emetophobia - crying with fear, please help

[footprint]

dd is so ill today and can't even keep water down. Started sunday night but she was better yesterday, eating and everything but today is terrible. Have spent half the morning cleaning up....she is finally sleeping now

Freaking out terribly, I have bad emetophobia and I am SO SCARED - how can I not catch it after being vomited on and cuddling. I so don't want to pass this fear onto her, it is like a curse. I am cuddling her and telling her it's ok but I can't eat, I have hardly eaten for 3 days, I am terrified.

Please, anyone who's around I need someone to calm me down.

Thanks Fio

I am just feeling so alone, dh at work, just helps to know someone is out there.

Don't forget Footprint that your dd probably has some bug which you already have a resistance to, so the chances are you will not catch it, or if you do, it will not be as severe as in your dd. A doctor at local hos explained this to me after trailing in with 2 of mine because of dehydration. Try and keep your fluids up and hopefully somebody with the same problems will answer you soon.
Lots of luck

Sorry to hear this. YOu want Californifrau, Snuffy143 or others really. (They are the emetophobes I have noticed.) I am thinking of you anyway.

Sweetie, have a look at this thread . And I'll email Californifrau for you too.

Am here can totally relate. Just hang in there...i know there is nothing that anyone can say to make you feel better. If you are cuddling and being sick on, you are doing MUCH better than I do. I have to make sure my Mum's mobile is on ALL the time (I check up on her every day!) so that I can ring day or night (when DH is away). She comes. She is vomited on. I do a runner.

Thanks so much everyone, I am feeling a little calmer now. I know there are other emetophobes on here, in fact an amazing number.

niceglasses - thanks so much for that, if I can tell myself that I am prob resistant to it, that really helps the panic. Dh has had diarrhoea for the past week, so perhaps I will only get it from that end (better!)

MI - that thread was great thankyou

snuffy143 - my mum is 1000 miles away and anyway not very good with vomittiness (think that is where I got it from). I am counting my blessings that I am ok with my dd, it is only ME catching it I am worried about. Sounds really selfish, but that's the way it is.

I have not panicked like this for a while. Tried seeing a therapist about anxiety a few months ago, but he just couldn't get how bad it is. I would like CBT but tricky as I live in a country where I dont speak the language.

This and the world cup making me terribly homesick right now

I know I am really lucky. Weirdly, I am not at all bothered when I feel or am sick. But others? Blimey, I freak! Mum said when I was in reception, when another child was sick, they'd deal with me first (hysterical) and then the sick child! I have watched all our bugs in our family VERY carefully and the grown ups hardly ever (if at all) catch the children's germs. You must be immune, I should think.

I know I am really lucky. Weirdly, I am not at all bothered when I feel or am sick. But others? Blimey, I freak! Mum said when I was in reception, when another child was sick, they'd deal with me first (hysterical) and then the sick child! I have watched all our bugs in our family VERY carefully and the grown ups hardly ever (if at all) catch the children's germs. You must be immune, I should think.

Sorry...click mania around here!

Snuffy, how wierd that we are completely opposite about this!

dd can not even keep water down, getting so worried about dehydration

Poor you footprint (and poor dd too). Also terrified of sick - mostly other people's, like snuffy. I still remember someone being sick at primary school and the person next to him was allowed to move. I was next to her, and wasn't allowed to move. Still feel queasy at the thought. Can't watch Casualty...

If DS is sick, I too spend time calculating how long it will take for me to catch it... And run a mile. Get really worried about it when DH goes away.. Be v. careful about washing your hands, clothes etc. your washing machine will be on full blast! Oh, and if she makes it to the loo, only touch the handle to flush through toilet roll! Wear rubber gloves?

Have you called the doctor re. dehydration? I did hear somewhere that sucking ice cubes means that little bits of water go down, but not too much at one time, and means you're less likely to chuck it back up. That might help her.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1366&threadid=171745#3574788

Go to this link (sorry, can't work out how to put in a link properly) - lots of messages on this thread about emetophobia...

Footprint, Dumbledoresgirl has given her email address on the previous discussion you were on - can you find it? I'll post her message again for you.

