Emetophobia

[autumnrained]

Someone please tell me there's help for me!

I suffer the daily from this! My DD currently has a sickness bug and I'm a mess! Every time I touch anything I'm bathing myself in hand sanitiser I was up all night last night having panic attacks just at the thought of me being sick the worst thing is that I'm that bad I can't even comfort my daughter in fear that I will be sick.

I haven't officially been diagnosed with it but I know I 100% have it! I avoid leaving the house at all costs just in case I get ill. I will literally do anything to stop myself from being sick. If we go away I take antibacterial spray with me and spray everything to kill any germs. I carry some sort of antibacterial product with me wherever I go just so I can wash my hands.

Is there a cure for this? Would it be worth me seeing my gp?

Definitely talk to your gp. I think cbt might be useful.

Maybe not a cure but there are definitely treatments that make your reactions to vomit/vomiting more normalised.

I became a recluse one fine Christmas when norovirus was doing its annual rounds, I had been an emetophobe for as many years as I could remember but that year it completely took over my life. I used to do all the phobic things; not eating when I heard rumours of a sickness bug in the area because somehow it would stop me catching it, not breathing in too deeply in case I inhaled the bug, restricting what I ate so I couldn't get food poisoning, never drinking alcohol, not being able to deal with the kids when they were sick, not being able to say the words 'sick' or 'vomit' etc, etc, etc.

My GP listened when I explained how bad things were, she arranged for me to have CBT and from that came some more therapy. I am not cured, I still have heightened fears around vomit but I do have coping strategies now. I have eaten pork for the first time in years, I have drunk alcohol, I have coped when I and others have been sick without having a fight or flight reaction.

Speak to your GP, ask for help and good luck.

I have this and posted a few days ago ( no one answered my thread ). My dd came down with a sickness bug last weekend which made me so anxious, so far I have managed not to catch it and dd2 hasn't caught it either, I have gotten through many bottles of bleach and my house has never been so clean, my hands are red raw from hand washing and anything that has been vomited on has been chucked away.
I have had therapy including CBT and hypnosis, my phobia has improved a little and my gp has been very supportive (giving me anti sickness meds to keep at home).

I have recently read that 'no one needs to be sick with a bug, it's all in the mind and you can control it', the only reason a person ever needs to vomit is poisoning. Anti sickness meds help to stop the brain from thinking you need to vomit. Also various techniques, distraction and mindfulness help.
I am now a single parent and was petrified of one of the dc's getting sick but it has been easier as I know I have to deal with it and I don't have to worry about dh catching it. For the first time in my life I managed to clean up and deal with dd without shaking and crying.

Speak to your gp. It's more common than you think and you won't be laughed at, there's many things you can try.

Emet can be greatly changed and people can recover having had this for over 20 years. I can so relate to this thread and what is being said. I had tried numerous appraoaches and therapists over this time as others here have mentioned. Long story short, In the end for me I found a super person who really specialises in extreme phobais, Emetophobia, ocd etc.

Please try seeking out help yes even asking your doctor for referral Therapy cbt etc or seek out a private good Therapist **may I suggest see also my info on another thread I made some comments on this same sick fear people were asking etc and pointers help and by others. So perhaps use mumnet search box type in Emetophobia select then by date it was todays date 28th feb or my user name
Good luck + autumnrained and others here know your not alone and not weird its actually a very common phobia fear but you can massively change with right help.
big hugs
xxx

I've had this for yrs and had CBT over twenty five yrs ago.when the dcs were young I dreaded bugs at the school or even the mention they felt sick.weirdly though I preferred to clear it up than be with the vomiting child dhs job. I found being super busy he!PS at work etc
I have not vomited in 42 years despite two pregnancies and various bugs.

I have suffered the same for many years, but what has almost cured me was getting food poisoning twice, I vomited both times five or six hours, and I just couldn't care less in the end, silly as that sounds it really helped me it proved there was nothing to be afraid off. I used to do all the same things as you do, even held my breath if I had to go past hospitals and doctors surgerys