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!

morning all, from a frazzled zonedout. god, this is so stupid, i feel like a condemned woman rather than the very lucky person i am, about to embark on a trip of a lifetime...

hope peaceful nights were had all round. ds slept through until 6am (unheard of in the zonedout household) cue frantic hourly checkings, wondering what on earth was wrong and expecting to wake up to v. can't believe i am admitting this here he does still have quite a yucky cold so i guess that explains it.

ineedapoo, what a nightmare. fingers tightly crossed for you and dd.

annoyingdevil, i am fully up for an emet meet up on my return... quite a crazy thought (i mean, its not quite like a book club or a swimming group or even a post-natal group ) i am sure many of my friends (particularly my mummy friends) think i am totally strange and rather aloof... i usually suggest meeting in playgrounds as much as possible, lay low when bugs are doing the rounds and frequently sneak in a quick hand wipe to poor ds etc so it would be so nice to meet people who find this craziness normal...

tarantulip, glad you had a lovely evening... good luck today! crowded stuffy rooms give me the heeby jeebys too...

wow a meet up would be great

I have been following this thread since it started and I am in the same position as the rest of you. I have posted my story before as I have recently been diagnosed with PND, anxiety and I suffer from this dreadful emetophobia. DS has a tummy bug at the beginning of December and it was truly awful. I confided in my husband who has been terrific but clearly doesn't really understand what it's like to suffer like this.

I have been to my GP and am now on prozac for the PND and anxiety. Thought it might help ease the other but it hasn't. Everything that's been written on here applies to me too. It is a comfort to know that I'm not alone.

In fact DS 4yr has just gone to a birthday party at an indoor play park. DH has strict orders to wash his hands before the kids eat and not to let DS put fingers in his mouth! I will now spend the next 48 hours on tenderhooks.

I am so tired of worrying all the time. It is really starting to bring me down and no matter how much I fight against it I feel the same.

My last posting about this is under PND anxiety and emetophobia which I started in December.

funnybunny, i remember your posts. i am truly sorry you are going through such a rough time. goodness knows, emet is exhausting and soul destroying enough in itself to contend with but living with pnd at the same time

i am in NW London and also drive so can travel. would be equally happy to host if it helps.

so girls, will probably not get back on here before we leave... healthy healthy vibes to all and thank you so much for helping to keep me (in)sane during the noro debacle. i cannot tell you all how much comfort (and lots of laughter ) i have gained from you fab bunch.

'see' you all in a couple of weeks, will be sure to come looking for you xx

ps bb, hope dd is ok will see what i can do re; the elephant!

bb - good news re your DD. They do go funny sometimes. My DD seems okay today, despite funny poo, so I am hoping for the best. Went to Ikea today - cue manic anti-bacterialising of the revolting table-tops. The man cleaning the tables was using the same manky cloth for all of them, and for the chairs. Ugh!!

Of course, DH had to go and buy biscuits and a Danish pastry that were not in sealed wrappers. I did not say anything, as I think he's probably heard more than enough about noro recently! Then DS said he was feeling hot, which threw me into a tizz - but it may just have been because he had his coat on.

I'd love to meet fellow sufferers, but have to make a confession: I'd have to get DH to look after the children, and that means I'd have to tell him that I've been posting on this site - something I've not dared to do in case he thinks I'm even more of a nutter about this whole emet thing than he already knows I am . How sad is that? But I'm in W Yorkshire, just in case I ever dare to confess all to him...

I do find it a comfort to know that there are other people like me. Living in my own head is horrible sometimes. Poor Funnybunny (welcome, by the way!) - having PND as well must be dreadful. I can certainly sympathise on the anxiety front. DH has taken the children for a walk, and if I let myself think about it, I'll become convinced that one of them will get hit by a car/abducted/come to some kind of harm. As I say, living in my head can be a real pain. I can never understand it when people hit by disaster say "I never imagined it would happen to me". I have surely imagined every possible disaster a million times over. I wonder how it feels not to be anxious about things?

However, I am rambling on when I should be working (which is why DH has taken the children out!!) With a bit of luck, they will all come back in one piece without having developed noro!

Hi everyone

Annoyingdevil, I must have missed your post from last night - a meet-up would be great. I'm in Surrey, but don't mind driving. Not sure what I would tell dp though - "I'm going to meet some people I met on Mumsnet to talk about how terrified we all are about being sick"!! He doesn't really know about the full extent of my fear - he knows I am 'funny' about sick and will always ask me if I want to change channels if any v-ing appears on TV. I once told him I would rather have my head chopped off than throw up (what he doesn't realise is, I meant it !

Anyway, hope you've all had a good day. Funnybunny, I really feel for you - I had PND with both of mine, it does make everything else that much harder to deal with.

DD's karate grading wasn't as bad as feared, there weren't many people in the hall by the time we got there and she was in and out fairly quickly (and she passed - is now a blue belt .

Don't know if any of you agree, but I think one of the most soul-destroying things about emetophobia is the fact that you simply cannot escape it. If your fear is lifts, dentists, flying, spiders etc then you can take steps to avoid the feared situation. With emet you just can't do that. I hate the feeling that wherever I go it goes.

Welcome Funnybunny - you have come to the right place for support. Hope you DS is ok - I hate those indoor play areas too and always wonder how often they clean the equipment and balls etc.

Zonedout - you will probably be in SA by now. Hope you have a fantastic trip. Whenever I am on holiday I get anxious at the journey but once I am there I am usually better than normal, probably because I have none of the every day stresses and strains that come with juggling everything at home. I really hope you are the same and have a fantastic holiday

BB - glad your DD is ok. DS is always getting tummy ache and my heart races every time even though I have heard it a million times before.

