This is going to be kind of long, so please bear with me. Well, I'm 15 years old, and this phobia started in the 2nd grade. I v'd in school on January 13th, 2005. So I've basically had this phobia for 8 years. I haven't v'd since then thank god. After that day I couldn't leave the house. When I would go to school, I would go home early literally every day, either that or just stay home. I became home schooled a month later. For years I couldn't even hear the word without having an anxiety attack, now I can talk about it with only feeling a little anxious. Now, 8 years later, it's still bad. Between the grades of 3rd and 8th, I would miss school if I even had the slightest stomach ache(which would be often because I was so anxious). If somebody at school complained of a stomach ache, I went home. My attendance was terrible. In 6th grade, I started failing classes because I was so behind everybody else. I would constantly have panic attacks, and everybody viewed me as an outcast because I was always washing my hands and not touching anything. Now I'm home schooled again(for other reasons not due to emet) and I want to go back to school next year. I think I might be able to deal with it because well, usually high school students are smart enough to know that if you feel sick you should stay home. Still, even when not in school, if I hear somebody say they feel sick, I have a panic attack. I don't even want to discuss what happens when I see somebody v.. . I can't eat in public without having an anxiety attack. I'm scared to have kids in the future because of morning sickness. Luckily I am an adrenaline junkie, so I don't get motion sickness unless like I ride a carnival ride while on my period or something like that. I don't like being around little kids because they touch so many dirty items and aren't that good at washing their hands. And I live in a constant state of terror...whens the next time I'm going to v? Will I see somebody v today? Does anybody I know have a virus? It's a constant struggle, and I don't want to have to deal with this for the rest of my life. Sorry this is so long, but does anybody have any tips to at least cope with it? Thanks!