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Original poster

Trying to cope with Emetophobia but struggling big time :(

29 replies

Marne · 30/11/2011 19:40

God i hate this time of year, all the bugs going around and half the school off with vomiting bug, i am trying to hold things together, made the choice 6 months ago to go on anti-d's to try and gain control of the anxiety this phobia brings but seem to be getting nowhere, i am still panicking, still unable to sleep incase one of the dd's are ill in the night. I think this phobia has caused me to suffer from SAD, i dread the winter months and would move to somewhere warm without a 2nd thought. Dh is geting fed up with me being on a downer, i am trying my best to keep control but seem to be failing.

I want to go back to the GP to ask for a higher dose of anti-d's but i'm too scared to go incase i pick up a bug Sad, my dd1 has to have a blood test on friday in the childrens ward and i am so anxious about taking the girls as there could be bugs on the ward.

Last christmas dd2 picked up a bug during the last week of school and was very sick, we ended up in a&e after 3 days as she was dehydrated, i'm so worried she will get ill again, she has Autism and refussed to drink when she's poorly so we often end up in hospital with her.

There has been a bug doing the rounds at school for a few weeks which we have managed to avoid, i am so anxious that we will get it, if i could i would keep dd2 at home, the school have been great as i have told them how poorly dd2 gets so they have reminded the parents about the 48 hour rule but i am still panicking Sad. Dd2 is full of cold tonight and has a high temp, she was ment to have a hospital appointment tomorrow but now i'm tempted to keep her at home.

I don't want to feel like this anymore Sad, i have tried everything and i cant get rid of this horrid phobia.

OP posts:
bibbitybobbitybloodyaxe · 30/11/2011 20:08

I don't think you need anti depressants, I think you need a talking therapy. Please go back to your gp and ask for further help. You won't pick up a bug there, people with vomiting bugs tend not to go out to the surgery. If you absolutely must you can wash your hands thoroughly as soon as you get home.

Original poster
Marne · 30/11/2011 20:26

Thanks bibbity, i have been to my GP so many times, have had CBT, exposure therapy (which made things worse), payed a fortune for hypnotherapy with no resaults, i have seen 2 therapists though my GP, the first one is the one the told me i had to face my fears which made me even more anxious (but i did try), then i tried the hypnotherapy (private) and then went back to me GP and was sent for CBT. When i sit down and talk about it i realise how silly i am being and that my dd's are rarely sick and if they are then i cope with it but as soon as i hear someone mention a stomach bug i go into panic mode, i shake, i feel sick, i can't breathe and i cry Sad. If i have to take one of the dd's to hospital or the GP i make them wash there hands and change their cloths as soon as we get home (the same with school), dd1 has picked up on my anxiety and now shows signs of having the same phobia (i feel so guilty and i have tried to keep it from her).

OP posts:
flakemum · 30/11/2011 20:29

Have you tried hypnotherapy?

banana87 · 30/11/2011 20:30

I have emetophobia and panic attacks. I take Prozac (fluoxetine) 40mg daily and it just takes the edge off Sad. What med are you taking? Do you have anything to take when you are in a panic? My GP prescribes me alprazolam for this. The other things I do to protect myself and DD is washing hands and taking probiotics daily. I have no advice because I am in the same position as you, although the meds at least take the panic away enough for me to sleep at night now. I would say to go back to the GP and get your meds increased and something for when you are in a panic. Hope you feel better soon.

Original poster
Marne · 30/11/2011 21:01

I am taking Dosulepin 50mg before bed but seems to make me more awake, takes me longer to get to sleep and then i can't wake up in the morning.

So sorry you suffer with this too, my gp is not that understanding, i might see if i can get an appointment with the female GP next week to see if i can up my dose, the GP did say 'lets just give you something to help at night first and see how we go', i feel on edge all day, more so at school pick up time as i have to listen to other parents in the playground talking about how there children had the bug last week (it just sends me straight into a panic).

