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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Boston, MA
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    Default Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    Oh my god, I can't escape! I was on the subway this morning, in the back corner of the car, when I look up to see a guy actively v*ing IN HIS SEAT DOWN ONTO THE FLOOR! He was 6+ feet away from me so there was no way I physically came in touch with any of it - as in, I wasnt splashed or didnt step in it - or him or anything he touched at all but still, that wasn't far away enough for me and I'm terrified of particles in an enclosed area. The second I got to work I alcohol wiped everything! Who knows if he was drunk or hungover or what, but my immediate fear is noro. My anxiety is through the roof right now and I really need something to calm me down.

  2. #2
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    Dec 2012
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    United Kingdom!
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    If you took the right precautions which by the looks of things you have, you should be fine. You would be able to tell if you ingested any particles by judging from your positioning and distance from him and if you had your mouth covered etc. I'm sure you'll be fine!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Boston, MA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    I hid in my jacket the best I could and didn't touch my face until I could get to work and wash/disinfect. I just saw it, totally unobstructed, and that's really freaking me out.

  4. #4
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    Oct 2012
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    Midwest USA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    You should be just fine. I would have freaked since seeing someone v.. is my fear. What an icky way to start your morning. Try to forget about it. Try to distract your mind.

    http://www.emetophobia.org/showthrea...-aus-worldwide

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Boston, MA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    That is my major fear as well - I may be more afraid of seeing it than doing it (of course I'm terrified of both)! So I was having trouble breathing and trying not to cry. I felt so dumb... I'm 24 years old, getting my masters for clinical social work... I've worked in mental health for 3 years... But THIS totally consumes me. Ruined my whole day and I'm still horribly anxious. I hate it.

  6. #6
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    Dec 2012
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    United Kingdom!
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    We're all the same, I would react exactly how you did so you're not alone in that respect. You are not dumb, you are only human with a phobia like everyone else.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
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    Midwest USA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    42 Graduated from college with honors. Have cried in past when I saw someone v.... Have had panic attacks when I could have had the potential of seeing it (but did not see it). You are not alone.

    When Justin Beiber did it on stage, I saw the media reports. I had flashbacks for a while. I was on edge for days. That is when I joined this site. Doing much better now

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Boston, MA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    Blah thank you!! I get frustrated because my brain knows better when it comes to helping others, but myself.. I just crumble and fall to pieces.

  9. #9

    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    I'm sorry that you had to see that, what a cruddy way to start you day. Sounds like you held it together much better than I would have.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    North West England
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    79

    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    I completely understand how you feel, i try not to let on or show others that i have this particular phobia, and even as a 6ft2 tall guy who was raised by my old fashion dad (men will be MEN and not get scared of anything) there have been times when ive been closed to someone who v* and ive ran away without looking back.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Boston, MA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    Oh man, I'm still obsessing about it and going over and over in my head if I could have possibly been infected. What I hate most is this - the obsessing! I can't go back and change anything but I can't focus on the present, either, because I'm too scared that one tiny particle somehow made its way in me and I have noro (even though who knows why he was V*ing??) Thank you for responding.

  12. #12
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    Oct 2012
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    Midwest USA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    You were not exposed. Flashbacks can be common. Try to do deep breathing, meditation, or anything to distract your mind. The flashbacks will go away very soon.

  13. #13
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    Feb 2012
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    Boston, MA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    I'm at work right now, all my co-workers (who are like family to me and know of my phobia) saw me come flying in yesterday freaking out and sanitizing everything so they keep bringing it up! I told them the more I talk about it the more I panic so I stop, but really I just to stop obsessively googling "norovirus" and doing it to myself. I've had it before, in college, years ago. I know what it feels like but it doesn't make it any less terrifying. Thank you for being so reassuring!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
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    United States
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    I know how scary that can be, about 2 years ago when I lived in Boston I was taking the T (subway) on Halloween, I was sitting in a seat and I heard a huge splash, looked up and a man about 10 feet away from my friend and I had v*ed all over the floor. I freaked out but we were between stops so there was nothing I could do. He was a teenager so most likely drunk since it was halloween, he rode another stop and then the stop after that he and his friends got off. I was FREAKING out, but the next stop was a big hub where all the lines converge aka there are more trains coming, so they made us all get off of the T and took it out of service for cleaning. I never caught anything from that experience, but it was scary. Try to put it out of your mind, distract yourself and resist googling anything scary!! If you want to google, google cute pics of kittens or something
    PM me for contact info such as skype, email, or facebook. Thanks!

