question

[cutiep]

Hello, I am new to this site and am wondering if anyone else experiences what I go through every day. I have IBS, but am finding that in the last few months I have become increasingly nervous about throwing up. I have always been terribly afraid of it (doing it myself or others doing it in front of me), but have never been afraid of doing it in public until my husband threw up in church last September. When that happened, all of a sudden everywhere I went I had to make sure I knew where the bathroom was. Then I started carrying a bag in my purse for when I feel sick in public. I feel like I am crazy!! Haha...but seriously, I am a teacher and when I am at school I am sometimes nervous to eat around others in case I get nauseous. Whenever I go to a restaurant I get nervous to eat in public. If I go to the store I get anxious that I might get sick. This is just so crazy, and I never used to be this bad. I even get dizzy andmy heart racessometimes when I have a bad stomachache. Has anyone else ever experienced this? If so, what has helped you to overcome this ridiculous fear??


Thanks so much! [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[sage]

Hi Cutiep,


What you are describing is the exact symptoms of emetophobia we all have experienced. You are not alone. And you are not crazy.


Check out the Treaments section of this website - particularly you may like to read a couple of items I wrote that are on sticky posts on the top. One isINFO TO GIVE YOUR DR. OR FAMILY and another is HOW TO GET PROFESSIONAL HELP. The other sticky topics are incredibly helpful as well.


As a brief note, your husband vomiting in church is a rare and unusual occurrence - not sure what was up with him...but that IS unusual. People vomiting in public, adults anyway, is extremely rare. It makes no sense for you to fear it ALL THE TIME when it only happens very rarely, and to some people. I might add that it doesn't happen to emetophobics either, because we are so afraid of it we have more control over the vomit reflex in our brains.


Hope this helps.


All the best!

[dx onion]

Woah, you just described how my life is. It feels...Im not sure what word to use...reassuing(?) that other people feel exactly the same. You'll get what I mean, I suppose; Once you find out you're not the only one who feels like this its a huge weight off your shoulders.

[samara's on tv]

Wow I'm like that too. You aren't crazy if you are then that makes all of us crazy and we definately aren't. You sound like an Emetophobic too. Welcome to the boards!


~Monica

[crazy_me_84]

Welcome cutiep,


I'm sure you will find lots of very helpful people in these forums. Its great to find so many people who we have something in common with. I also have IBS and the fear has also gotton worse than it was previously. It seems to get worse when the IBS plays up and the IBS plays up when my anxiety levels are higher, so its a viscious circle we can get ourselves into and its difficult finding a way out as you may know! Whenever I get worried that I might be s* because of the IBS, I tell myself firmly that v* is not a symptom of IBS, its just n* (which can be just as bad, but it seems to work most of the time... The chances of you being s* in public is very slim. I find it reassuring (most but not all of the time)that if I follow my food and hygiene standards, v* is not likely to happen... Well, I'm still trying to work through these rationalthoughts myself. Just thought I'd share them with you. Hope they help(!)


Annabel


x

[cutiep]

Thank you everyone! It is very reassuring to know that a lot of people have gone through these same experiences. I talked to my husband about it and he was very understanding and suggested talking to someone to help me feel better. What a guy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!