When did your phobia start?

[asdjkl12345]

I've had mine as long as I can remember.

Apparently as a 1 year old I got sick while my grandparents were watching me and when my mom came to get me I mimed my shock and horror to her at the fact that 1) I had been sick and 2) that my grandfather (I used to be terrified of his mustache) had taken care of me

As a kid I cried every time I was sick and would lie flat on my back to try to prevent myself from vomiting

Between the ages of 15 and 20 I wasn't too bad. I had norovirus on an overnight school trip and I think I realized I could care for myself and be okay.

Then when I was 20 my mom died. Since then the fear has returned with a vengeance. I've actually had a stomach virus since then and expected the fear to go away like it did when I was 15, but instead it just got worse.

[Issystar96]

i have had it my entire life.i can not imagine a life free of this terror and prison.i wouldnt eat breakfast or lunch on school days just thinking that it would cause me to v.i am afraid of anything having to do with it.i would go to the ends of the earth to find a cure for vomiting.there is not one thing i fear more

[Monika_Stix]

Since before I can remember. It gradually got worse over time.

[DDT]

*A little bit graphic, just a little, it's ok *


Well, for the last year I started to read psycology books and attend psychotherapy classes and with help from that I realised that it all started because of my grandmother. She is the one that raised me and my cousins (they are older now, almoast 30 years old, while I'm just 18). Anyway, I remember that she was really afraid to vomit, and when I was little, I was home alone with her one night and she got sick. So she started yelling, crying and stuff like that because she was afraid to vomit. I remember I was so scared that I started crying too. After that I remember I was sick a few times in my life and almoast every time I felt just the way I felt that night, scared and having no control of the situation.

But it was still ok, yes, I was afraid to vomit but after it passed away I was still ok, I was able to go to other places, far from my home, to other cities, even countries and to eat like a normal person. I remember I last vomited in 2008, so there are almoast 8 years since then, but it completely traumatized me. I just woke up in the middle of the night feeling bad, and with this weird sensation in my stomach (my grandmother was visiting us and she was sleeping in my room). Actually, she was the one that woke me up because I was moaning because of the nasusea so she woke me up. Of course I got scared because I felt really sick so she just gave me 2 pills (I'm not sure for what and told me I will be fine, then woke up my mother). I think that if they would've let me alone that moment, to go back to sleep as I wanted it would all be different now. But no, my grandmother wanted to go back to sleep but I wanted to stay up so my nausea to go away, so she forced me to ... thorw up. She just made me cough until I just got sick there in my room. Of course I had a panick attac and passed out because of the lack of oxygen.

I woke up in the ambulance and got sick 2 times again then I felt excelent, ready to go home, but really scared of ehat had happened.

Of course, a few days after that I was still a bit scared but it all went away. Until last year, in 2011, when my dad got sick. I remember I heard him from my room as he was vomiting in our bathroom and I just flipped out. I had the most awful panick attac and my mother had to call the ambulance again because I wasn't able to breathe properly. After that, every single day of my life I was afraid of vomiting. When I go to school, to see a friend, to a date with my boyfriend, to buy clothes, everywhere I am afraid of it. I am afraid even when I am at home but not like I am when I'm outside. I haven't been able to go to a trip with my boyfriend because of that so we both ended up staying home watching movies just because I was so afraid.

I don't want to blame my grandmother entirely for this phobia, but I think it all started because she was acting when she was around me like vomiting is something so bad you may die.

I basically struggled with this phobia my entire life but in the las years or so it has gotten so bad I just want to die sometimes. But still, I remain strong and hope for the best. I wish to get well, I want to and I fight to do so.

After school is over this summer and I go to college, I will focus on this issue and I hope I will manage to get over it.

Sorry for the long post but I think that it helps me to tell 'my story' to other people. ;D And again, sorry for my bad english, but as I was saying english is not my native language.

[katherines6]

mostly since i was around 9ish

[kspappas]

The age of six.

[Erica1649]

I have had it for as long as I remember.

[Taryynx]

ive had aince i was 11, im 14 now. I actually dont know what set it of, i just remember paniking when i felt a little bit n* and then that n* feeling never went away, there when i woke up, it was there when i went to sleep and like 24/7 and i have felt exactly the same way since.... anyone else forget what its like to feel normal?!

[katherines6]

ive had aince i was 11, im 14 now. I actually dont know what set it of, i just remember paniking when i felt a little bit n* and then that n* feeling never went away, there when i woke up, it was there when i went to sleep and like 24/7 and i have felt exactly the same way since.... anyone else forget what its like to feel normal?!

mine started when i was 9 or 10 and im 14 now too. i hate that feeling of not remembering how to feel normal... i always got that after i was sick, i felt so horrible i couldn't even begin to imagine how it would feel to feel better...

[bingfan26]

I've never been afraid to vomit, but I've always dreaded hearing others do it. My fear started when I was 5 years old and my mom and I caught a terrible stomach virus from one of our neighbors. I had it first and my mom caught it from me. Needless to say, every time she would throw up, I would lay outside of the bathroom and cry and cry because I hated hearing her retch. A couple of years later, she became pregnant with my sister and I had to hear her vomit at least two times a day for at least two months. After that, whenever she said her stomach felt bad, I would panic. It has since gotten better, but I thought that I would share my experiences.

