Hey guys. I'm sorry this post is long... but I'm desperate for advice so if you could read and respond, it'd be much appreciated. I tried to keep it as short as possible.

Some background info...
I've been living with emetophobia and anxiety issues for about four years now. It's not vomiting that bothers me OR seeing someone else vomit, it's just the fear of vomiting in public. When I'm in public, the slightest feeling of discomfort in my stomach sends me into full blown panic mode and I CAN'T calm myself down. Even if it's just gas pains or something, I'll panic and start feeling nauseous, shaking, and need to get OUT of that situation as quickly as possible. On top of the emetophobia, I also suffered with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) issues for a while. I have learned to control my symptoms with a healthy diet, but I'm still scared of having an "attack" in public and not being near a bathroom. I know it's an irrational fear since I no longer experience symptoms now that I eat healthy. I don't know why I'm still so scared of it happening. I'm also freaked out about being in places where I feel "trapped" and wouldn't be able to "escape" without drawing attention to myself. I just feel really, really, really uncomfortable when I'm around people. When I'm by myself, I'm completely calm, and I don't worry about my stomach problems at all.

I dropped out of high school at age 16 because of my issues. I regret that decision every single day. Back then, I had issues, but somehow I dealt with them. I made some stupid choices (like forcing myself to throw up every morning before school, so that I felt "empty" for the rest of the day), but at least I was able to function like a normal person. Since I've been homebound for so long, it has gotten MUCH worse. I've been through counseling and stuck with it for months. I don't feel that it helped at all. I have tried two different medications (one was Prozac, I can't remember the other). Prozac helped for a while and the other didn't help at all.

I'm 19 years old now... no diploma, no job, no car, no nothing. I sit at home 24/7 and as the days go by I feel more and more depressed. All of my friends/cousins are in college or working, moving into their own place, etc... and I'm just here at home every day. I feel like a complete loser and it's embarrassing when someone asks, "what do you do for fun? do you have a job? are you going to school?"

After browsing several different threads on here and other forums, I know there are other people who suffer with the same issues. So, HOW do you deal with it and function like a normal person? Obviously I can't live the rest of my life like this.

Help.