  15. #15
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    Feb 2012
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    Boston, MA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    Ha, this was on the T!!!

  16. #16

    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    Great, now I'm going to be afraid to take the T, LOL. Good thing I don't usually need to.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
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    2,631

    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    The guy was probably drunk or high. You meet all types on public transportation. That is a really disgusting, stinky thing to see first thing in the morning. I hope you are feeling better now.

    PS
    I agree on the Just Beiber thing. That was gross.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    1,293

    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    Eople are so repulsive at times! I can`t comprehend how they can just do it anywhere without shame. I`d die before I`d let myself v in a public place!

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    Washington State
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    Quote Originally Posted by hairyfairy View Post
    Eople are so repulsive at times! I can`t comprehend how they can just do it anywhere without shame. I`d die before I`d let myself v in a public place!
    It's entirely possible he had no idea it was going to happen. I'm sure he didn't wake up thinking how he could be repulsive that day, or that it was a good day to get sick on a train. It doesn't make him repulsive- simply a normal human being. Remember, it's a normal bodily function, and for most of the world it just happens, and then is done with, and that's the end of that. Most people haven't spent their lives building up their control of the v* reflex like us emetophobics have.. and so it is quite feasible that it just surprised him out of the blue. Much like farting in public, or being surprised by a huge sneeze- someone who had a real germ phobia could find that utterly repulsive and panic inducing, when really it's just another normal bodily function that serves a specific purpose.

    Not trying to be a b*tch, and I do get that when we get super anxious we may over state something, but you have to remember that that isn't normal talking, that's the irrational side. I wouldn't want to v* in public, that's a big part of many emet's fear, but if it did happen, that doesn't make that person repulsive.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    Highland, California, USA
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    452

    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I was in the SAME EXACT situation!. I was in a subway car in Paris and a lady about 2 meters from me v* all over her shopping bag! (I did not get sick). I did have anxiety attacks all day and I was 13 at the time, but I didn't get sick. Heck, the guy who the lady v* on was in our tour group didn't get sick. I think you'll be fine. You will NOT get sick

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  21. #21
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    Feb 2012
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    Boston, MA
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    I agree. If he was ill there's no way he could stop it. Or drunk for that matter. I felt immense anxiety FOR him, haha! I see him every day, same time and same place, but Friday and today he wasn't on my commute and I'm even a little worried about him. :-/

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    New England
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    1,448

    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    Oh gross. On my subway train I guess I got lucky, there was a woman with a strong Jamaican accent yelling about crazy things. It was kind of poetic.

    I think the aerosolized thing gets blown way out of proportion on this site. There's really no way for him to do that and have the particles gain altitude and travel long distances.

  23. #23
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    Sep 2012
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    Canada
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    Default Re: Someone v* in my subway car! Now my anxiety is REALLY out of control!

    Quote Originally Posted by person54321 View Post
    Oh gross. On my subway train I guess I got lucky, there was a woman with a strong Jamaican accent yelling about crazy things. It was kind of poetic.

    I think the aerosolized thing gets blown way out of proportion on this site. There's really no way for him to do that and have the particles gain altitude and travel long distances.
    Yeah, thing is it's not an aerosol at all (sneezing and coughing cause aerosols that stay airborne for longer periods of time and travel much further due to small particle size and speed). It's a spray, meaning much larger droplets that travel a shorter distance and quickly settle down (within minutes). I think the "zone" is about two meters wide, and it won't really "rise" in the air that much. The problem from that spray of droplets is mostly that they'll settle on surfaces and if someone touches those surfaces then puts their hands in their mouth well then they catch it. The risk of getting the actual droplets inside the eyes/mouth/nose and getting infected that way is extremely small. What mostly happens is, let's say in this subway incident, someone v* and then the droplets settle on the schoolbag of someone nearby who then thinks nothing of it because there's no visible soiling, touches that bag and eats a sandwich without washing their hands..they might get it. Same thing in a bathroom, someone v* and the virus is now invisibly on the sink, on the toilet handle, etc. So people who are oblivious to that will wash their hands and then touch the contaminated faucet and contaminate their hands.

 

 

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