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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    209

    Default anxiety/emetophobia

    Hi everyone

    I'm currently a Freshman at a school on the East Coast, originally from the Midwest Chicagoland area. I had struggled with slight emetophobia throughout high school, and have officially been diagnosed with IBS and severe anxiety. I've lost 20 pounds since coming to school, simply because I'm too afraid that if I go into the dining hall to eat I will undoubtedly eat something that I believe is contaminated with noro and end up sick.

    I have washed and sanitized my hands to a point of needing aquaphor with cotton gloves every night, and I constantly feel pain in my abdomen and obsessively worry about catching noro and having to v*. It has gotten so bad the past few days, since yesterday I had a bad bout of d* (only once though which seemed strange) and have been too petrified to eat anything since. I've seen the clinic at my school and they've reassured me that i'm ok, yet I can never get past my constant worry that I will catch noro and v*

    If anyone has any advice that could help I would love to hear it from another person who suffers from the same phobia! My doctors are now at a point where they want me to take a medical leave due to how sick I have been recently, but I would like to find a way to make it through the rest of the semester

    Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    1,045

    Default Re: anxiety/emetophobia

    Oh Mary....I could almost have written your post....I was almost exactly where you are about 17 years ago, except I was at school in the South.
    Like you, I struggled with this phobia off and on throughout my teenage years, and it became very pronounced when I went away to school and a *sv went rampant through my dorm. For months, I was afraid to eat in the dining hall and survived on cereal and pop tarts, because I could eat them in my dorm room. This was before the internet and google, so I really didn't know much about how things spread or what killed noro (or that it was even called noro), so I was terrified to put anything in my mouth. Needless to say, I did not gain the freshman 15, and I lost weight at such a rate that my parents had to come and get me and bring me home. And though it was a drive for them, they ended up coming to get me every weekend to bring me home, just so that I would eat something other than cereal. I was able to finish the semester, but I missed out on a lot of things socially that first year, like ball games and social events, and I really regret it now.
    I obviously don't know your financial situation, and since it sounds like you are farther away from home than I was, I doubt going home on the weekend to eat is a viable solution for you. However, I do have some thoughts of things that might help you. First of all, if you are not already talking to someone (licensed) about your anxiety, I recommend that you find someone asap. I am sure your school has resources available through the student health center. Or, if you are in a faith community, you can do like I did and talk to your preacher/priest/etc about your anxiety. My associate pastor was a licensed therapist also, and she'd been talking with me here and there for years about anxiety issues, so it was a good fit.
    Secondly, if you have the means to move out of the dorm (or even just into a single room) next year, DO it! That helped me SO much. I had my own little microwave and fridge, and so I was able to cook simple meals in my room and, when I was up to the challenge, I would eat in the dining hall, but if I was stressed or my anxiety was high, I didn't have to. And since I had my own room, I didn't have to constantly worry about one of my roommates being ill and *v where I could hear/see/catch their illness.
    As far as right now goes--you might truly need that medical leave, and if it won't go badly on your academic record, then maybe your should consider it. You can message me if you need to talk more. I hope things start to look better for you soon.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    1,107

    Default Re: anxiety/emetophobia

    I was a lot like you in HS/College. I lost so much weight and slept with my garbage can right by my bed at all times. I worried so much. I would sit up at night to sleep b/c I was afraid I would v and choke on it.

    The thing is...I didn't catch it from my roommates when they had a sv. I never v in high school or college. Actually I didn't v from the time I was 12 until I was 36 (this year). That's 24 years!

    We emets...we're so careful about hygeine that we are so less likely to catch a sv than others.

    If you can, find a therapist to talk to. It will help you so much.

    There is hope for you. I had 3 kids, teach elementary school and am able to comfort my students and kids when they v. I don't run away (in fact, usually it's my assistant that runs from the room!) when a student v's. I am usually the one holding my child by the toilet while they v. I don't worry about it much anymore. This year I'm struggling because of the media frenzy...but before this year I went many years without worrying so much. I know if I can get control of it, you can too.

    ((Hugs))

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    209

    Default Re: anxiety/emetophobia

    first I wanted to thank you both very much for replying-it's always nice to hear that you aren't the only one to have gone/be going through this!!

    @mamacat I had discussed before with my parents doing something like that-since I am farther it would likely involve flights home every weekend, but my parents are open to that option, since it has become a rather bleak situation. I am seeing a few doctors now, one psychiatrist and psychologist here in Boston and one psychiatrist and psychologist at home! they all communicate as well, so it's nice to have that many people trying to help. while they have been relatively helpful, because I do also suffer from IBS, I struggle with abdominal discomfort on a basically daily basis, so even with all of the treatment I am receiving, I still can't get it through my head that with my insane hygiene (which seems to be dramatically better than everyone else's around me) that I won't eventually get the bug myself. As for next year I am going to get an apartment with a friend who is equally as hygienic-that way I can actually cook my own food and know that it's all been prepared well. With spring break only 8 days away, I will ride it out until then (hopefully stay healthy) and make my decision when I am home, but I will definitely contact you soon!

    @sdd-I truly hope I can get to your level with v* one day! the media frenzy with this new noro virus has made my phobia and anxiety worse, without a doubt, so I can completely relate with you on that. With my hygeine, like you had mentioned, I do usually hope and pray that it will help me to ward off the virus (everyone in my family came down with it a few years ago when I was still home and I managed to avoid it with my hygienic tendencies-and that was before my emetophobia became a serious part of my life!) I do hope I can make it through college like you, and have the same long run as you did!

    Thank you both again for responding, and so kindly, I truly appreciate the support <3

 

 

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