Influenced by parents?

[Louise]

As a child, do you think you were influenced by your mum or dad, or perhaps brothers and sisters to become an emet.?


I think i was, because i know my mam hates anything to do with sick too, and whenever 'm sick, she sort of tells me off, because shes then 1 who has to clear it up etc. [img]smileys/smilies_05.gif[/img]


I don't think it runs in the genes or anything, it's just a thing that you see your parents doing, so you think it must be right to do that.... you see what i mean? [img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]

[siafi]

Yeah, I can totally understand that, but my parents were always good about comforting me when I was sick so I don't think that's what did it for me. I'm curious about how this all started - I thought I knew it started when I was 12,but I've been thinking back to early childhood and I had emetophobic tendencies back then too! Good thought, Louise

[confused]

The weird thing is, is that my dad used to be afraid of getting sick when he was younger, but he never had panic attacks like i do. He "got over it" one day when he had a funny experience (to him, i could NEVER think getting sick was funny) when him and a couple of friends were drunk, back when he was a teenager. So i dunno if that is where i got it from, or if it's just a conincidence.

[Hale]

My Dad HATES being sick, but only worries about it when it is happening which is very rarely.My Mum and sister are unfazed by it and my Mum was always very good at looking after me when I was sick. But the last time I was sick, I was on a school trip and was sick again at home. As I started to heave my Dad ran out the room upstairs and my Mum shouted 'not on the carpet' and flung a bowl at me. I have been an emet ever since.

[HDogg]

My mother has been an emet for almost her entire life. She has most definitely influenced me. When I was in grade school, she would nearly everyday ask me if someone had been sick, if there was a bug going around, etc. When we had tummy aches when we were little, she'd stuff us full of Rolaids or Pepto and ask us about 20 times: "Are you feeling better yet?" She handled it okay when my sister or I got sick, because she got divorced and had to do it on her own. But I will never forget when I was probably 4 or 5, she said, "Heather, now remember, throw up has lots and lots of yucky germs in it. You must stay away from it-- just run away if you see someone being sick." That left an impression with me.


I also remember her saying when I was very young that the reason people got throw-up sick was because they were bad and God was punishing them for something bad they did. I don't believe that now, but it stuck with me for most of my childhood. I was obsessed with being good, just so I wouldn't get sick.


So emet moms-- BE VERY VERY VERY VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT V*!!!!!!!! It may determine whether or not your kids will be emets themselves!

[Galadriel]

Hey Heather!!


I am so sorry your mom said that. That isnt true at all, and your mom should never have said those things to you. She prolly said it out of her own fear, but she should have been a lot more careful than that. I can easily see how that could mess up ones thinking. Its something that you didnt turn against God too with that.

[izzybee]

Thats really interesting. I think i've just always been confused about v* and my parents made such a big thing about lets do this lets move u etc etc. I dont think I liked the fuss of it all maybe. Also my dad might fear v* i'm not sure but I know that he does have phobias but never told me or my mum about them really. My mum sussed it out I guess. Its very interesting but I guess its more of an incentive to get over emet so we dont pass it onto our kids!!!

[Jenneh]

oh my god, Hdogg, i dont believe ur mum said that [img]smileys/smilies_10.gif[/img]no wonder ur emetophobic!! [img]smileys/smilies_11.gif[/img]but sure, its not her fault, if shes emetophobic herself...


my mother wud just treat me like a disease if i got ill, which is why i fear v* so much now... she wudnt go anywhere near me if i was v*ing, and most the time all i wanted was for her to be by my side... i was only a poor little scared child.. if usee what i mean.


im gnna hveta be so very careful when (if!!) im a parent so as not to pass these views onto my children... i defenitely do NOT want them going thru what i have.


Jen xxxxx

[sage]

My mom was scared of everything in the world except vomit - lol! So phobias/anxiety disorders run in the family or are part of the family system, but not emetophobia. With my 3 kids I would run like hell, but always explain to them that I had a problem, and they were ok and it wasn't their fault if they were sick. All 3 are grown up now and don't have any anxiety disorders at all. My youngest tends to be a bit anxious (she's 19) but not emetophobia or any other real disorder.


I'M WONDERING about something I read in my research last week that I'd like to ask people....how many of you had some sense of LOSS in childhood? (death, divorce, even moving away) It could be of a parent, sibling or another close person in your life. Let me know - then I'll tell you what the study said! (I'll start another thread though - look for it!)Edited by: sage