Emetophobia- new thread as other was full, all welcome.

[Marne]

Hope you all manage to find this , i just used up the last post on the other thread.

tallulah - you have certainly summed me up & put it all so much more eloquently than I could!

Hehe I'm not usually very eloquent :-) . Hope everyone is good today and looking forward to Easter .

Can't wait for easter! its going to be so much fun!

I'm new to this thread so sorry if this question has appeared before but I would be very grateful for any advice. My emetophobia started when I was 10 ish and looking back it has kind of ruled my life since. Anyhow, from my teens it has resulted in me loosing weight gradually (if in doubt some food could cause a problem I won't have it / go without), to a point now where i'm v underweight. Seems like catch 22, I need to eat more which = more chance of eating something that will make me ill / or I will eat too much of same things = make me ill, but can't not try to increase weight as that is making me experience other health probs.
Anyone out there who has been in similar situation, or who has been able to recover from same predicament?

Hi everyone, I hope you and all your families are all well. I do not like easter much because of too many fb posts about children v*ing from too much chocolate (there's always something isn't there?).

thesun I am so sorry you are going through this but, if it helps, I have been in your exact position and sort of made it through. I have had this phobia since the age of about 3. It varied in it's degrees of being incapacitating throughout my childhood and teenage years but really took a hold in my early twenties. I went from 10 stone to 5 stone 7 and was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and hospitalised a couple of times. Of course it was the phobia that made me too scared to eat not AN but it is still an eating disorder.

The turning point re weight gain for me came one New Years eve. I had bought a lovely dress to wear to a family party (just a small thing, I didn't and still don't do large get togethers). It was so beautiful and a size 6. I put it on and it just fell off me, I looked in the mirror and in that moment I decided that I was not going to be in this position any more. I got really angry with the phobia and used the anger as a stepping stone to encourage me to eat. I still only stuck to 'safe' foods (and still do) but I very gradually increased what I ate. It was very very difficult and I needed a lot of reassurance from my DM, CPN and friends that I wouldn't v* but I did it and as my weight went up, I found that I felt better mentally. It is so true that starving yourself diminishes your mind's ability to reason rationally, once you start to gain weight you will feel better both physically and mentally.

I really hope you find the fight in you to help you eat. The phobia is just terrible, you do not need to compound your fears by starving yourself. Eating will NOT make you v*.

Keep writing on here x

itsokay thanks for reply. Its nice to know that there are others that have got through what I'm going through atm. I haven't been to gp for a long time now and although I know it would be the sensible thing to do with respects to weight loss and just checking nothing else is going on, I'm petrified they would send me straight off to hospital. I completely agree I have an eating disorder but certainly not AN (although all same symptoms). And yes, I've had so many occasions like you described where I have got really angry and frustrated with this phobia and the impact it has had, but until now I just have not managed to change things around, but I'm so damn determined
Can i ask, did you get any professional help? Also, I tend to stick to eating the same foods, but just wondered if you could suggest what things helped you gain weight, and the amount you ended up having to have?
Thanks again for your support.

Glad you're feeling the anger! Definitely something to use

I had such an amazing CPN that visited me at home every week and we did a food diary. At my lowest point I was only eating 3 hazelnuts and 10 raisins a day and that was so I could take my tablets. I think that for the time being, forget about your weight and just concentrate on things that you feel okay eating and start from there. For me, ryvita with peanut butter was okay so I'd have one slice in two halves. Remember (I don't know how much you weigh but if you've lost a lot of weight it is important) that your stomach has shrunk and you are probably going to equate the feeling of fullness with nausea, it isn't nausea really but our emet minds like to trick us! Instead of thinking, I'm going to eat a big dinner, just have small snacks throughout the day. I used to have a ramekin of peas as an evening meal, strange but true .

There is a way through this and you CAN do it, honestly, I was suicidal at quite a few points as I thought my life would stay as one big panic attack forever and I couldn't handle it but you CAN.Please see your GP, you will probably need a blood test to check for malnutrition and you may be referred to a dietician.

I still have a pretty restricted diet but I take a multi vit and just eat more of it. Bland foods are my staple and I'm a strict veggie with no milk, cream, ice cream etc but that's because I'm lactose intolerant.