Poor you

By Dumbledoresgirl at 1.25 pm

"Footprint, my heart goes out to you. What rotten luck for you. Do you have some disposable rubber gloves to wear whilst cleaning up? All you can do is wear the gloves, use the antiseptic spray on everything and trust to your superior immune system. I am sorry I wasn't around earlier for you. It did occur to me earlier though that I would be quite happy to support people on msn is you need to chat during a crisis. Although I am as phobic as the rest of you (yes RT, I remember every vomiting incident far too vividly) I do seem to be able, where I know others are sometimes not, to chat about it. Anyway, I am [email protected] if anyone needs an understanding ear. "

Thanks everyone, she is now sleeping again. We have been giving her spoonfuls of tea with sugar and she has kept that down and wee-ed which is a relief.

Am now panicking that I have not been wearing rubber gloves!!! But as she has thrown up on me, around me and everywhere else, I guess if I'm gonna get it, I'm gonna get it (why isn't there a "TERIIFIED" emoticon.

I read the whole of the thread that clairemow linked to - amazed to read that it made it onto the homepage! So many of us though, and NO ONE who has found a way to get over it

I know that part of the reason I'M feeling so awful is because i haven'T eaten, but I just can't. I have an eating disorder too (not sure where that beginsand emetophobia ends...) so this is not at all good.

Thanks for all the replies and support, means a lot

I know, there doesn't seem to be a solution. Personally it would be soooo unpleasant to have to face my fear, that I just could't do it that way. Maybe hypnotism might work, or accupuncture? But then you've got to test it out, and that's where the theory falls down for me!

I hope your DD gets better really quickly, and that you don't catch it. All fingers crossed.

Footprint... you sound like you're doing a great job, just hang in there!
I have a total and irrational fear of anyone else being sick and of me vomitting too. I thought i'd improve after being pregnant and having 2 children but if anything, my fear has increased ten fold. I'm just adamant that my little ones aren't going to pick up on my phobia, so if my 3 year old ds is ever sick, i just take very deep breaths and virtually hold my breath until him and surrounding areas are clean! If my dh is around when my ds is ill, he deals with him and i just get to cuddle a clean little boy, while panicking inside that he might be sick on me..
My dd is only 5 months old so baby sick isn't a problem... yet! Am dreading her moving onto solids though.
Anyway, just wanted to say 'hi' and to let you know that i'm thinking of you... hope your dd gets better much soon.. for your sake as much as hers..
Womba x

How's she doing, Footprint? How are YOU doing? I think it's weird that our phobias are opposite, too. I am also amazed about the people who are posting on this thread, thinking they are terrible cos they can't clean it up, only cuddle a clean child. I can't go near my children if they have been sick...different floor of the house needed! I CAN clean it up...how weird is THAT? DH (if around, otherwise Mother) takes charge of child and I scrub...latex gloves essential (Boots) and lots of disinfectant...everywhere! The kids know I don't 'do' sick but are not scared themselves. I think phobias like this have deep seated roots in childhood...know that is how it is for me. Do you think our kids can sort of 'catch' the phobia?? I'd hate for them to feel like we all do!

Thanks Claire, Womba, CaliforniaFrau and Snuffy,

yes, it helps to know there are others in the same position (although, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy). But the thought of living with this fear for the rest of my life is so awful, I wonder how I can cope

I am determined not to pass this on to poor old dd, it is a curse.

She seems to be a little better, but still only giving her spoonfuls of water. I managed to eat dinner, thanks to dh.

Well done on dinner footprint. And glad to hear DD has taken something down now.

I too could not clean up sick. DS was sick once in his cot, luckily, DH was at home. I went in to get him from his nap (he'd started crying, presumably after throwing up...), and immediately on opening the door, backed out and yelled for DH. Didn't go back in at all until the bed was stripped, everything in washing machine, DS cleaned up. And it wasn't even a large sick!

Live in dread of DS developing car sickness, and refuse to go on ferries as although I don't get seasick, I can't bear it if others do. We last went on a ferry about 4 years ago to Brittany and I insisted on a cabin, which I entered on arrival on the boat, and left on reaching shore the other side. Not taking any chances.

Californifrau, what is the huge towel trick? think I need to have this one up my sleeve...

Snuffy, my mum is exactly like me, and my dad always looked after us if we were sick as children. So I reckon it can be picked up. Trying not to let DS see my fear. Footprint, I think you've been doing fantastically well on this score, and you have full admiration from here.

Xxxx