Nellyraggbagg - you must have gone to the Ikea in Birstall. Thats the one I usually go to and I know what you mean re the cafe lol. I am like you and worry about so much too - I often say the same that its horrible being inide my head. I wish I could be more care free like other people seem to be

Tarantulip - congrats on your DD passing her grading. Fab news!! I agree re the fact that emet is something you can't escape - v is something that happens whether you like it or not and not something you can choose to avoid. I have always said I would honestly rather have major brain surgery if it would remove this phobia than suffer it for the rest of my life. If only it were that easy eh?

An emet meet up would be great but although I am a southerner born and bred I now live in South Yorks which is a fair way from London. Not all that far from you though Nellyraggbagg. It would be lovely though to be in the company of others who understand what you are going through and don't think you are a bit neurotic like my DP does. I could just imagine it though. A table at a restaurant with about 6 - 8 people seated around it. We all get our anti bac out when we think no-one is looking to ensure our part of the table is clean. We then all insist on an excursion to the kitchen to make sure it is hygenic. Once seated again we scan the menu for about an hour discussing the merits of each dish trying to decide what is safe. Once said food actually arrives we all analyse it to ensure it is cooked to our high standards, so by the time we do get round to eating the food is stone cold. We all, oh so subtly assess the fellow diners in the restaurant to ensure they all look healthy and are not about to V. I won't even go into what happens when we need the loo . Seriously though it would be great if we could all pull this off. Maybe we could do a north and south one at the same time with a web link to the other meet lol

Hi all wasn't sure if posting would be a good idea as do not want to upset anyone but am so stressed at the moment.

Ds started throwing up 12 last night, has been ill with a really snotty cold for a bit.

Dh went out this morning for biking comp and that left me with ds who sick twice this am.

Am so stressed combined with trying to look after my poor ds and terrified that I wil get it. Have washed my hands that many times today they are dry as a bone. Have poured a glassof wine to try and relax as dh is back now and feeding ds a jacket potato.

Have been phobic since being a teenager, try not to let it get out of ahnd but when this happens turn into jelly inside. I know that if I will get it in next 24- 48 hours but will spend the time worrying like mad. Horrible horrible situation.

Sorry about your day LEMONADE. Like Belgian says, it really does not follow that you will inevitably get it. As your DS has had a cold perhaps this is now the tail-end of it? My DD has been sick after a cold a few times now and I haven't caught anything from her.

HOWEVER [whispers, just feel the need to tell someone] I have had the most horrible stomach pains all day today. No food. Feel nauseous. Feeling a bit pessimistic about the night ahead tbh .

Ditto, BB, on the cyber hugs for Daphne! I do hope you get a good night's sleep and that it passes off overnight.

Lemonadegirl: you poor thing. Yes, you will find lots of support here. We can't do anything practical (and couldn't even if we were there with you!!), but we can give you lots of moral support. You were very brave not to lock your DH in the house this morning. I hope your DS is better soon. The last time my DD v-d, it was following a couple of weeks of a very nasty cough/cold (with quite a long gap in between v-ing episodes)- so maybe there was a connection?

Notalone: yes, you guessed it: it was Birstall. The filthiest cafe in the world? Though we went to a National Trust one today, and the girl in the restaurant was sweeping the floor with a broom, then using the same broom to sweep the tables. I kid you not. DH (who is not normally too fussy - he eats all kinds of stuff that I'd have long since thrown away, little realising that it sends me into a panic attack when he does so) complained to the manager, and said girl denied it - then did it again while I was watching her. How revolting is that?

Needless to say, I did not buy a piece of their 'freshly baked fruit loaf'.

Hope you all have a peaceful night!

Hi Lemonade girl hope you have a peaceful note I have washing your hands is the best thing to do so keep going.

Hi daphne fingers crossed for you hope you manage to sleep well

Ugh Nelly how disgusting

Well from my point of view DD is ok so lets hope we don't hear of any more cases of norovirus this week. When they were small we would just stay in or go for walks not for crowded places but can't do that now with school etc

thanks all for your lovely messages. Glad you are all escaping from the sickness.

Since I last posted ds has been sick badly twice -poor love. Thank goodness dh is back so at least not on my own.

Not sure is the dreaded winter vomiting thing as he has no dio and no temp to speak of.

So snotty though and coughing now preludes sick so wonder if his stomach is well and truly upset.

Keeping at home with me tomorrow - so good for him but will be tense worrying.

Hope you all get a good night

thanks all for your lovely messages. Glad you are all escaping from the sickness.

Since I last posted ds has been sick badly twice -poor love. Thank goodness dh is back so at least not on my own.

Not sure is the dreaded winter vomiting thing as he has no dio and no temp to speak of.

So snotty though and coughing now preludes sick so wonder if his stomach is well and truly upset.

Keeping at home with me tomorrow - so good for him but will be tense worrying.

Hope you all get a good night

bb i found your post very informative, esp the bit about not needing to 'vomit out' the bug.

now i'm not phobic, but am poorly atm, hence my interest in this thread.

dh and i have been v nauseous for 24 hrs and have slight diarrohea (sp) and gurgling stomachs . i heaved a few times during the night, but didnt vomit.

wierdly, i had exaclty the same symptoms 2 weeks ago. i anti bac'd every surface i'd touched, and used a different loo to the rest of the family. i didnt handle their food either . no one else caught it

i dont think my symptoms have been bad enough to be the norovirus. can you get it midly?

hi bb ds is 15 mths.

Hoping myself thst it is all connected to the cold but he has been really sick 7 times since 12 pm last night.

lemonadegirl DD would cough till she was sick she had reflux as a baby and till she was about 3 could cough till she was sick