Emetophobia and tummy bug

[JKDcot]

Hi all

I know this topic has been discussed before here but I just needed some friendly advice. I am severely emetophobic and very worried as I’m staying at my brothers house and his daughter has just got a bad tummy bug and been vomiting all evening. I’m so scared to catch it. I can’t leave and go home but now I feel so anxious. I have stayed away since she’s been sick but all day we’ve been sharing food and playing with her toys. What can I do to avoid catching it?

Also I know I sound horrible and selfish but I’m not being unkind. I’ve offered as much help and support as I can give but she just wants her mum

I’m emetephobic OP. You aren’t being unkind at all, it’s a phobia. It’s not rational. Just like people are terrified of tiny spiders that couldn’t possibly hurt them.

Honestly, it’ll be pot luck now. I’ve avoided one stomach bug my DD had but that was by keeping a real distance. I was nowhere near the vomiting. And I washed my hands until they bled, bleached every surface 🙈 but unfortunately, I have caught pretty much everyone since. But it’s not a given. I’ve got plenty of friends who haven’t caught sick bugs off their kids!

To help:

Charcoal tablets - can get on Amazon. I’ve found them reasonably effective. I think they’ve probably stopped the vomiting a couple times but not the other end 🙈

Wash your hands with soap & hot water frequently.

Avoid vomiting child & the vomiting rooms if possible

You could grab yourself some anti-sickness from the chemist - Buccastem is available over the counter. It’s typically used for sickness with migraine. But deffo helps with any nausea! I always travel with some!

Hope you are ok OP. I’d probably be going home 🙈 my family are all pretty understanding of my phobia thankfully!

Get some decent quality prebiotics or eat Greek yogurt. Full fat. That's amazing for warding off tummy troubles.

My dd has emet so I understand. X

I’m also emetephobic and these types of situations are truly awful for anxiety! I’ve been there so many times and am always desperate for someone to reassure me that I’ll be ok and won’t catch it! Unfortunately that’s the main problem, there’s no way of knowing and there’s little we can do to prevent illness other than the suggestions above like hand washing and keeping away from someone who’s been sick. But what you can do and what’s helped me, is telling yourself that even if you do get it, that you can 100% cope with it. Yes, it’s unpleasant, but you absolutely can cope. Also remind yourself that there are countless times you/I have heard about someone with a stomach bug but their other family members don’t/don’t all get it - there’s no reason why this won’t be you.
You’re not selfish either, how you feel is totally unrelated and doesn’t take away from sympathy for someone who’s unwell, so don’t add to your worry by berating yourself too.
It’s so hard, but do all you can to feel powerful over this and not let fear take over, the likelihood is you’ll be ok. Sending a hug - I understand completely! X

Sip a tablespoon of vinegar it kills the bug in your belly

Thank you all so much for your advice I really really appreciate it x

Hope you’re feeling alright and managing to stay on top of panic. And most importantly hope you’re feeling well xx

Thank you @Heb1986 for being so kind and thoughtful. So far I don’t feel ill other than a few panic attacks. My niece is still in bed and hasn’t left her room for 24 hours poor thing. My husband today said he felt stomach cramps and he rested for a bit. Then I was panicked. But he seems to have perked up. We go home tomorrow so I figure if we are home after 24 hours and not ill then I hope we avoided it.

Emetophobia is awful. It debilitating as so many decisions become based on avoidance. I need to find a way to stop it making me so anxious. Any ideas or tips much appreciated x

It’s awful isn’t it. I’d have had to leave. You’ve had some good tips here and I found being organised for the event of a bug eg knowing where the sick bowls were helped me feel more prepared. But it is horrible. And even posting here or reading about them make me feel anxious.

Absolutely @JKDcot - I’d say you’ll be clear of any chance of it by the time you’re home. I always do a count down if I’ve been near someone who’s ill! My only suggestion is looking into Rob Kelly’s ‘Cure emetephobia and thrive’ course - you can watch testimonials on YouTube. I didn’t pay for a consultant but bought the book and worked through it myself and can honestly say it’s made a huge difference to the level of fear I have. I didn’t ever work hard enough at the challenges the book sets but even so the level of anxiety I feel over it all is far less. I often just look at the testimonials for hope that it’s possible to live without it! My phobia really was awful, and still can be if there’s a ‘trigger’ so don’t think it was just a mild dislike of vomiting, it’s genuinely controlled and dictated my life over many years until more recently but this book made a huge difference. Might be worth taking a look x

I used to have this as a child. I'm not sure how I overcame it, I think once I had DS and he caught a bug I knew I just had to deal with it as I was pregnant and alone with him.

I still dread it though, but I hope you're okay OP x

My dd has it and she has done cbt and emdr

She isn't cured but it's made a big difference to her. I hope as she matures now she understands it more she will be ok. Xx