One more thing, my CPN gave me the best piece of inspiration to keep going. You know how you can often feel so guilty and a failure? Well, instead of trying to tell yourself that you're not and that you're brilliant etc, just keep repeating "I am as good and as bad as the next person and deserve to be here". It really helped me and I hope it can help you too.

Let me know how you get on x

Oh, I saw a psychiatrist for years but that was only to review medication etc and had quite a few bouts of CBT. Just waiting for my 4th lot to start.

got to share my latest experience, DD ( 4) in hospital for routine op ( this is op number 13) so we used to it , in a way.

Had to go yesterday for op today, we were in a side room, overheard another mum saying her son ( looked about 15 months) had D and V , the other mum said her had too.

Bugger

Tried to rationlise, may not be infectious, not near us etc etc

However one of the mums left her child for the night and this poor litle baby wandered up and down shouting for his mummy, and throwing up! aahhhhh

Heard him in the night throwing up and bit caffule of nurses went into his room to clear up,I watched , no aprons, no gloves just handtowels!!

aaaaahhhhh, presume some handwashing went on.

Today this boy had the same nurse as my daughter ! shit! did she wash her hands, what has she touched blah blah!

anyway nothing much more i can do, I have some anti viral gel but my daughter had a drip in so didnt want to use etc.

aaahhhhhhh

Fingers crossed

oh while she was in theatre I boought a newspaper, didnt look at headline till Id bought it " vomiting epidemic sweeps country"

im in scotland was on the Herald newspaper ( a scottish national, but glasgow based)

Thank you for reasssuring. They had put up a isolation sign on his door but his mum ignored it, he was wandering in and out the ward kitchen with a sick bowl.
His mum left him to go out for a smoke ( for a few hours, poor wee soul) and he was sitting on a nursing assistnats knee at the nurses station! she then came and changed my daughters bed, no handwashing involved.

oh no bb, where did you see that?

found it

I HATE this year so much already. Feels like we're existing in a fog of viruses and I just want to keep ds and myself indoors and not see anyone. This is having an impact on my agoraphobia.

I hate all the scaremongering stories too - I think it's irresponsible journalism.

Just to keep things in perspective, though, according to the latest HPA report, current Norovirus levels are only 5% above what they were this time last year.

Hello. I am joining in here as I'm an awful emetophobic. DS1 currently has a vomiting bug so DH is sleeping with him (he is 2.7).

I adore DS1 but feel horrified at all the times he has kissed DS2 and me over the last couple of days - and I'm ashamed for feeling that about my beautiful boy.

Meanwhile I am left with DS2, terrified that at six weeks, he will get the D&V or I will pick it up. And terrified anyway that DS2 will overeat - he is breastfed - and vomit on me without DH here in bed to wind him.

This whole thing has kicked off terrible anxiety (am not particularly anxious in general) and I will feel unwell for ages until I know there is no risk of any more vomiting.

Honestly, why do I feel this way? I hate emetophobia.

Hi everyone!
Well, here I am again.
Ds2 has just come home from pils and been sick about 4 times.
He is now on sofa with bowl and watching tv.
I am in full on panic mode but try very very hard not to let ds see it.
Held the bowl etc and stripped him off...
It's going to be a loooong not!
I though noro was supposed to be gone by this time of year!.

Hi bb.
He wasnt sick in the night.
I slept with him so didn't get much sleep! :)
I had a towel, sock bowl, bleach spray and gloves by the bed!!
He has had a banana and water this morning so we shall see.
Oh, I hate this bloody phobia :(
I will be on tenterhooks for re next 48 hours...you know how it is.
It's even more annoying that I know exact,y where he has can't it from...a girl at pre school. Her mother sends her in when she is poorly regardless.
She was coughing so hard last week she was retching, poor thing.
Ds2 told me she was sick at pre school but he can't remember on what day.
At least this wasnt last week prior to ds1s residential trip...I am trying to be positive ;)

Oh, btw, I have bought a book from amazon...thrive - how to overcome your emetophobia.
I haven't read it yet...not sure if you have heard of it?
Might start it tonight.

[[Cure Your Emetophobia & Thrive: The Research-backed Self-help Programme to Overcome Your Fear of Being Sick [Spiral-Bound]
Rob Kelly (Author), Charlotte Allen (Illustrator)]]
Hope that worked!

Gah!
I am rubbish at links!