I have a question

[prtyblueeyz]

I have not been reading as much here as I would like to be but in time I will be able to spend more time here. Ok the reason for this post is because I am wondering how it is that I fit the description of this phobia but only to a ceartain extent. I never panick about puking unless it is related to a virus, my main concern for this started slowly as a child but has only become as bad because of my IBS. I had a sever attack of the stomach flu a couple years ago on the night before New Years Eve and it seemed to cause me to have colon spasms. I am only afraid of it because I am afraid it will make my IBS act up. About a month ago my partner woke up very early in the morning and ran to the bathroom, came out looking like crap, I knew some thing was wrong. Well to make a long story short I assumed it was the flu and waited for it to hit me, but this time I actually was able to get in the role of caregiver and just say to heck with it, if I get sick I get sick. I obsessed over it all that day and into the night, usually if I am going to get sick it always seems to happen in the middle of the night and I am woke up from it so I was afraid to fall asleep. In April of this year I started having GallBlader attacks, now that is horrible and the only way I felt better was to puke, I made myself all the time, I knew that was the only way to feel good, I had my GallBlader out in May and now I suffer from Nausea a lot more but my only complaint is that I can't throw up to make it go away now. So what I want to know is, do I still fit the description of this phobia? I am not joking when I say I'm not getting what you all are going through.My panick usually starts around flu season and until it ends. I can't leave the house or be around people because of it. Now when the warm season hits I lose all that panick and function normally. Does every one here stay in this mind set all year around?


Just looking for more info is all.





Thank you for taking your time to read this, sorry it was so long.


Take care all of you


JennK

[jazz]

im so sorry that you've had nasty attacks with your gall bladder and colon..and that isnt somethnig i can necessarily relate to.. but i can definately relate to how you feel throughout the year.
i *hate* the summer. the hot weather makes me feel nauseated every single day, i despise the heat..and i can never sleep properly in the night. for some reason i always relate getting sick to the summer monthes ( even though iv only ever gotten sick in winter! )
there's somethin about the heat that really bothers me..not only that, but in the summer holidays i feel more groggy because im generally on my own a lot of the time, and i find it too uncomfortable to exercise.
generally, i prefer winter.. althuogh i know that stomach bugs and flu are more commonplace around sept/oct/nov etc etc
hell, my music teacher is off right now with a stomach bug..!
when you say you can no longer throw up, how do you mean??
hope this has been of some help to you.

[prtyblueeyz]

What I meant by not being able to throw up, when you are having a gallblader attack most of the time what you just ate is just sitting in your stomach and you usually throw it up and it takes some of the pain and pressure away. I don't have a real reason for being sick to my stomach so if I made myself get sick it would actually cause me harm, I would be doing it for no reason.


Thanks for you reply!


I know about feeling sick in the summer time but ever since I lost all this weight it does not seem to bother me as much, usually humidity gives me "D" but that is about it. I panick all winter long, I hate winter when I know it's here I already start with the bacterail wash for the hands and then spraying every thing. It just stinks!!





Have a great day


JennK

[Jenneh]

heya,


i find ur story very interesting, purely because i've never heard of someone being emetophobic because of IBS before......


but yeah, i wud still say ur classed under emetophobia, because u still have this fear of v*ing, that can tke over ur life.. its an irrational fear.


duno if this was the answer u were looking for!


keep posting ;-)


Jen xxxxxx

[sage]

Hi Jennk,


Actually, I disagree this time. It doesn't sound like phobia to me - the fear is perhaps rational because vomiting brings about more pain for you (physically). What you don't want to do is to obsess over this, and begin avoidance rituals of any kind - avoidance can make rational fears into a phobia. The attitude of "if I get it I get it" is exactly what you want to preserve. ALWAYS. It doesn't even sound like you have panic attacks...you may have one at some time in your life (over this or something else) but if you do you can just sort of "notice it" and say to yourself "this is just my body responding to the anxiety - it's ok...in a few moments it will pass". That should do the trick.


As far as worrying all winter long...hand washing, etc....you may have to watch that this doesn't develop into something irrational. In any case, IBS itself is related to anxiety (some experts even call it an anxiety-disorder)...so you might want to talk to a therapist about all this. Probably a few visits would get you very well stablized and help you a lot.


Whatever you do, consult with an expert for a diagnosis on your anxiety...don't just take my word for it, or anyone else on the internet!

[Jenneh]

I obsessed over it all that day and into the night, usually if I am going to get sick it always seems to happen in the middle of the night and I am woke up from it so I was afraid to fall asleep.


I can't leave the house or be around people because of it.

Sage - just wanted to ask, even tho this individual obsesses every day and night about being sick, can't leave the house, therefore, cannot functoin normally, u dont think its a phobia? im not trying to "diss" you... cant find a better word sorry.. im just intereted in this kinda stuff,,,


Jen xxxx

[prtyblueeyz]

Ok first off yes I do have panick and anxiety attacks and have for many years. I was diognosed with panick and anxiety disorder years back. My fear of "V" did not just come from my IBS, I had said before all this started back when I was child after seeing my sister suffer with chemo and being sick all the time. IBS is not just soley brought on by anxiety, it is a cluster of many different things and anxiety does play a role and yes it can make it worse but it is not just because of anxiety that people have IBS, I know a lot about IBS. My reaction to getting sick is not in any way just some thing I can control and I can not just say oh this is just my anxiety and I can control it. I was not posting this for some one to tell me wether they thought I had the phobia or not because I know I do but with any thing there are degree's to which people can suffer with a phobia or an illness and obviously mine is not to the degree that others have. I do not need to seek professional help, I just always thought the way I felt and how it affected me was horrible, I was taken back to learn that there are people who suffer with this phobia and actually are worse then I am.


Thank you for your opinion on my anxiety, I appreciate it greatly but you are wrong.





JennK