Hello please help

[leighchristy]

My name is Leigh, and I am 38 years old. I have had a fear of vomiting for 25+ years. I am so bad that I hardly eat, I live on compazine and i shake and stress everyday of my life. When the kids get sick I leave or send them away. I can't deal with other people getting sick either. If I am around friends and they tell me they had the stomach flu, I go into panic mode and don't eat for days and stay away from them. If i feel sick and get d* i automatically think I am going to vomit. Yesterday everyone in the house got the stomach flu, and that was 4 people and they basically got it at the same time. Which I found extremely weird and then I totally freaked out. Now I am at my mom's house because I have been in panic mode. I keep saying if I am going to get sick give it to me. If not just let me alone. I just need to know I am not alone and would like to hear someone else's issues with this phobia, because I need to gain sanity.

[KaydeeJayde]

Welcome to the forums. It's great to have a place where people know EXACTLY what you're going through. You're most definitely not alone. I'm not too scared of myself getting ill. It's only other people, especially those close to me. I've walked three kms in the rain in the dark from my boyfriends house because he was vomiting and I couldn't handle it. I check fod obsessively, and I have taken things off people's plates because I didn't want them eating it. I hope that you can get the help you need to try and conquer the fear. It doesn't have to control your life...

[Avath]

Hey Leigh. I understand your fears - my husbands has had a few sv's over the years and it takes everything I have not to run away and leave him alone. I am frozen for days and it's just awful. But I've started my journey towards recovery and hopefully I won't be this way for much longer.

[easty-b]

I had exactly the reaction you're describing to my brother when he got norovirus last year - my mind raced, didn't know where to put myself, wouldn't eat despite being hungry and had that exact thought - if it's coming give it to me otherwise leave me alone and let me not panic. It was the not knowing and the suddenness that his symptoms started that I couldn't deal with. But I didn't come down with it in the end and since then I've had a much more optimistic view. Imagine if I'd WANTED to catch it and still didn't - I'd be saying what do I have to do to get this bug??! So just because someone you know has it there's no need to panic. All the best - lots of success stories on here to read

[SerenaB]

Hi, I know exactly how you feel and am going through the same type of thing currently. I have been emetophobic since around 9 I think (i am now 34!) and don't know how but have managed to avoid being sick since I was in my late teens! I am now quite anxious about it as you can imagine and have two young children, one who has just started school, so the bugs are starting to appear now. My youngest had diahorrea last night and then was sick once in the night but fine all day today eating normally, but of course I am now completely anxious that I am going to get it or my other child will, it is a horrible feeling this panic and anxiety and just want to get rid of it. It is very helpful to know there are other people out there feeling the same as until i came across this site I felt like i was the only one and like i was being a bit silly. I am looking for help to get rid of it but my local GP was not very helpful so may try the hypnotherapy route.

[easty-b]

It seems to be all about hand washing. The idea is not killing the virus but washing it down the sink, so wash your hands thoroughly before you eat and if it's going round just be a bit clued up, don't put your hand to your mouth after touching door handles, surfaces, etc. If you cleaned up properly after your child (bleached the areas) the chances are you got rid of it.