New to Forum, Glad I found it!

[skwermy]

Hello! I am new to this Forum, but long time sufferer of emetophobia. I have always felt like a freak since I do not know anyone else who felt the way I did. I feel even worse now that I am in my late 20s and everyone around me is pregnant and starting their families. I try to explain my situation but no one seems to understand, not even my family. My husband tries to understand, but I know he must feel frustrated at times.

I am just so glad to find somewhere where I can be free to talk about how I am feeling about this. I look forward to talking to more of you soon!

[sage]

Hi,
Welcome to the site. Be sure to check out all the great information on this forum as you surf around. The "treatments" thread has a lot of good stuff at the top.
Take care,
SAGE

[skwermy]

Thanks sage!

[grgygrl]

Nice to have you here!! I myself have been away for a while but am glad I can pop in now and then. We can all fight this darn phobia together!!

[skwermy]

Thanks grgygrl....yes, I am glad I found a group of people that can understand where I am coming from. I sound so insane to myself sometimes! [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

[musicmaam]

Welcome skwermy! (nice name too!) I'm glad you found us.

I totally know the feeling that everyone is pregnant around me . . . and I so want to be, but I am still too afraid of v*! I know I want kids eventually, but I want to get better at coping first.

Enjoy the forums!

[skwermy]

Hey Musicmaam, Thanks for the warm welcome! [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img] Like I told one of my friends once (as they couldn't understand why I would sacrifice kids over my fear of v*) -

I rather get my wisdom teeth taken out again, and my knee surgery done every day than actually have to go through v* in my lifetime!

LOL I know, it sounds crazy, but I would do it!

[penny77]

Welcome! I know how you feel about the pregnancy thing also. All of my friends are starting to have children, and I'm that crazy girl who dresses up her dog in little outfits! LOL! I once told my boyfriend that if I knew I could cut off my right arm and never v* again, I would ask for the knife right then and there. Oh the joys of emetophobia! [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[skwermy]

LOL penny77 - I would do the same thing! If I knew there was a sure fire way to never v* again, I would so do it right there and then.....cutting limbs off, etc...

Oh the joys of feeling like you are insane [img]smileys/smilies_05.gif[/img]

[yajamano]

Hi I am new to this forum too.
I am so relieved to have found a site where you can talk to people that understand your fear and not see you as mad!!
I have been emetophobic for at least 16 years or so and have not been physically sick for about 17 years.
I also have quite a few ocd symptoms like fear of germs,compulsiveness etc
I am married with 4 children and although I suffered morning sickness would never allow myself to be sick.
I worry that my fear will pass on to my children because of the steps that emetaphobics take to minimise the risks of getting ill.
Although I try to play it down a bit in front of them they do pick up on things and are also fearing the thought of sickness.
[img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[skwermy]

yajamano - Welcome to the forums too!

You are a brave soul for having 4 children and whether you realise it or not, I think you are awesome for putting your fears aside for motherhood. I wish I could be as brave. Yes, I too am worried about passing my emetaphobia to my kids (If I ever have any)

Aside from this, I have ADHD, and some mild OCD - no doubt stemming from this phobia..... Trying to see if my sister-in-law would be a surrogate for me, but I think I might have to do this battle on my own and I really don't want to!

[yajamano]

Hi skwermy
There are lots of steps I took when I was pregnant not to be sick, ginger ale ,ginger biscuits,really bland food and lots of gaviscon advance.
On top of that I would never allow myself to be sick.
I tried to rationalise my fear when pregnant to the fact that if I was sick it was because I was pregnant and not had a bug.
My 14 yr old and 12 year old also panic if they feel sick and are quite compulsive with hand hygiene etc too.(I would call that being hygienic washing your hands alot but other people see it as being compulsive)
I also have been home educating for the last 4 and a half years because my son was being bullied but it was also a relief to not have them mixing all the bugs that go around schools.
I dont think people understand how this takes over your whole life 24 hrs a day.
You can see how silly you are being but unless you have the same fear you cannot understand why people like us take extreme measures to minimalise the risks of being sick.

[allypally.]

Hi,

I think all of you that have had children deserve some sort of meda or trophy!!! lol. I have so much admiration for you, as I know myself that I couldnt do it. Im 31 and have been a sufferer since i was 6, and even thought im not as bad as I used to be, I know I just couldnt cope with being pregnant. I have always wanted to adopt or foster since I was small, but I think its a bit of a cop out now that Im older!! All of my friends are having or have had babies (so I know how youre feeling Skwermy!!), and I feel so left out and isolated cos I know I cant tell any of them the truth. I know they wouldnt understand.
My other half doesnt want children, so theres no pressure on me at all, I would just like to know If i DID get pregnant, i would cope, it terrifies me!! lol.

Living with this phobia really is disabling, I hope one day I will be free of it and able to live a relatively normal life without fear and anxiety. Im nowhere near as bad as I used to be, but it does still control my life. Im so glad I found this site. I cried when I found it and started to read all of the posts. Finally I can see and talk to people like me, and all of a sudden I dont feel so alone and like such a freak!!