[asianeko]

When I was really young we discovered I was dealthy allergic to peanuts. I was sucking the salt off of them to give to my grandfather (I was 4 so it was still cute and not gross!) and then next thing anyone knows I'm v-ing and my face/throat was swelling shut. I'm pretty sure that's where my phobia started.

[cazamoon]

I am not sure 100% when it started for me I cannot remember feeling as scared and anxious when i was a child or even through my teens but in the last 3 - 4 years it has got alot worse

[EmmaO]

After speaking to my therapist, she believes my phobia started before I can remember - before the age of 2. My mother had cancer during that time, and even though I don't remember it, I've been told by my grandmother and my father that she was v*ing all the time because of chemo - and then she passed away. Subconciously, I associate v* with death. I was sick a few times as a kid but I always remember being scared and hating it and needing my dad by my side - I would always cry and cry and cry and cry. I'm not sure when I really identified it as a fear, but it has gotten gradually worse and worse as I've gotten older.

[AndyLau]

ever since i can remember too, it's the worst..

[seastar]

Since I was like 6 or 7, give or take a year or two. I don't want to go into detail about how it all started, but I use to get anxious a lot and it would make my stomach hurt.

[Murder-my-soul]

My fear started probably sice the begining of my memories. I would cry when I would vomit. At 13 I had caugt the Stomach Flu before anyone in my house and after I vomited after gagging so much I felt so much better and thought I was cured! I was, for about a year though. Unfortunatley it came back. I haven't vomited since.

[ROS3NROT]

I've had this phobia ever since I can remember. It started to become a problem and seem to ruin my life at the age of 8.

[jessica6]

I've had this phobia for as long as i can remember. I have a lot of food intolerance's and when im stressed i get stomach aches, which lead to the anxiety. I used to just take gravol all the time when i was feeling n* but im trying to stop that, and relax myself more. it got worse when my mother moved to another province a year ago.

[Sammers]

Hello there.
I am currently 16 and I believe my phobia started sometime in first grade.
I distinctly remember, twice, that two of my classmates got sick in the same day. The first time, a girl got sick on my way to the cubbies. I was fine. The next kid got sick at the same table as me, but not near me. And I was completely fine. I even made a joke out of it, giggling and squirming as the other girls and boys did.
Not but months later, two more kids got sick in the same day. One boy got sick from seeing the other, and I found myself shaking in my seat. I was nowhere near them, but I started crying. The janitor looked at me, asked me why he was crying, but I couldn't give him an answer. After that, I remember reliving that moment thousands of times, through what seemed like a multi-screen tv. Somehow, I'd imagined the boy getting sick at 2 different angles. This still confuses me.
Ever since then, it's gotten worse. I remember once in 5th grade, one of my friends had gotten sick next to the door. All of the students had to jump over it to get to our next class, and the janitor hadn't come back yet. I turned to a bunch of friends, asking them if they could guide me over, and everyone just stared at me. By now, I had started crying and whimpering. I eventually made it over, and the teacher told me to go to the bathroom if I needed to. When we passed the bathroom, she just stared at me and said, "Don't you feel sick?" I just looked up at her and said no. I still couldn't figure out why this started to happen to me.
And now, it's even worse. I started curling up in balls, shaking and crying until whatever happened was cleaned up, the person who got sick, left, or I could get away. I won't even tell what happens if someone in my house gets sick. And I don't know why it started to this day.
Thanks for reading<3

[sdfl]

I assume around age 3 or so but it is as long as I can physically remember.

[gumdropper1]

Age 8, when I puked in my sleep. Horrible.

[jennjt]

Like Sammers, I remember vividly classmates v* in elementary school, and I'm 31 now... I couldn't wait to get to high school, because I thought when people were old enough for high school, they were old enough not to v* in the floor / class anymore, haha. Really, though, it started when I was 7. I got really sick and had the chicken pox, strep, and the flu back-to-back and i v* in the middle of the night once. It's still horrible to think about. After that, I began the hell that is this phobia... Rituals, constant n* due to anxiety, horrible fear of nighttime / bedtime, my parents taking me from dr to dr trying to figure out what was wrong-- conclusion: the doctors said it was in my head... Frustrating, but technically, they're right, I guess... So, going on 24 years of this horrible phobia and it's been getting worse, especially in the last 7 months ever since I got the sv* last October, my best friend passed away from cancer in January, and my 2 yr old v* a few months ago in my bed. I am desperate to be rid of this fear-- or to at least be able to function / manage. Thanks for "listening"...

