Need hand hold due to stupid phobia

[crispsloveme]

You guessed it. Emetophobic.

My daughter is 3 and she still has s bottle of milk at bed time. Tonight she said she didn't like the bits (not sure what she means, maybe her daddy didn't shake it enough when he made it) she said it made her feel poorly.

It is follow on milk as she has only recently started liking cows milk and still wants her follow up milk at bedtime.

I know I sound irrational but with this phobia you just look at everything and worry.

Every time she has had a bug before she has not wanted her milk, any other time milk is her favourite drink. I'm going out of my mind with worry that she will be sick. I just know it is going to happen.

She has eaten well today according to nursery but they also said she was a bit quiet this afternoon. She did a normal poo at home and asked for snacks.

I feel so anxious and panicky. DP said she has said the same to him about the milk bits when he had done bedtime and not wanted it. With me she always drinks it unless she has ended up being ill.

I'm also pregnant and I have been seriously ill over the last few months. I'm on lots of drugs that lower my immune system so I will pick anything up.

Putting this in words helps, I know that if she is going to be ill, I can't stop that.

Sorry for the long post. I feel like I am going crazy with panicky feelings.

I completely understand.
I am the same.
I have 3 kids and have had emmetophobia since 2005 when my then 2 year old had a ridiculous amount of bugs .
so to reassure you and I know it's hard as the phobia always wants to win !
nut what helps me is to think ... I can't change it of they are going to be ill
make all the preparations you would normally do.. for me this is bleach in a bucket..towels. gloves .. bin bags.
keep calm .
hope she is ok and believe me whatever happens you will survive

another thing I do is stay in the room with them for a few hours or let them stay up late as a treat to check.
for me the worst thing is beinvbdownstsits and hearing them throw up.

Have you had any treatment for your phobia?

I'm the same :-( I bloody hate this phobia it's ruined my life! Even with some treatment it still hasn't gone completely.

I have this too, I ran out the hairdressers today (mid haircut!) because my hair lady mentioned her co worker was off today with D&V. (Worst small talk ever!) I literally had a panic attack all the way home & had to shower, use anti bac on my hair & face etc.

I know the risk is so low but I am freaking out tonight.

Hopefully your DD will be okay @crispsloveme, it's always sad when little ones are ill as they don't understand. Maybe the milk was off or something? Hence the bits.

@Littlebird88 @coffeecoffeecofffee @sighrollseyes

How do we function ? It's awful isn't it? Ultimately scared of our own bodies. I don't like others being sick, but if I knew there was no chance I would catch it, I would still be anxious but I can deal with it.

I'm on drugs that lower my immune system at the moment so terrified. Every cough/cold she has had I have caught when normally I don't.

@SexNotJenga had hypnotherapy, which helped at the time but not now. Going to be referred for CBT soon hopefully. I will try anything but never really ever read stories of people being cured of it.

It's going to be a long night of worry. My DP tries to understand but he just says 'she's fine' I'm normally right though. She didn't seem ill and was asking for food, not that means anything though.

I always want to run away, but I don't know about you - I don't trust anyone else to deal with it properly (as in the hygiene and not spreading it)

I'm so worried

@crispsloveme I'm exactly the same, I'm so scared of illness (even colds etc) yet I'm the first to follow the sick person around with bleach and cleaning products!

I literally can't function, scared to have a child in the future due to morning sickness etc, I'm studying my degree from home as I hate using transport and going to uni everyday due to germs. It's a nightmare, I get so shaky and can't breathe when I freak out about it.

crispsloveme you have my sympathy, I spent an evening and night worrying about a similar situation last week. I put towels on his bed and on the floor beside his bed, at least that way I felt it would be more manageable.
I’m the opposite to you, I can cope when it’s me as I’m in control of that, not when it’s someone else.
Hoping that your night goes OK.

@coffeecoffeecofffee god knows how I managed to have a child and now pregnant with my second. I coped okay with morning sickness, I felt incredibly sick, but never was. It's the bugs she picks up that fills me with fear.

I am so careful to not freak out in front of her though as I do not want to pass on my fear to her.

The milk tonight was not off, it's powdered. Iv been quizzing my DP and he says she's said it a few times this week and she's just growing up and getting picky. Just like she has suddenly asking "what's that?" If there is something she is not sure about on her food (for example a stringy bit on an orange or the white bit in the middle of a cut strawberry) she always says she doesn't like that.

I'm not buying it. She always drinks her milk!!!

Nothing to report on 'sick watch' she is fast asleep.

I will probably stay away for as long as I can to monitor it.

@DrWhy - how was your worry night in the end?

If I wasn't pregnant I would be taking plenty of anti sickness pills. Iv been through so much over the last few months, I don't want this as well.

This phobia is totally about control, I hate being out of control in ever aspect of life.

I had CBT for emetophobia and I would say I now have a normal reaction to vomiting, I was in a house where they have d&v yesterday, I just made sure I practiced good hand hygiene, came home and forgot about it. Once I was a recluse and couldn't eat for days if I knew there was a sickness bug doing the rounds.

I hope your dd is ok and I hope you manage to get help for this.

@bloodywhitecat that is great that CBT helped you. That is really positive to hear.

I have had to come up to bed as I keep falling asleep. I was hoping to stay away so I could monitor the situation. I have just checked on her and she is still sound asleep.

@crispsloveme that's good she's still asleep, maybe the powdered milk tasted bitty? (Like when you make a powdered hot choc and it's not mixed well) That's a pretty reasonable explanation. Kids always decide they suddenly don't like something (even a previous favourite like milk for your dd!) so I'm sure it's just a phase.

Get some rest, you must be exhausted- the anxiety and stress takes up so much of your energy doesn't it!

Well it was a fine night with no sickness. We have been out all day today and this morning she said she doesn't like her milk in a bottle anymore because it is 'too sweet'. So tonight we have had cows milk (her request) in a cup.

Maybe I was worrying over nothing and she has just grown up.

Although we have been at a germ filled theme park today so who knows.

Thanks for your support last night, it's hard when you just want to talk but don't really have anyone in real life who understands.

crispsloveme my watch night was fine in the end, I’m so glad yours was too. It is such a hideous situation and you live so on edge. Theme parks, softplay, nursery, public transport, even going out on a Friday night all worry me for either the potential to pick up bugs or the risk of encountering someone being sick. I try not to let it limit life but it is hard.