Fear of being sick - emetophobia

[DavidSamsonHypno]

I have read with great interest the number of messages on this site concerning fear of being sick (emetophobia). I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist based in London and treat many ladies suffering from this unpleasant phobia. Emetophobia is the fifth most common phobia but it is rarely highlighted in the media because it is (according to an editor I spoke to recently) too yucky to read about in a newspaper!
This is an extremely complex phobia that can lead to a number of other issues such as fear of pregnancy, fear of flying, claustrophobia, social phobia, fear of eating out, fear of travelling, fear of illness and in extreme cases sufferers are fearful of leaving their own homes.
Using Regression Hypnotherapy, the subconsciously hidden root cause of the issue can be located and subsequently fixed.

BB - no, I can never eat if someone else in the house is ill! Just keep going with the brandy. (As much as you can stomach, brandy-wise, I'd say. Put about an inch in a tumbler and try and drink one of those every evening). Think the longest I've gone without eating is about 10 days. I am a serious case.

And yet, and yet ... my elder child had a bad stomach bug a few years ago. At the time she was 4 and a bit and my youngest (DS) was 18 months or so. She was ill with lots of vomiting for 2 days. He was only sick once - but ended up in hospital with raging temperature but blue lips and fingers and toes, having blood tests for meningitis. I do remember looking at him stuck full of needles and completely out of it and wishing he'd just had something as simple as a stomach bug. Praying for it, in fact - gave me a little bit of perspective. And now I do feel that a stomach bug is not the worst thing that could happen to them.

Sorry I'll have to go this is all making me feel sick!

BB if I was you I would go and try and I mean try and get your head down just incase DD wakes in the night, I do hope everything is ok for you, you have my sympathy I will try and call you up sometime tomorrow and see how you got on tomight- GOOD LUCK and best wishes!

Message withdrawn

Good luck, BB, I hope DD has a peaceful night. Hope your counselling goes well tomorrow.

I only had pepto-bismol once (in the States, funnily enough) - made my tongue go black!!!!!!!! Really really very spookily scarily black !!!!!!! be warned ...

Poor DD & poor you.
Stay strong - it will be over soon. Hope your auntie is around to help you now.
I wouldn't worry too much about the pooing just yet.
I hope DD is feeling better soon.x

Positive thoughts coming from here too. x.

A rice cake should be fine, as it is very dry & don't they reccomend eating rice following a tummy bug?
They often sleep a lot when poorly, so don't worry about that - she obviously needs to sleep it off. Poor little thing - sounds like she's been really poorly with this.
I know this is really hard for you, but it sounds to me like you are coping with it all pretty well today...well done!

plain rice cakes are v gentle on the stomach. If she has eaten noting all day she is probably v v weak. And that will make her even more sleepy. try her on a rice cake, and if she tolerates it, then try another couple half an hour after that.

Please dont think you are stupid. you are not. you have a very real fear of something. that is what a phobia is. YOU ARE NOT STUPID.

I know it is probably little consolation atm, but you have lots of sympathy from fellow sufferers on mn. If it helps you, keep posting.

{{{{{hugs}}}}}

You have my support, sorry I havent been on today- rather busy with a DF 3yr old(forget what its like- Im shattered(did enjoy it thou!!) Hope Dd is ok haev you been feeling ok in yourself and DH too?

how is she now BB?

BB - I offer this by way of an optimistic note, not trying to worry you but: last night, after being on Mnet all evening caught up in an emetophobic thread, I suddenly woke up at 2am feeling very sick!!! I thought OMYGOD I am going to be sick. Got out of bed, got as far as the bedroom door then just collapsed! It was like I couldn't feel my legs from the knees down at all. DH got up and couldn't believe it, thought I needed an ambulance. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. Managed to crawl to the bathroom, wasn't sick but did have a major session on the loo (sorry if tmi) then went downstairs cos I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep if I went back to bed. Put TV on and watched an ancient episode of Howard's Way. It was hilarious. Suddenly realised I didn't feel sick any more and wasn't going to need the bathroom again. Went back to bed, went back to sleep. This morning absolutely fine (if a little shattered) been hungry and eating as normal all day. It was like it never happened.

Of course I am now full of angst that one of the children has caught something from me (esp. as DH out tonight and tomorrow night) but just so grateful I wasn't sick when I really thought I would be. Saw a friend today who said exactly the same thing happened to her a few nights ago.

Don't know why I'm telling you this really. But in the 5 mins or so I thought I was going to be sick, I thought of all you other emetophobes on Mumsnet and there was some comfort in thinking you wouldn't think me silly for the distress and consternation it caused.

Sorry if I shouldn't have posted this. As I say, its meant to be a happy story rather than a one.