Someone trying to beat this

[lisalulu]

My emet has been really bad lately and then Saturday night my husband suddenly came down with a sv. It was really horrible and I walked around for days in terror of catching it, not eating or sleeping or leaving the house or letting him near me or the baby.

Today I decided it was time to get on with things. I took my baby to swimming lessons because she loves it too much to miss it. As soon as I get there one of the other mothers tells me she was hospitlized with a sv last week! Then the instructor said someone had v* in the pool that morning! Yet I stayed regardless because I know how happy it makes my baby. But I didn't enjoy it one bit like I usually do and afterwards rushed home and washed my hands and all the clothes we wore there.

The past few house bound paranoid days I really got to thinking. After I cleaned the bathrooms and washed towels and did all the normal things you do to avoid getting sick when someone else is I started thinking about all the 'what ifs'. Like germs on his socks getting on the floor, then on my socks, then in my bed. Or him touching a knife in the drawer and me picking up another knife to make my food. The possibilities are endless. And they say noro can be contagious for weeks. So really what it comes down to is letting go of control. Realizing that v* and sv* are a part of life. The only other alternative is to spend your life house bound, alone and afraid, and even then you still might get it- you still need to eat and get things from the outside world.

So I'm getting serious about exposure therapy. It's important to me to beat this before my daughter gets older so that I can enjoy a normal life with her. I feel like I just lost 3 days of her precious and limited baby days trapped in this fear and it angers me I'll never get them back. I've spent my whole life trying to beat this by avoiding getting sick when what I really need to do is accept it. I would gladly give up this fear and spend 12-24 hours in hell every couple years with a sv than years on end afraid every day. I don't like having a cold and avoid someone sneezing on me but I accept I'll probably get one every year because not catching them is impossible. sv should be the same way, but I need to lose my fear of it. I want to live life, really live it. If not for my sake then for my daughter.

[olschesky]

good luck.....i havent had much luck getting over it......even when i did have a sv and realized it wasn't so horrible once it was over i still went back into anxiety and panic.....i hate this time of the year! i read a statement in here about exposure therapy.....basically saying......why should it work? do you rape a person that was molested as a child to help them get over it.......something to think about.....

i wish you well.....i'm leaning more towards hypnosis.....

[lisalulu]

I think exposure will work because I'm now completely desensitized to baby v* and cat v* simply because it's around me constantly. They used to cause me the same anxiety as other v* but now it does nothing, even if it's someone else's kid. I also noticed that doing exposure therapy that some of the easier material doesn't bother me at all. I think it's all about doing it very gradually and very consistantly. I heard also to be calmed down and comforted after going up a level helps- i might get my husband to hug me every time i try something harder.

[mj0722]

I surely hear you... I feel the same way. I wish it was easy to forget about. My fiancee had a sv a few weeks back and I am still leery with things in the house. I have such great anxiety over it, not to mention I have IBS which has flared up to the extreme the past weeks due to the added stress. It's neverending!! Best of luck and share your triumphs if you have them for a little inspiration.

[mojo8]

Good for you! I love what you said about not wanting to miss any more precious baby days and that you would rather be sick every few years than live day to day with this. I am in a similiar place with this phobia. I REFUSE to let it take over my life! I really hope that we all can help support you with whatever choice you make in overcoming this. I think that its a personal decision and no one should try to change your mind about what therapy you choose. Heck, at least you're trying to do something about it! If you think that exposure therapy is the right route for you, then go for it!