OP posts:
Original poster
Marne · 01/12/2011 09:16

Took dd1 to school (kept dd2 home as she is full of cold and high temp), the school office was heaving with parents reporting that their children will not be in as they have the vomiting bug, am now extra anxious, can't get to the GP as i have dd2 home poorly, dd1 has gone to school feeling ill (with slight cold) so will probably have to pick her up later. God i hate feeling like this, i think dh is getting fed up with me as i am in my own little bubble, i can't even be bothered to talk to him Sad.

OP posts:
banana87 · 01/12/2011 13:48

Hope you get to go to the GP soon Marne. Would you be able to get a phone consultation with one since you can't get there in person? Also may be worth getting that night time med changed to a drug in the PAM family, they are very effective for panic attacks.

Original poster
Marne · 01/12/2011 13:55

Thanks Banana, i think i am still under the mental health team so could go back to the therapist if i ask. I'm not sure if my gp will talk to me over the phone (have tried before), i think i will just have to plod through the weekend and go on monday, dd2 is home with a cold so i will probably keep her off tomorrow which will ease my anxiety slighty as she wont be in contact with the bug at school. I just feel so silly, i should be looking forward to christmas and the dd's school plays but i'm just counting down the days until they break up and preying they don't get the bug Sad.

OP posts:
Original poster
Marne · 02/12/2011 12:30

Picked by anti-d's up today and gp has requested to see me for a review (so will go next week), just braved Tesco (hate shopping incase a catch something from someone) so i don't have to go out at the weekend when its even more busy.

Went on face book this morning to see a graffic description of a friend and her daughter suffering with the bug (daughter goes to my dd's school) so am panicking even more, can't wait to get dd1 home from school Sad.

OP posts:
OneHandFlapping · 02/12/2011 12:40

I'm sorry you're suffering, Marne. I'm an emetophobe too, but not as severe as you.

I'm much better now that the DCs are at secondary school, and the risk of D&V bugs has decreased because they've had them all. I hope you find some peace.

Original poster
Marne · 02/12/2011 12:54

Thank you, i'm hoping as they get older they wont get these bugs, i am lucky as they only seem to pick them up once a year (not as bad as some), dd2 is often sick if she has a high temp but i can handle that as i know i wont catch it and its not a sick bug.

OP posts:
banana87 · 02/12/2011 13:55

Do you often catch them Marne?

Original poster
Marne · 02/12/2011 20:18

Have caught it twice from the dd's, my gp has given me anti-sickness tablets to take if i need them (i'm sure they stoped me from being sick last year when dd2 was poorly), i shouldn't get so worked up but i worry that the tablets wont work Sad.

OP posts:
banana87 · 03/12/2011 09:30

Hope the anti depressants kick in soon! May be worth asking for something to take while you are having a panic attack too. Just for the short term.

corblimeymadam · 03/12/2011 13:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BeckyBendyLegs · 03/12/2011 17:45

Marne hello, sorry you are suffering at the moment. It is hard at this time of year. DS2 came out of school yesterday saying 'guess what, Isabelle was sick in the clock room just now and someone else was sick in class today!' as if I should be happy instead of feeling that familiar 'oh no not again' dread of when there's a bug around. It is hard. I feel for you. You're not alone though, there are a surprising number of people who have this phobia to some degree, a friend of mine on facebook the other day told me she had it too and I hadn't known before. I'm sending you coping vibes xx

Original poster
Marne · 04/12/2011 08:46

Hi Bendy - i have had the same from dd1, there has been a bug doing the rounds at school sinse before half term, i dred talking to dd1 after school as she tells all the detail making me go into a huge panic Sad, just hope we can get through the next 2 weeks without catching it Sad.

