over in my head for days.

I totally sympathise with everyone and please open up if you feel it will help you.

OP posts:

crazydazy · 10/05/2006 13:39

I know what you mean about talking about it, it really helps me to know there are others and like discussing how we cope but I always find that when I have read these threads I feel a little "disturbed" in my stomach but I know thats just the thought.

The mind is such a strong thing though isn't it? Sometimes I can't tell the difference between the anxiety and the real feeling sick, I knew the other week though when the polos didn't make me feel any better. Was horrible and exactly a week later I felt exactly the same but wasn't sick. Think it was my mind playing games with my body.

Hausfrau · 10/05/2006 13:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

naswm · 10/05/2006 13:43

OMG what a lot of posts. I cant read them but it is pleasing (in a weird way) to know there are so many like minded people on MN. I wonder how we can help each other? Has that been discussed below? sorry, for not reading it all - but I cant cope with too much detail...

DumbledoresGirl · 10/05/2006 14:25

Ummmm Naswm - get off this thread! I mean that in the nicest possible way. You really don't want to read at least half the posts below.

martian · 10/05/2006 14:30

But hausfrau and DG how can you KNOW you won't be sick with such certainty? That's something I can't comprehend. The fact that I MIGHT be sick is what's tortured me all my life. Even before having a child I was frightened of bugs, food poisoning, etc. I really have spent my life starving myself 'just in case' even though before pregnancy as I said I wasn't sick once, or even retched, since I was 7 years old.

For me, if dp was sick because he was drunk, I'd be annoyed but not bothered because I couldn't catch it. Maybe I'm just more selfish . If dd was sick because of coughing with a chest infection (she was once) again it wouldn't bother me. People being unexpectedly sick when I'm out is more of an issue as the being sick away from home scenario is my worst nightmare. It's never yet happened to me [touch wood emoticon] and I dread to think of it.

So I live on 'safe' foods which can't possibly give me food poisoning. I never eat out. Well, I never eat away from home full stop. It's pathetic, very depressing. I don't know what to do.

naswm · 10/05/2006 14:32

DG - msn?

Hausfrau · 10/05/2006 14:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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