So thanks to everyone for posting their problems and stories, Ive suffered alone for 25 years, and its so good to finally know its not just me. [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[yajamano]

Hi allypally,
I too could have cried when I found this site, it was as if all my fears and thoughts were being said by someone else and that person wouldnt see you as a weirdo just someone who understands that panicky feeling with the site or mention of sick.
It is quite draining for us all having to always do our little rituals or make excuses as to why we dont want to go out to public places or get a take away or something.
I also really dread those months when there is norovirus outbreaks.
I just lock myself and the kids away(not literally, im not quite that mad yet lol) [img]smileys/smilies_13.gif[/img]

[skwermy]

allypally - *HUGS* Yes, I know how you feel exactly... isn't it a relief when you hear someone say that you are not crazy and that you are not alone? Well, you are not alone! and Definately not Crazy either [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

Just the other day, I had to decline going out with friends for their birthday as they had decided to go on an all night binge drinking......they are definately too old for that and besides.....I didn't want to be in a situation where I had to run away from the crowd when things get "questionable"

[allypally.]

Hiya Yajamano and Sqwermy ((((hugs))))

Thanks so much for your kind words. Its so nice to not feel so alone and crazy!! [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img] lol.

I understand what both of you are saying, Im EXACTLY the same!! lol. Its just amazing to find this site and see there are so so many of us, yet this phobia is never talked about by anyone. I think its got to be one of the worst phobias to suffer from, but just being here and reading everyones stories makes me feel so much calmer about everything. Do you know what I mean?? lol

I also like to hide when there are virus outbreaks, it really really frightens me. Makes life so so hard!! And none of my friends know about this, so I just have to make excuses and stuff.

I avoid drink binge parties like the plague!! lol [img]smileys/smilies_09.gif[/img]

[yajamano]

Hi squermy
I actually do not drink anymore and haven't done since I was 17 (Im now 32),I have also been a vegetarian for 10 years and thankfully over the last few years so are the rest of my family,I used to majorly panic over raw meat and getting food poisening from under cooked meat.
I am quite open to most people about how I am ,but I don't really care what people think of me.
I am always fishing to see if people have been ill and what they had (or if they have been in contact with ill people) and say to people if you have been sick or had an upset stomach dont come round until a week after all symtoms stop.
It does annoy me when people say "oh aren't you funny"
I just think "no" just hygienic I think alot of people have very little hygiene skills and it s common sense not to go out and spread your germs , isn't it?
I have 4 kids and all of them apart from baby are all date mad aswell and if anything is 2 days close to its date will not eat it.

[skwermy]

Yes, I have never gotten into drinking either - didn't want the after effects. I will have a drink or 2, but I don't have a hankering for it at all. I am 28 and can't say I party too much my whole life - never liked being around drunk people (for obvious reasons)

I am very open about my phobia with people I talk to, and I get the usual - "Are you crazy?", "That is not a real fear", to the slap-worthy "You are just making stuff up"

[grgygrl]

[img]smileys/smilies_11.gif[/img] GERMS [img]smileys/smilies_11.gif[/img] We Emets have got to be the cleanest people in the world.I use bleach and pine sol to clean everyday almost.

[yajamano]

I think people really have no idea how much this phobia takes over our lives and impedes on every tiny little thing we do.I would like to see people try and live our lives with our fear everyday and then tell us it's not a real fear.
We go through so much dettol(antibac) and antibac handwash in our house I use it in every room ,even to dust with.
lisa [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[skwermy]

LOL I was just looking over the list that lists out all the strange things we do for our Emet fears and I couldn't help but laugh out loud - and I am at work! Laughing at myself does help...... Although I have and may never meet you guys in real life, just wanted you to know that, You guys are awesome@@@@ [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

[yajamano]

lol back at ya sister.I was reading it the other day and thought it was funny too, I suppose if we didn't laugh "we'd go MAD " [img]smileys/smilies_08.gif[/img]

[allypally.]

lol back at ya sister.I was reading it the other day and thought it was funny too, I suppose if we didn't laugh "we'd go MAD " [img]smileys/smilies_08.gif[/img]

I think I AM mad!!! ha ha ha. [img]smileys/smilies_08.gif[/img]

That list is amazing. First time I looked at it I couldnt believe it!! It was like reading all about me. I was gobsmacked at it!! I never thought there would be other people that do some of the wierd things I do!!
I was just smiling and laughing....probably a slight bit f relief methinks!! lol

[yajamano]

Maybe we are actually normal and it's everyone else that's mad!!! lol [img]smileys/smilies_14.gif[/img]

[skwermy]

yajamano - yes, I would like to think that all of us are the "normal" ones....wait, what is normal anyway? [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

[allypally.]

ha ha. Exactly....what is 'normal' these days anyway?? lol. I do not know ANYONE that doesnt have some issues or phobias or major hang ups!!

So I dont think the word 'normal' applies to anything else other than the cycle on your washing machine!! haha [img]smileys/smilies_08.gif[/img]

[penny77]

lol back at ya sister.I was reading it the other day and thought it was funny too, I suppose if we didn't laugh "we'd go MAD " [img]smileys/smilies_08.gif[/img]

I say similar things all the time! I tell my boyfriend, "if I don't laugh at myself and my phobia sometimes, I might go crazy". Besides, laughter is the best medicine, right? [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[yajamano]

when you think about it our phobia is normal,I mean who would want to be by somthing that gross or people who are that unhygienic that they want to spread such a disgusting thing.
Based on the list and laughter being the best medicine we must get mass doses of medicine then.lol
Hygienic hugs to you all xx [img]smileys/smilies_08.gif[/img]

[allypally.]

when you think about it our phobia is normal,I mean who would want to be by somthing that gross or people who are that unhygienic that they want to spread such a disgusting thing.
Based on the list and laughter being the best medicine we must get mass doses of medicine then.lol
Hygienic hugs to you all xx [img]smileys/smilies_08.gif[/img]

Thats so true!! lol [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

Hygenic hugs right back atcha!! xx