Emetophobia - terrified of this sickness bug

[nellyraggbagg]

This sounds so stupid, but I'm completely terrified of the children (not to mention DH and me) catching this Norovirus that's doing the rounds. I've been emetophobic for as long as I can remember, and it has become even worse since having children. Every time they open their mouths, I'm terrified they're going to say they feel sick. When I go to bed at night, my last waking thought is: "Oh my God, what if they're sick in the night?" My DH is working away a lot at the moment, which makes matters even worse (he is good at dealing with sick, thank goodness!!) I have dealt with both children being sick (I have found that manic cleaning helps very slightly to take my mind off the blind panic), but am rigid with fear following newspaper reports of this current bug. How will I pick DS up from school if DD and/or I get it? My Mum is miles away, unfortunately. And what if DH gets it? I don't know how I'd cope if he were sick. Please, please help, someone - even if just by saying that I'm not the only person who feels like this!

Hi notalone, i live in dinnington. Our head office at work is nr the dearne valley, but we soon moving to doncaster.
BB.. Good on you for going!! You did brill! But think it was just one of those unfortunate unexplainable things that sometimes happens so prob nothing to worry about but i understand the 48hr thing.
The 'bowl at the party' story was a reminder of my daughter's party last year, we booked one of those playcentres for the afternoon and my ftiend turned up with her 2 kids, one of which was deathly white, so i commented on her palour and my friend just dropped it on me that she'd been up since 6a.m with dd who had not been well all day and had thrown up on the way to the party in the car!!!! I was absolutely mortified!! Went straight over to my husband in complete panic.The thing was, we had arranged for them to come back to our house after the party for our own little party, but no way could i do that now. My husband was brill, he explained the situation to my friend who was great about it actually, but i had to come home there and then coz i couldn't spend another minute breathing in the same air!! Was awful. My mil was horrible about it to me making out i'd spoilt it for the kids and that i was some sort of freak. Just what you need when you're feeling mega embarrassed anyway! Mil went on to say how one of her friends had pewked up in her hands once and it was nothing...whoopiidoo!! Can you imagine how i felt? It was awful. But still to this day, don't know why people drag their poorly kids out???why????? Soz to go on a bit there, but it gets me!!xx

yes thats the good thing really coz i had a friend at the party who doesn't have this phobia but who was also horrified that someone would bring a sick child to such a germ magnet place anyway!! Its the same at work when people come into work and announce they've 'been up all night', yet think it's some great achievement that they've struggled into work! They ain't doing anyone any favours...stay at home!!! Can't understand the mentallity.xx

BB - really glad the lunch was a success after all. How are you all today?

Wiggelit - I know Dinnington but its quite a way from me. Do you work in the Dearne Valley yourself? I am so with you on the about people who come to work the second after the V stops. My old manager used to do this and would walk around with a smug look as if to say "see what a trooper I am". He would then expect the same off everyone else . Well bugger that! Your MIL isn't the understanding type then? Mine would be exactly the same - they just don't understand the sheer fear of it all.

Nelly - I am the same with my precious First Defence. If it runs out when I am out I feel a bit panicky.

Hello BB! My DH also goes in for marmite toast when he has eaten dodgy things (which he does make a habit of doing, to my horror... He ate some baked beans the other day that had been open in the fridge for five days (yes, I know, I should have binned them long before, but I never even get chance to breathe when both dcs are around). I spent a whole day worrying and expecting him to be ill - and he was v smug when it didn't happen. Humph.

I'm very interested to hear that your treatment might be starting so soon. Since deciding to get myself referred, I have been to the surgery twice to collect prescriptions, and have chickened out of making an appointment twice. I don't know why - I think I must still be afraid of feeling silly in front of a GP (who, because she's a GP, is obviously very confident and has never had a problem in her life - or that's how it feels!!) I am looking forward to hearing how it goes. Maybe that will provoke me into action!

Hope your DH is completely better tomorrow, and that all the fellow-phobes have a good night!

Hi everyone!Notalone, I don't work in the dearne valley, i just have to go there for meetings etc. Where abouts are you? I'm not staying on the computer tonight coz my dh wants to go on ebay. Hope things ok with everyone! Have a lovely evening. Catcha later.xx

Evening all. Just popping in again to say hi and welcome to newbies - Wiggelit - and anyone else I've not met before.

To anyone else considering CBT, I would say please do seriously think about trying it. I have been having an hour of CBT every 2 to 3 weeks for the past 5 months or so, on the NHS. I can't quite put my finger on how it has helped me, other than the fact that my therapist seems so unphased by my issue. When I cry at upset or frustration she just lets me get on with it - her immediate reaction isn't to try and make me feel better. She just seems so at ease with the way I am that it has helped me to learn to live with the way I am, IYSWIM? That in itself is calming.

I had a day of revelation not long ago. DS's pre-school rang and asked me to collect him because "he's not feeling well". DH was abroad. So, in a weirdy kind of trance, I set off straight away to collect him from nursery. He was white as a sheet and all shivery. Got him home, put him on sofa with duvet, got a bowl (!), all the time feeling quite calm and "I can cope" with it. Don't know why, really. As it happens, he wasn't sick, but in a really really odd sort of way, I hoped he would be, to test my treatment.

