emetophobes, it's that time of year :(

[devilinside]

First bucket sighting at school this morning. My sister had norovirus last week after attending a party where some selfish buggers thought it was acceptable to bring along a vomiting toddler. Most of the other guests got the bug including an elderly man. Feel free to add your rants and worries here.

Hi waves

Can I join?

I suffer emetophobia too.

I'm LP so do struggle when DS is poorly as there's only me here. My newest coping mechanism is headphones and Dettol surface spray. I listen to classical music when DS is (thankfully rarely) poorly or I feel it myself. It does help to distract me a lot.

Well done Becky, never in a million years would I sleep in the same bed with DP feeling sick with a bucket, I would run for the hills (or sleep on the sofa!!) Hope everyone else is OK.

I need some sense talked into me, yesterday was an inset day, and I stupidly allowed the DC to choose where they went. DS chose soft play and wouldn't budge and do a less, um, risky activity! (he has ASD)

Fast forward today, and we are going away for the night to visit elderly relatives, This means us all in a Travelodge type place in one room. My brain is already going into meltdown, what the hell would I do, DP will think I'm completely nuts if I take bleach and latex gloves with me. DC will be in the SAME bed, HELP

We have had one more vomit. But he ate some dry toast at 10.30am and is showing no signs of throwing up again. DH is still here, thankfully - he understands my complete inability to deal with puking.

devilinside are you worried because they're ill? Or because they possibly might be?

devilinside, my ds vomited once when we were in Premier Inn at maybe 3am in the morning. Luckily he managed to get to the bathroom but there was a little bit of a mess on the toilet basin. I went to reception and asked for cleaning materials and they could not have been more helpful, even going so far as to offer to come along and clean the toilet for me (I refused... I'd prefer to rely upon myself not to spread any bugs around!). I can't imagine you'd need to take any cleaning materials. The hotel will have access to everything you might need in an emergency.

That notwithstanding, they'll probably be fine anyway. And I guess by the time I'm posting this, the night may have passed anyway. Best of luck.

They were ok, My mind went into overdrive wondering how I would cope. Good to hear they would supply cleaning materials in an emergency

Mind if I interlope? Not a mum yet...

I am SO glad it is not just me with this horrific phobia! It really can take over your life. I am not as yet a mum but hope to be one day and just feel like I will not be able to cope with the idea of even TTC at this point. I want kids a lot but the thought of everything that goes with it just chills me to the bone.

Completely hate it when people go "oh well no likes being sick do they?" SO VERY UNHELPFUL!! And breathe...

Did you guys still find it possible to enjoy pregnancy/kids even with this horrible thing? I just worry that it will suck all of the enjoyment out of the whole experience and turn it into something to be endured.

Dd1 has just been brought home early from her friends house as her friend was sick, poor dd is shaking and crying , can't believe I have passed this horrid phobia onto her. I'm trying to stay calm to calm her down, he friends was sick outside a supermarket, the boys mum drove them straight home, keeping her son in the front and dd in the back and then called us before bringing her straight back here. I was out when she was brought home, dh was here, dd1 took all her clothes off and was in bed shaking when I got home, I have bathed her and calmed her down a little. Fingers crossed she will be ok.

So, we headed across from hotel this morning to have breakfast in the pub. dS2 started to cry, I picked him up and whoosh - he vomited all down my jumper, then onto the floor, then outside. Loads of the stuff.

Nothing more since that at 8.30am. But bloody hell.

Oh Marne, hugs to your DD, she sounds like me at the same age, I would lie awake shaking all night if someone was sick in class. Really hoping she won't get it, but I'm guessing she wouldn't have got too close, she probably tried to stand well back (that's what I would have done as a child) and as your friend brought her straight home, l I would be optimistic.

youre, hope your ds is ok now

Dd1 seems ok this morning, less anxious , I hate seeing her lie that, feel so guilty as she's going to end up like me. She said she wasn't that close to him when he was sick, they were walking back to the car at Tesco's ,she said 'no sick got on her' so I am hoping she hasn't come into contact with any, she then came straight home in the car with him, apparently the boy felt fine after he was sick so doesn't seem to be anything too nasty ( just a mild tummy bug ), luckily he wasn't sick in his room whilst they were playing and it was outside ( makes me feel slightly less worried ), will be pleased when 48 hours is over and she gets the all clear.

