what does everyone do to 'cope' with this?

[emmalinda]

My emet has gotten so bad ever since i had an sv not long ago. i am so much worse and even more terrified then ever!! i hate this so much i cant do anything. i feel sick (like usual) but now everytime i feel sick its definate to me that its an sv. im so over feeling like this all the time. my stomach is aching which is how the virus started out so now i think i have another one. im so much more sensitive to my body now and i feel "unsafe." I never thought that having to v* would ever happen to me and now that it actually has, i know i cant get away from it anymore and i will do it more often. im so worried about it happening again. ugh i hate my life. how does everyone cope when it gets very bad? i used to know but theres no telling my mind to just calm down anymore and to stress less about it.

[StaceySGMW]

When it gets *bad* I just tell myself that I've been there before, and I didn't v * then, so there'd be absolutely no reason for me to v* now. I just try and tell myself on a mantra that it's anxiety.

[griffdiz]

I am having this same issue since I had an sv in october. It pushed me to go see a therapist because I really could not cope. So far I have learned that when I start to have these feelings I should either tell myself that it is just my brain misfiring, and if that doesn't work or it is a situation where I am having trouble focusing on something else I should just tell myself "stop" and think of a big stop sign. It definitely takes some concentration and repetition since your brain is do used to thinking the other way. I also find that drinking hot tea calms me down when I am feeling anxious. I have been convinced that I had another sv several times now since I was sick last, and everytime I have been fine. Just remind yourself that people usually don't have more than a couple sv's in their whole life so it is highly unlikely you would be getting one everytime you think you are.

[hopefulheart]

I know this may not help but everyone has something different that helps them and maybe not others...BUT I have been in counseling for this for over a year and while I worry alot about catching a S.V. or eating poor food, my counselor was just honest and says "no matter how you slice it, IF something EVER happens (getting the flu, etc...) you will deal with it when it happens(because you have no choice). So in the meantime I just wash my hands, eat at my house more than I do at restaurants and know that if I do have an upset stomach it DOESN'T mean I will throw up. BUT if I do, I will deal with it for that 3 seconds that it actually happens and focus on what I do have control of-MY ACTIONS. I am scared that I will freak out and therefore freak out my partner or family members or friends. I am going to try to focus on CALMING self talk and getting through instead "I don't throw up, I can NOT throw up, I am going to die, I am going to lose control and I just CAN NOT do that, no one understands and I'm going insane(while crying hysterically). Its PRACTICE, not a miracle but I think it is important to be realistic and not worry too much about what probably won't happen. You are okay and need to breathe and know you deserve to be the best you. Not this trapped like of one word "V*". God Bless!

[hopefulheart]

trapped life**

[McMorbid]

I firmly tell myself that under no circumstances am not I going to be sick. I do a lot of inner talking while this happens. Comforting myself, assuring myself that I'm going to be fine. Luckily for me, I don't get sick often, seeing as the aches usually come off from anxiety; but there are still times where it's not anxiety. Those times where it feels like I am seriously, for sure, totally positive that I'm going to be ill, I take a gravol, or do some calming techniques.
The last step to overcoming this is being able to full accept the fact that throwing up is a fact of life, no more different than other natural subjects that people are uncomfortable on talking about. Of course, this is a hard thing to come with terms to; like I've always said whenever my mom pointed out that getting sick was simply your body cleansing itself, "If my body feels like cleansing itself, it can come happily out the other end."
I wish you all the luck on coping with this and, eventually, being able to overcome it.

[emmalinda]

thatnk you so much everyone. hopefulheart that all sounds very reasonable and a good way at training your brain to accept sickness. i can read over these of a night and i know i will feel a bit better. xx

[Carly2011]

Honestly? Rock back and forth and pray. If I can, I'll get into bed, stomach down and try to sleep the n* away.

[mdgirl1977]

All of these pieces of advice are solid and I may just type up a list to keep in my wallet, hang on the bathroom mirror, keep in my nightstand..etc. I just need to convince myself that I can get past this, I will live if I do get sick, etc. But it is the FEAR that is the worst...