Hello.

I am brand new here as I had a very traumatic experience tonight and my son and his girlfriend do not comprehend the trauma they indirectly caused me tonight. I just was a wreck and found this group and thought I might be able to get some reassurances and maybe even validation that what we experience is 100% real.

I have had emetophobia for several years now. Most likely all my life, but it seems to have gotten more significant in the last decade. As a result of this fear, I have had a dry household for my the last 25 years. With two children it has been a struggle. Both of my kids have seen mom crumble and shake when they have been ill. I, myself had norovirus 4 years ago and it was the worst experience of my life. Not exaggerating. Tonight was traumatic.

My son is 22 and he asked me to drive him, his good buddy, and his girlfriend to a place so they could celebrate New Year's. I would rather drive them then have them out on the road tonight. I asked them about how they were getting home and they said his girlfriend's mother would pick them up. Not much past midnight the 3 of them walked in. My son's friend was very sick. They decided to bring him into the house to take care of him. For an hour I had to hear this poor boy miserably sick. The second they came in I started panicking, pacing, crying, shaking horribly. I reached a point where I went outside the house and begged for them to let me call the squad. This boy doesn't drink. They said he was, quite possibly "ruffied". Finally I demanded they call this boy's mother. I felt zero guilt at the time because it was fight or flight for me. That was the longest 30 minutes of my life. When she finally arrived she took him to the ER.

My son and his girlfriend could not comprehend my reaction. I was over-reacting. I was being dramatic. How do you explain to anyone that you understand it may seem irrational, but impossible to snap out of. This was 2 hours ago. I am still a wreck. How do you get yourself past this big of an episode? Any insight would be appreciated immensely.