Someone on here told me that the 'V-once' bugs don't pass on to adults, I have found that to be the case. DD had one back in the summer, no one else caught it.

There seems to be some worrying facebook posts today, keeping home as much as I can, although DC are going to a holiday play place tomorrow as I have a hospital appointment

"Did you guys still find it possible to enjoy pregnancy/kids even with this horrible thing?"

I didn't vomit during pregnancy. When the children were babies, they tended to bring up odd bits of milk and there was no retching, so that never really seemed too much like vomiting to me. After that, I have had horrible moments when it has been really stressful (like some of those described on here) but really I love them to pieces, and really the worry about bugs is only a very small part of motherhood. Horrible when it happens, but you do get through it.

Yep. Pregnancy was easy, I was sick once with dd1 ( took my by surprise so there was not time to get anxious and I felt fine after ), never felt sick during birth, the first year of having a baby was easy ( they just bring up milk and this is bearable ), once they start nursery then it goes down hill but then as they get older 7+ it gets easier again as they have more control ( can tell you when they are going to be sick and so ermines make it to the loo ) and they don't get ill as often.

Dd1's friends mum just called to check dd1 was ok as she seemed very upset when her friend was sick, apparently dd1 suggested that she called me to pick her up from Tesco's as she didn't want to travel back with her sick friend , if I had known I would have gone and got her as it must have been hard getting in the car with someone who maybe sick again. I think the boys mother probably thinks dd1 was over reacting slightly. The friend is now fine and has not been sick today ( but not sure if her was sick again yesterday, dh took the call and didn't ask any questions ). Dd1 is still a bit worried, if we get to this time tomorrow she should be fine. I have already had to clean up dog vomit today so don't want any more ( although I can just about cope with the dogs).

Has anyone here tried EMDR therapy? As a phobia specialist it's the leading technique to work with emetophobia. Generally around 2-3 sessions with EMDR included reduce it to manageable anxiety levels.

I havn't 3boys, what is it?

Sorry for late reply. EMDR stands for the long winded 'eye movement desensitisation reprogramming' therapy which is commonly used to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I use it in my practice to also treat phobias and food addictions (resulting in excellent success rates). I had a recent lady who came in with emetophobia and I treated her using EMDR and she said she was relieved as from her research showed that it was the most effective therapy to treat the condition with. (!)

It's a strange but very powerful therapy which makes the eyes move to different areas which in turn stimulates the brain and reprocesses the issue (it actually removes the resulting physical response). Past clients describe it as like using a computer with broken short cuts. You can generate the thought / image but without the resulting sensations/emotions which typically come with emetophobia.

I typically see emetophobia clients for 2-3 sessions to work with the phobia and maybe a few more to control anxiety/ stress. Often the biggest issue is working to overcome the belief that they have actually lost the fear which sits behind the phobia that it is actually now gone! (Hope that makes sense )

Hope that makes sense... DH came home from work with prosecco

Makes complete sense ,I will be looking into it! have tried so many other things including CBT and hypnotherapy, I'm willing to give anything a go.

I am a hypnotherapist but practice a combined range of psychotherapies. You need at least 3-6 sessions really to get over emetophobia

Having a worrying couple of days When I got to work yesterday my colleague was talking about how all her family had a bug over the weekend. She was feeling nauseous too. This evening I've started feeling a bit odd, hot and cold and my stomach feels odd. I'm going to get straight off to bed and hope I can sleep, but am feeling really panicky and scared.

Try not to worry Kazza, hope you get a good sleep

Do you have a website 3boys? I would be interested in reading more

Kazza, hope you are ok, do you have Motilium to hand?

Hope you sleep well Kazza. If your colleague wasn't actively having v or d, there's a good chance there was no contagion. Hopefully it's just nerves (which would be perfectly understandable).