[katherines6]

Like Sammers, I remember vividly classmates v* in elementary school, and I'm 31 now... I couldn't wait to get to high school, because I thought when people were old enough for high school, they were old enough not to v* in the floor / class anymore, haha. Really, though, it started when I was 7. I got really sick and had the chicken pox, strep, and the flu back-to-back and i v* in the middle of the night once. It's still horrible to think about. After that, I began the hell that is this phobia... Rituals, constant n* due to anxiety, horrible fear of nighttime / bedtime, my parents taking me from dr to dr trying to figure out what was wrong-- conclusion: the doctors said it was in my head... Frustrating, but technically, they're right, I guess... So, going on 24 years of this horrible phobia and it's been getting worse, especially in the last 7 months ever since I got the sv* last October, my best friend passed away from cancer in January, and my 2 yr old v* a few months ago in my bed. I am desperate to be rid of this fear-- or to at least be able to function / manage. Thanks for "listening"...

i think its sort of strange the way emets are able to remember things concerning v* from years ago... my mom always thinks im making it up when i say "this is how i felt that one day when i was seven and it was raining outside and i went to the carnival and i had a popsicle and then i v*d!" <--- totally just made that event up btw XD
she thinks it isn't possible to remember things from that long ago and remembering all the tiny details. seriously. she should talk to some of you! some of you guys have had clear, strong v* memories for decades, and the other day when i was talking about v*ing in fourth grade she said it was impossible for me to remember that. i'm going into ninth grade. It wasn't that long ago and i remember everything!

[katherines6]

After speaking to my therapist, she believes my phobia started before I can remember - before the age of 2. My mother had cancer during that time, and even though I don't remember it, I've been told by my grandmother and my father that she was v*ing all the time because of chemo - and then she passed away. Subconciously, I associate v* with death. I was sick a few times as a kid but I always remember being scared and hating it and needing my dad by my side - I would always cry and cry and cry and cry. I'm not sure when I really identified it as a fear, but it has gotten gradually worse and worse as I've gotten older.

i'm so sorry

[Sammers]

i think its sort of strange the way emets are able to remember things concerning v* from years ago... my mom always thinks im making it up when i say "this is how i felt that one day when i was seven and it was raining outside and i went to the carnival and i had a popsicle and then i v*d!" <--- totally just made that event up btw XD
she thinks it isn't possible to remember things from that long ago and remembering all the tiny details. seriously. she should talk to some of you! some of you guys have had clear, strong v* memories for decades, and the other day when i was talking about v*ing in fourth grade she said it was impossible for me to remember that. i'm going into ninth grade. It wasn't that long ago and i remember everything!

I'm so sorry to hear that.
I didn't go into details, but my mom's friend's daughter had been going through with acupuncture and I believe she's doing quite well. I haven't been able to speak with her about it, and I don't know how you feel about needles, or if you've already tried this.
It might be something worth looking into?

[KrisGirl34]

Mine started when I was in 3rd grade and I went to a sleepover and V* and the girls made fun of me through like 7th grade... plus I used to get sick A LOT when I was younger... so as long as I can remember, but especially after 3rd grade.

[melissarene]

Looking back, I had anxiety issues when I was pretty young. Had a few v* episodes as a kid that I really don't recall. Got sick when I was 11, after lunch recess at school. I guess spinning on a tire swing on a full stomach isn't a bright idea. It was that summer break that I had multiple panic attacks about v*. Horrible. But I seemed to get by it...until I was 19, when I picked up a bug from my boyfriends family. I tried eating to make myself feel better...thought I was having blood sugar issues. Then a hour later, v*. Off and on for over an hour. Made my mom take me to ER for a phenergan shot in the bum. I got sick in the waiting room -- so there's my fear of public v*. Got the stomach flu again in March this year. The trend I have found? 6-12 months after an episode, I go through BAD anxiety....

[punchbuggy]

My phobia started when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. In gym class I witnessed a boy (who's first and last name I still remember) getting sick. It was right after lunch and I assume he drank fruit punch because all I remember seein was red. I immediately started to panic and freak because 1) I thought it was blood and 2) I couldn't speak English and ask what happened. That night and for months later I obsessed over this image and eventually it turned into my phobia. My rituals didn't start until 8th grade with gum eating.

[wanted]

I think it started when I was 9. I had school phobia when I was 8 and I didn't go to schol 2-3 months, didn't eat, I've also been in psychiatrichospital for 2 weeks because of that.
And I didn't go to school because I was nauseas.. and when my school phobia ended, I noticed I'm afraid of vomiting. I though this is going to pass, but nothing.
Maybe I have this phobia 'cause, when I was that age (7,8 ) I have often heard my mom vomiting in the night and that was terrible, JUST TERRIBLE! I think it is the main reason for my phobia.

[julybabe]

I was 6 or 7 years of age. I remember getting freaked out by kids v*g in class and I'm sure it went from there. I remember getting my first panic attack at the age of 7, but at that time it wasn't v*t related, I just started to feel all panicky one day at school and I just din't know what was happening. I was first diagnosed with anxiety at the age of 9 years. I'm 42 now so I've been emet for a very long time. I can remember back to before I was emet , like when I was about 3 or 4 years of age and getting s* and just not being overly bothered by it, and more to the point certainly not spending every day of my life thinking about it