OP posts:
BeckyBendyLegs · 04/12/2011 08:49

It was this time last year, more or less, just before Christmas when DS1 had a bug and you were giving me words of comfort. As it turned out I did get it but I wasn't actually sick, and DH had it but was just sick once and DS2 had it and was sick a few times but DS3 got away without it. It wasn't as bad as I had expected but I still dread this time of year which is a real shame as I love Christmas. Oh well, not long now until the holidays x

corblimeymadam · 04/12/2011 09:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Marne · 04/12/2011 16:13

This time of year is the worst, lat december was the first time one of them got it before christmas (usually they dont pick it up till march time) so because of dd2 getting it last year i am extra anxous this year Sad, i'm trying to get in the christmas spirit for the dd's but will find it hard until they break up. I keep trying to tell myself that theres not much chance in getting it 2 christmas's in a row but it doesn't seem to be working. I also got it last year Becky but was not sick (felt horrid though). Fingers crossed the bug had died down over the weekend, most of the school have had it over the past few weeks, it has swept through both the dd's classes, dd2 will probably be staying home tomorrow as she is so full of cold, dd1 is much better at hand washing etc..

OP posts:
BeckyBendyLegs · 07/12/2011 16:57

Hi everyone, just in the last few days it's become obvious that there is a bug going around DSs' school - more tales of who was sick during the nativity rehearsal / in the classroom etc. I hate, hate, hate this :(

countrylover · 08/12/2011 12:56

another regular sufferer here too - it never really goes away does it? sometimes i can convince myself that i'm over it but then recently DS1 has been complaining of a lot of tummy aches and every time he does my mind just goes crazy. i have learnt coping techniques through CBT for PND so it does help a bit.

i have only been sick myself once in over ten years and the irony was that when i was it wasn't half as bad as i thought it was going to be. i felt so awful anyway (food poisioning in thailand) that i could barely muster the energy to be anxious about it. the trouble is that it was so long ago now that i've forgotten how it was actually ok and have now built it up to be something huge again.

i do think you shouldn't be so hard on yourself though marne - you have a DD2 with autism and while i don't know much about it, the very fact that when she gets tummy bugs she won't drink any water is enough to make any parent anxious about their child getting a bug like that. maybe if you can be a bit kinder to yourself and accept that your anxiety about bugs is a normal reaction given your situation, it might help a little bit?

someoneelseagain · 08/12/2011 20:50

Hi Marne, we've talked before about this (I namechange) Just saying I'm feeling the same too at the moment, just got DD dried after her bath and she told me someone got sent home because they kept being sick in the classroom and I just do the same, fly into panic mode.

I haven't tried any CBT or anything yet but I think I should really. I feel so guilty that when either of the DCs is ill, I am worrying about me getting it more than anything else.

The practical side is a PITA - the washing, the broken nights. But I have lost sleep waiting to hear them vomit in the night, feel very irritable because of how much it stresses me, and am v worried that we have big plans for this weekend and I don't want to be ill.

I do make sure they wash their hands when they get home, and I do the same after shopping (the trolleys etc). But I am finding lots of people keep putting about them being ill on their FB status at the moment, I wish they wouldn't Sad If they just put ill, I assume it's vomiting and work out when I saw them, could I be in the incubation period. I feel a big if they then specify it's a cold/chest infection/only Ebola, and not norovirus!

roundabout1 · 22/12/2011 20:40

bump - I so so belong on this thread!

Dd's have had a sickness bug sun/mon, thought was out of the woods & then dp started with awful diarrhoea & one episode of vomiting in the night. All day I've been waiting to feel bad & now do but don;t know if it;s a combination of thinking about it & tiredness or I have it. In a way would just like to know if I've got it as the worrying is the worse. I have an inner ear disorder so prone to nauesea & dizziness so have taken my meds for that as feeling rough & now I don't know if they are masking the symptoms - not completely as feeling sick & my mind just won't stay still.

BeckyBendyLegs · 22/12/2011 21:05

Hiya, I've just posted about this subject, so I know how you feel. It's horrible, isn't it? I hate it. I hope you are ok x