We’re going to a London play

[hippyclown]

My school is going to see a play in London, and I really don't want to go because the last time I went, this is what happened: I was on the bus and I was questioning everyone about the play (It was called Skellig)because I didn't know the story and I was scared that someone in it wouldbe sick, and it was a really really small theatre which seated like 100 people so there it only went like 8 rows back on all sides and there was no way to get away from it. Butno one elseknew the story either, even the teacher until I asked this girl in my year but not my class. She told me that there was a bit where he ate chinese food and v*ed loads. Of course that competely freaked me out and she just started laughing at me (to be fair she didn't know about my emet - wellI didn't even know so how could she) I was already really anxious because I was travelling in this tiny bus with like 30 other people and we were going to an unfamiliar area. So anyway, we finally got there and one of the props was a sign that said some thing like "tin wan chinese food" or something and I completely freaked out because they were startingseating inthe front row and going in alphabetical order and my surname begins with C! So I was in the 2nd row! I started yelling, "I can't sit here, he'll be sick on me!" or something and then somehow the teacher (who by the way is a young guy and REALLY cute!) got the idea thatI was gonna be sick. And he told all the other teachersand I couldn't explain'cos they'd thinkI was weird so when they got to this scene where he bought chinese food, I ran out and everyone thought I was going to be sick and then I just started pacing up and down in the foyer for like 10 minutes until one of the attendant people asked if I was ok, I explained and asked if anyone in the play got sick and she said no! I was so angry and I couldn't believe that girl had lied just to scare me. And now whenever we watch a video or something in English my teacher goes "Don't worry Hannah, nobody's sick" and everyone laughs and it's so humiliating. Phew! Sorrythat was really long but I had to get that off my chest and know we're going to another one and I don't know what to do! Thanks so much for reading all my ramblings!

[soluene]

That is completely unprofessional for your English teacher to humiliate you, and I'm sorry you have to go through all that. Do you have a school counselor that you can talk to? I think someone in your school needs to understand that this phobia stems from a REAL disease called ANXIETY, and it is not somethingof which to make fun. Would your teacher make fun of someone in a wheelchair for not being able to stand up? I don't think so. And toying with your fears like this is only going to make it worse.


When I was in high school, I had to ride in van full of cheerleaders, one of whom was hung-over. She had to ask that the van be pulled over so she could get out and v*. Someone slid the door open for her, and she went out a little ways to do her thing. She was in plain view, so I thought for my own comfort, and that of everyone else, I would slide the door back shut so that no one had to watch. When I did, everybody laughed at me. It was so humiliating, because I was actually the captain, and relativelysmart, reliable, and down-to-earth person. But when people see how I react to this normal, bodily function, my credibilitydisintegrates.


It is no wonder we emetophobes hide our fears so often!

[hippyclown]

No there isn't a counselor. I wish there was though. I onlyliterally found out that my fear had a name about 3 weeks ago, and up until then I thought I was just over reacting. As for my teacher, I don't know if he means to be insensitive, it's just that no one understands unless they are an emetophobe themself. They're all like "Nobody like it" God I am so sick of hearing that. And that cheerleading thing sounds horrible, you would think anyone would want not to watch. Thanks for the advice!

[siafi]

Talk to your teacher!!! She/he needs to understand this about you because it is sounhelpful to make your phobia into something even more negative than it already is. I definitely can sympathize with you about people not understanding our phobia. In 7th grade we were going to dissect frogs and all these people were saying "eww, I'm going to v* if we do that!" So I freaked out and told my teacher how I was feeling. She let me do this frog dissection on a computer program after school, but I got weird looks the rest of the year. I guess we can't expect people to understand completely, but if they ever see you in a full-fledged panic attack, I expect they would get the idea. I'm so sorry you had to go through that! Good luck!