Emetophobia

[Dottydoodoo]

I don't know where it stems from it why, but I have such an irrational fear of vomiting. 9 month old DS is just getting over a sickness bug and DH and I were fine and then boom, DH started vomiting in the early hours of this morning. I am a wreck. I kissed DH last night before he was ill and I am so paranoid that I am going to now catch it. I can feel my stomach is empty, I'm starving and I'm sat here with hands that are red raw through washing them so much. I feel so nervous and am just on tenterhooks 'waiting'. I don't even feel unwell! (Yet)

My irrational mind is telling me that if I don't eat then I can't be sick because there is nothing in there to bring up. My sane mind tells me that this won't work. I'm a nurse for goodness sake, why can't I cope with it?

Is there anything that I can do in the long term to try and get over this? Would it be worth making a GP appointment I'll probably get laughed out of the door? When there's no illness in the house it barely crosses my mind, but if there is I'm a nervous bordering on obsessive wreck.

Help!

I feel your pain. I am the EXACT same. DD1 had the bug before xmas. I wear gloves and bleach everything and anything, instantly. Washing with zoflora/dettol stuff, taps, handles, buttons. And I keep a bottle of steriliser on me, so if I have to touch something I can instantly use it.
There was a thread on here last week about treatment plan for us emetophobes and I'm going to try it. It actually makes me miserable to be so anxious all the time.

Also I managed not to get it. Three times now when either DH or DD has had it so don't despair as it might not happen. Have a bottle of pepto Bismal handy as that helps with some of the symptoms I found.

I've had emetaphobia for at least 20 years which has been made 10 times worse by my job which I start 2 years ago. I finally plucked up the courage to book in with my GP a week ago. I was so nervous, thinking she'd call me weird and send me on my way but actually she was so supportive and it really helped to actually talk about it. She has referred me to my local Wellbeing team and I have my first appointment with them in just less than a month, I'll then be hopefully having Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which I've heard has quite a high success rate for phobias. There's a thread on here from November somewhere where one of the MN ladies recently went through CBT for emetaphobia and it's worked for her.
I would definitely say book in with your GO because you've got nothing to lose x

GP* not GO!

Thank you both. It's horrible isn't it. I came down with something over the weekend, I had an upset stomach and felt nauseous and just 'off'. Cold, achey, shivery that kind of thing. But I didn't vomit thank goodness. I feel absolutely fine now health wise, but still quite anxious about being sick even though I think I've had 'the bug' just not as bad. DS's toys have all been sterilised and I'm working my way round doing all the door handles, taps etc.

I think I will go and see the GP, I have a lovely GP and I can't carry on like this.

Thank you both for being lovely

I had norovirus over Christmas. Not eating will not help. You'll end up heaving and that's very unpleasant. Being ill puts my anxiety through the ceiling but I've found having travel sickness tablets in the house reassures me. I know if I take one or two as soon as I feel sick it's settles me right down. Also rennies is a quick fix for settling a burbly tummy. I feel sick often thankfully without ever being sick but I found having stuff in the house that I know I can take lessens the anxiety. I hope any of that helps you x