Emetophobic meets the nurovirus

[aintnoregular]

Well... the subject says it all.

I have quite sever anxieties around being sick and germs that may involve illnesses such as the nurovirus. So much so that I also don't eat meat, to avoid food poisoning, and spend most of my day feeling sick, because I'm worrying about being sick. Crazy, I know.

I work in a hospital environment and very recently there has been an outbreak of vomiting, with many staff members going off sick. I work long days. So far I have found it almost impossible to be in that environment. Am I wrong to call in sick in order to avoid the trauma it makes me feel?

I feel for you. I am emetophobic too (although not as anxious as I used to be) and I hate hospitals and crowded places and public transport at this time of year especially.

You say you work in a hospital environment - I'm guessing not in direct patient contact in any way due to the emet? If you're too nervous to work properly and safely then it's probably better if you do call in sick, but that's not really a long term solution.

OccasionalNachos This is the worst time of year definitely!

I work in a mental health hospital so yes I am in direct patient contact however it is not usually a highly clinical environment. But because it is such a confined environment I guess it's just like dominoes!

I think you're right in the sense that it is not a long term solution. I think the anxiety that it would cause me going in to work would limit me just as much as if I actually had the nurovirus. I will be starting group CBT next month so this may improve my prospects for the future.

Best of luck with the CBT. I really feel for you.

I work in a confined office and took a week off when there was a norovirus this year- the anxiety I felt was so atrocious, it was better for all that I stayed away.

I was once working in a office where a colleague flew back from a holiday in China during the avian influenza outbreak. I was crapping it...

All for nothing..