how i overcame emet :)))))

[heretohelpx]

so...this time last year i would have been sat at this computer wrapped in my duvet, hyperventalating, crying, burping trying to releive the n*, basically having a full blown panic attck...i was like this for months on end.

I was simply that scared. I couldnt see that there would be a way out of this and i was quite frankly, suicidal.

You guys on here were amazing and i came here as a sanctury away from reality.

I overcame this gradually...very gradually. I started to do things that i enjoyed like taking up dance lessons and eventually got a job over summer. I broke up with my boyfriend, in which i had a disasterously bad relationship with. I realised that i was using my emet as a sheild from all the things that were wrong with my life, but was too afraid to say no to.

while i was taking control of my life in other ways, the emet seemed to melt away anyway. For example, i started washing my hands less and simply thinking, "ah well, there isnt many germs around my kitchen anyway so i will just eat this now without washing my hands"...

now that would sound crazy to me a year ago but gradually, life became more important than worrying.

since then things have simply got better and better, I am now with an amazing guy who i dont even need to tell him about this as it doesnt even cross my mind anymore.

We go for meals, I have steak medium rare, I eat mussels and oysters and drink alcohol sometimes until i fall over...i know that is very bad :/......and all these things were possible because i simply chose to not panic about anything anymore...i had had enough!...

and you will get over this, it is possible and it will happen. Choose to live

Thank you for reading this and i hope you all found it helpful that someone can live without any emet thoughts. x x x x

[3littlebirds]

wowww. that's amazing. thanks for this positive post, it always depresses me that there are so few posts in the "success stories" section. this is inspiring. this is making me want to change so many things with my own life.
can i ask, were you afraid of yourself being sick, or of others, or both? have you been nauseous/ sick since overcoming emet, and if so how did you cope?
anyway i really really like your post congrats x

[olschesky]

i love a success story and hope to be one someday. this is my first time on this site and am hoping for the best. i have had this for 50 years and has gotten worse the older i get....i fear others getting sick around me but even worse....me getting sick....i will keep reading

[alexikiss]

Thank you for this post.

You mentioned that you were using the phobia to shield yourself from things that were wrong in your life. I wonder how many of us are doing this and not aware of it? Or perhaps we are scared of other things, things we don't even want to admit to ourselves...and it's easier to focus on emet and trying to control germs and panic than what the REAL issue is? Maybe we are scared to live, grow, change, be hurt, be alone, be afraid?

I wouldn't say I am a *success story* but like many of you here, I was freaking out every day and night, feeling sick, afraid to go out...wondering if something I ate would make me sick. I read the posts here and it reminds me of myself years ago. Some of it I cannot identify with any longer...and that's how I know I have gotten better. There is hope for everyone here. Now I just mostly fear others being sick. If I feel ill myself, I just think, oh, this will pass...just like it did allllll the other times. I am glad that I am better than I was, but I am still pretty bad in some ways.

[sage]

Thanks for this great story, heretohelpx! I'm sure it will inspire many people.

[turbokinetic]

Thanks for sharing this, happy you are having a good life now!

[sdfl]

I thaqnk you so deeply for this encouraging post. Your spirit and your will power have truly reigned over the part of your brain that says to fear and flee. It is always about control, and you give other emets on the path to recovery genuine hope, at least I feel more hope radiating from this. Rock on baby!

[Jill in Apartment 413]

Thank you for your story! For about a year (two years ago) I was emet free, then it came back with a vengence and I still don't know what I did! It sucks! Now I'm better than a lot of you who come here, but still have my freak out moments! Anyway I enjoy reading the success stories!

[Qt-K8ie]

This story gives meee sooo much hope!!! Thank you!!

[heretohelpx]

Reading all your thank yous made me cry....I am so hapy that i could offer some hope to you all...and yes i have felt ill since overcoming it...i was drunk :/ lol and was feeling rather queesy...but i got in with my head spinning and just gave into feeling drunk...i got myself food and watched silly late night television! haha...last year i would have had a whole night of panic attacks...but i fell asleep and woke up with a headache! thats it!.....and today my boyfriend was ill at work...so i called him and asked him to come home so that i could look after him...I am not at all worried about getting ill simply because i enjoy life too much to worry about it any more...it always re-inforces the fact that not every little risk ends up in illness.....I went to london for new years eve and had touched all kinds of surfaces like the tube seats and handels etc and then went and drank champayne and forgot all about...was touching my mouth when i was watching the fireworks and everything...i didnt get ill and i had an amazing night ....I am sure this moment will come to all of you...even if it is in small doses ....keep smiling! x x x x x x x x

[heretohelpx]

hey ...i was afraid of myself being ill mainly but others too...and i have been close since too when i was drunk lol...i have descibed that night in detail lol in my last post hehe.. x x

[jc83]

dang girl! (or guy) how were you able to get past the physical apprehension symtoms (panic attacks, immedeate responses to v*?)

[psalm139]

Yeah I agree!! i just feel so hopeless!! I have three kids and they are sick with "v" at least twice a year. I just want to be rid of it. I want to be like other people and not give it a second thought!! my husband just doesn't get it!! Please keep posting postive stories on here I so need to hear them!!