Bu-bye Emetophobia Survival Kit!

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

Shortly after developing emetophobia I started carrying around what I call my Emetophobia Survival Kit which consisted of:

Several "barf bags" (plastic grocery bags)
Gravol
Mints
Hand Sanitizer and/or wipes
Elastic Bands (to snap on my wrists - what a waste of time that was!)
Water
Mouthwash
Tums
Chewable Pepto-Bismol
Air Freshener (in case there was a nauseating smell somewhere lol)
An extra pair of Seabands (I was already wearing one pair on my wrists)

My purse weighed a ton! But I didn't care because I really believed all this stuff would either a) keep me safe, or b) help me cope should the dreaded thing happen. I have now learned that neither of these is true.

Today I took all these things out of my purse and went out. I was totally fine. That little familiar voice in my head tried to say "What if... " but I quickly shot it down with "So what if?" I don't want to vomit in public (I don't want to vomit AT ALL) but should it happen, well, I'll either find an appropriate place or I'll just aim it away from people LOL. What's the alternative?

Then that voice said, "but if it does happen and you're not prepared, people will be disgusted and/or laugh at you." So what? If I'm puking my guts out do I really care what anybody thinks? No. And who are these people anyway that I used to give so much power and importance to? People I don't even know and will probably never see again, so who cares what they think or say.

So yeah, letting go of the Emetophobia Survivial Kit is definitely a triumph... for my recovery and for my shoulder and back! Lugging all that shit around gets heavy!

[turbokinetic]

Lol that's great! Sounds like a good step in the right direction!

All that weight makes me think about my 50 lb backpack of tools...

The only Emetophobia Survival Kit you need can all be carried in your mind!

David

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

The only Emetophobia Survival Kit you need can all be carried in your mind!

Exactly!

[JustLacey]

Wow, that might of dislocated your shoulder!!!
I used to carry:
2 Hand sanitizers,
Gloves (Silicone ones! :S ),
Tissues.
LOL.

[sage]

Butters you GO GIRL! What a great post!
It's so true about vomiting in public - that used to freak me out big time. But now I realize that if you make every effort not to vomit in public, and circumstances make it unavoidable basically everyone feels sorry for you and tries to help somehow.

It's only other emets that would be disgusted or angry at you anyway!

[Rebecca85]

Wow, well done!

[amleighb]

Wow what a big step! Congratulations

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

Thank you very much everybody!

Sage, you're so right about other emetophobes!! haha

[gumdropper1]

I carry hand sanitizer and a thermometer, and a bottle of Pepto-Bismol with my computer.

[JustLacey]

*Off topic* How did you get that siggy ticker? I went on the Tickerfactory website, but it didn't come up! :S

[olschesky]

great job.......i'm still carrying a tin of ginger altoids and a tube of gold bond hand moisturizing sanitizer......i think i will keep both of these things. my mouth/throat always seem dry so i'm a hard candy eater......figure why not ginger candy? also i'm a smoker so it helps with the whole cigarette breath issue......

i always told people if i got stranded somewhere i could live out of the stuff in my purse for two weeks....lol.....


now you can treat yourself to a new handbag as a reward

[Jada2010]

Wow, congratulations!! Is so great to hear GOOD stories! Beating it is possible!!
Good for you! I hope i can make it to that point soon!

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

Thanks, and yes it is possible. You can do it too.

A new purse sounds like a nice reward.

[cuhley70]

Congrats....a step in the right direction. I am glad you did it now treat yourself to something nice

[Lieke]

nice work!!!

[Rebecca85]

I have wipes, painkillers and sometimes pepcid (if I'm planning on eating) but for non emet reasons. So I won't be giving mine up!

[Elski]

Well done, it must have taken a lot of courage to do that!

[paulinek]

Fantastic! I used to carry bags too then i realised every time i went in my bag and saw them it reminded me of being sick so i thought stuff it and stopped carrying them years ago, i used to religiously carry a drink around at all times too for possible rinsing purposes and while 99% of the time i still have one these days it's just cos i hate being thirsty! The only thing i carry now without fail are a pack of smints, a bottle of exceedingly rarely touched antiemetics, some peppermint oil and some seabands but they fit in the zip up bit in my bag and are very light so won't be leaving them home just yet but maybe will when i'm ready

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

Yes exactly with never using most of that stuff. One of my "barf bags" was so old, the store has been out of business for years and here I am with the same bag in my purse LOL. Crazy!