Anyway, am feeling much brighter generally. The sunny weather helps, as does fewer incidences of vomiting amongst school friends etc. I have explained all this to therapist and I think she understands that the problem is so much worse during Autumn/Winter terms at school. In a way I am very lucky that my turn on the waiting list (October) happened to coincide with the most fraught time of year for an emetophobe! My therapist has caught on to this and she is so helpful.

My big news is that I am going to meet the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, in a meeting arranged by my therapist. The Government is considering putting more funding into CBT and she is of course lobbying for this. He wants to meet people who are having the therapy to talk about why it is important for them - she has asked me to go to the meeting as she obviously feels I am making progress. I am happy to do sop; anything that can help people becoming dependent on ADs, or quietly going round the twist on their own, has got to be a good thing?

When is Medicine Men on, BB? Ha ha ha, am actually laughing at the thought of trying to sit down and watch this!

Apparently there is a therapy for heroin addiction taught by Buddhist monks in Tibet. The therapees (?) go through 21 days of purging and vomiting. There was a tv programme on, oh I can't remember probably C4, not so long ago. I dutifully steered clear of it with a bargepole, but I probably should have watched.

I find people with bullimia oddly fascinating. Of all the terrible things that might possibly befall me in this funny old world, at least I can honestly say with hand on heart I'll never become bullimic. Some comfort isn't it??

Good evening all! Had a bit of a moment as my best friend popped over yesterday with her dc who she said puked first thing Sunday morning - only once and then she ate breakfast not long after as she was starving! My friend was convinved her dc did not have a bug and if so she would not have come over. Cue PANIC for me - inside my head anyway!! My head was adding 2 and 2 together and coming up with 10 and convincing myself it was something dreadful. Anyway have managed to try to be rational and not dwell on it. I mentioned it to my dh tonight only to be told by him that he spoke to my friend on Sunday and that he knew about the incident, that he had told me about it and I must have forgotten.
Now as fellow sufferers of this horrible phobia do you think I would forget something like that?? He's still absolutely convinced he told me on Sunday.

Daphne, I too can't stand watching anything on TV to do with vomit. I am a little better these days than I used to be but I'm sure deep down my dh thinks I'm insane.

In fact I've just been prescribed some new ADs for PND and anxiety as my previous ones gave me terrible side effects. I am too scared to take these new ones as the most common side effect of these is nausea and vomiting.

I'm so glad I have found you all to confide in. It is such a comfort to be able to write my feelings down like this.

Don't you find though, there's something different to obsess over every single day? We've just had a playdate with a mum who's DD had the V bug over a week ago. The mum hasn't contracted it, even though her eldest son did (he wasn't with us). Now I'm obsessing that she must be harbouring it without showing any symptoms - or that her dd is still contagious. I know I will be in panic mode tonight!

DS has been sick about half an hour ago!!! DH away until tomorrow afternoon. I've got to clear it up (carpet) what do I do?

bumping.

Need help! Not exactly tea-time reading but am having quite a tense time here and would like someone to talk to actually!!! Thank you .

Right daphne put on gloves cover with loads of kitchen roll have carrier/bin bag by you scoop up and put in bag. Spray carpet with loads of cleaner etc

Daphne - welcome back! Nice to hear from you again.

Not so nice to hear about your DS, though. I am so sorry. Carpet: presumably you've dealt with it by now, but I'd go for the rubber gloves and kitchen roll, followed by lots of soap and water/cleaner/anything I could find in the cupboard that would keep me occupied so I didn't have to think about what was happening.

Are you as calm as you appear? If so, what a fantastic advert for CBT. I would be in major panic mode by now. Why do DCs save this for when DHs are absent? The last time my DD was sick, it was when DH was away (and it was our wedding anniversary, to add insult to injury!!) I am so full of admiration that you can manage to post coherently - I'm not sure I could even manage to do that.

How fascinating that you're going to meet Alan Johnson. Do let us know what happens!

Oh, and funnybunny: your DH did not tell you. There's no way you could have forgotten that bit of info!! He probably thought he told you, but forgot to actually do it. I can still remember people telling me about sundry children being sick five years ago!!

Daphne - I have my fingers crossed for you that your DS is better soon, and that there are no further incidents. I shall be thinking of you.

Hi everyone! just been catching up on the latest...Daphne. how are you??? You presumably have dealt with situation, how are things now? Well done for coping!!!!! Full of admiration coz no way could i have cleaned it up.Are you ok? How is ds? xx

Daphne are you OK? How is your DS? Hoping it was just a one off incident.

BB sorry yr af arrived this morn. I have 2 v close friends ttc#1. Really feel for them..and you.. Daphne, how you dealing with things? Was going to ask you about the
cbt and also wish you luck with the mp.let's hope it does some good! Do you think cbt has helped you then? I have had lots of therapies but nothing has cured me, although i have to say i am a lot better at dealing with things......'til they happen!! I'm going to see my dr next week and will ask to be put on the waiting list for cbt. But i know i will only get so far with it. I had behavioural therapy but as soon as it got to watching a vid of someone v then i couldn't get passed that. Still can see it in my mind's eye now and that was years ago!!