Getting Your Family To Understand

Hi All! I am new to this site and new to the term Emets. I had no idea that there were this many of us out there and that there was a name for this crippling phobia.


I have been dealing with this phobia for most of my life and it is getting worse every year it goes untreated. My family is somewhat understanding....they know not to talk about it or tease me.....but deep down in my heart I know they don't understand it at all.


What I am wondering....Is there a way that you confronted your family and friends that made them understand what emets is all about?I need and want them to completely understand what I am and have been going through.


Any Thoughts?

The only peopleI have told is my hubby and my Dad,my Dadhas ben great and kinda gets it after looking back at my childhood and all my "fully little ways"!!! My hubbyhas been understanding and altho he doesnt "get it" he is supportive and listens to me while I rant. Heeven texted me yesterday on his way to work to tell me towalk a different way to work as there was v* on the pavement!! I guess I cant really ask for more than that!!!!!!!


I just cant bring myself totell anyone else yet(mind you I am 37 now!!!)


Laney

I was 9 when this phobia begun for me and my parents seen what it had done to me. The shaking, the pulling of the hair, the biting my nails until the bled, eating toothpaste etc. really wacky stuff. They have seen me cry in frustration and they worry if I would end up hurting myself seriously.
We didn't know I had a phobia until a few years ago. Now that I know what I suffer from I feel better. They don't understand 100% but they are there when I need them. I am very open about this phobia because years ago I was afraid to tell people I was afraid of being sick or going out in public because I may feel sick. I was afraid to tell guys who I liked for the fear they would think that i am wierd and say bye.
With my friends today I tell them how I am and why. If they dont get it oh well!! Most of them understand and are there for me

Go to the INFORMATION section at the top.

My family is not so understanding, just my mother.

I wish I could help, but I don't know myself! My family is really un-supportive.. I mean, they're nice people... but they say that I am crazy and weird, etc. And they tease me about sickness (or say they feel sick) if they feel like getting me mad.... but then again, I haven't told them about emet... they think I just have a thing about sickness.

My family isn't supportive. =T My mom says she understands, but when I panic its, "Stop being ridiculous" etc. My dad doesn't say anything and my sister...I made her read "My Thirteenth Winter." Needless to say, she got scared of the chapter called "Panic," then again she's only 12. My family is nice to me but not in this aspect. =X If you talked to your family about it and visited Sage's info in the treatments section, I'mnot sure how else.

Hey Guys!


Well I thought it might be interesting to sit my parents down and chat with them about how I have been feeling lately in regards to my phobia. I thoughtI would fill them in on all the info I have learned from you guys and that there is an actual name to this phobia.Well, just as predicted my Mother quickly changed the subject after hearinf what I had to say but my Father seemed a bit more interested. It seemed like he wanted to chat more about it, but since my Mom changed topics I was completely forgotten about. Really it is strange because usually I go to my Mom for support for other things. If talking with them won't work...... what will???? I don't even know what I want from them anyways!! I guess just support and I want them to know that I am not really that CRAZY afterall.


Any thoughts??

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wing

My family isn't supportive. =T My mom says she understands, but when I panic its, "Stop being ridiculous" etc. My dad doesn't say anything and my sister...I made her read "My Thirteenth Winter." Needless to say, she got scared of the chapter called "Panic," then again she's only 12. My family is nice to me but not in this aspect. =X If you talked to your family about it and visited Sage's info in the treatments section, I'mnot sure how else.

---

I completly have the same type of family. My mom tells me to stop being rediculous when I overreact about v- (we went to the movie, "Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood" and needless to say in the one scene where the mom goes crazy, my mom looks over at me curled up in my seat plugging my ears, closing my eyes and almost completely bawling...she told me to grow up). My Dad isn't really involved one way or another. Mmy siblings, both younger, think it's hilarous to pretend to be sick around me and whatnot. The most supportive person I have around me currently is my boyfriend, and even he didn't quite know how serious it was until he witnessed a few panic attacks from me after he too pretended like he was going to v- on me.


What most people don't understand about phobias is that it is an actual problem. Similarly with depression often times. People have the misconception that you can just "snap out of it," or "stop it" when in reality if you have been diagnosed with a phobia, you can't. That would be like telling somebody with diabetis to "just get over it." Until people understand that, there's really not a way of getting through to them completely. Nobody can understand exactly what you're feeling and experiencing unless they are you.


What I do to deal with my family is I let them know how I don't appriceate how unsupportive they are. With my siblings, or with my boyfriend, when they used to play around, I would tell them it wasn't funny and sometimes even start to cry just to get the point across. Even though they don't really understand why I'm so upset, they recognize their behavior is a problem and stop more times than not. My mom, while she doesn't recognize phobias as actual problems (when my therepist diagnosed me with emetophobia, my mom switched counselors and said that I was overreacting and that she DID NOT have a crazy daughter, but I understand now that she is in denial because she thinks my problem reflects negatively on her parenting), will keep me away from v- whenever possible (so if my siblings are sick, she'll tell me to stay at a friend's house) and she tries not to put me in positions where I need to be around it.

I don't know if anyone who isn't an emet can actually "get it". I know my husband tries his best, but has yet to come even as close to understanding it as the people here have. From my experience, I think that some people in your life are going to be supportive and some won't --- no matter what you say. That is certainly not your fault though.


Of course, we're always here to listen and be understanding!!!!