has anybodys fear turned into OCD

[caligirl510]

Has anybodys phobia turned into obesessive-compulsive disorder?

I had ocd ever since I was 4 years old but I've always had this fear. I seriously think I'm crazy. I feel like anyone can see or hear what I'm thinking so I have to hum a song or talk to someone. That's not even half. I check dates on all of my food I always wash my hands I have an obsession with number 3 I pray to God before every meal. When people say that they don't feel good. My heart starts to race. I go threw hand sanitizer fast. I hold my breath when ever I read hear or type the word v* or p*. I have anxiety attacks when someone v* if I feel weird and my day resembles a day that I was s* I panic and start to shake. It usually ends up being my mind. In movie I hold my breath when a v* scene. If I read or see the word v* I can't have any of my body parts over the edge of the chair or bed. I lock my self up in my room when someone is s*. That's some of my compulsions, and the funny thing is no one noticed except my mom. I'm always scared in public places when someone can get s* at any moment. I frequently have panic attacks I shake violently when some one v*.
And if had to choose to v* just once or die I'd choose die.
My life seems so crazy an

I'm only 12.





I like this place because there's people who actually have the sam fear as me.

[blondie90]

i think that my phobia has turned into slight ocd. it has made me such a germophobe, which has turned me into a compulsive neat freak. i can't comfortably leave my house if my room isn't spotless, sprayed with lysol, and everything is wiped down with disinfecting wipes. it doesn't sound like a serious thing, but it tears me up inside if i know that i left my room without disinfecting everything! i even go to my friends houses and clean things because i get nervous to be around their germs and i try to keep myself busy so they don't see how worried i am. you shouldn't feel crazy about your ocd. maybe if you talk to someone about it you'll feel better. you're lucky that you're only 12, you have plently of time to beat this phobia!!

[caligirl510]

Thank you so much. You're a very nice person. I do need to tell someone. I want to tell my best friend but last year at school I had serious clique problems and now I'm paranoid. But I kind of like my fear because its keeps me clean and germ free. I survived winter withou getting a cold.

[snoozy]

I think I have OCD as a result of my phobia too, but the severity comes in waves... Sometimes I get really anal about cleanliness - others, its not so bad. There's nothing wrong with checking the dates on your food, I always do it (just be careful with the supermarkets though - they seem to have learned that most people dive for the stuff at the back of the fridges first, so they put the shorter dating at the back). I too flip out when I hear v* or hear that someone hasn't been well.When watchingmovies or TV shows, I usually have to block my ears and close my eyes, or fast-forward through that scene... And Ialso find refuge in my own bedroom, where I can try to block out the rest of the world, and Iwould prefer to die than v*. Does it make you feel better you are not alone on the daily dramas?


But, I agree with Blondie90, because you are so young, you have plenty of time to try to beat it... Also, if it's any help, as you grow older, your immunity to alot of bugs with strengthen.


In my experience, it helps if you tell those close to you what you are suffering each day. They may not fully comprehend, but they should still love and respect you for who you are (my mum was very good at understanding too). I found that with some of my friends, ithelped if I likened it to being scared of the dark (or another common fear/phobia), and all I needed was a little light - just let me wash my hands 100 times an evening, and I shouldn't have many problems. However, generallythey know that I have a 'funny tummy' and it sometimes plays up, and let me do my thing and I will get through it.


Hang in there.

[purpleteacher]

I have always had OCD. My OCD makes my emet worse though!

[blondie90]

yeah i agree with snoozy. i've had the phobia since i was six or seven and at first my parents thought it was a bit strange because no one in my family has suffered like this, but they understand it now and that's made it soo much easier for me. they definitely get frustrated with me sometimes because i panic, but they're very supportive. i'm like you caligirl, not even my best friend knows how scared of v* i am. my friends know that i hate it A LOT but they don't understand how serious it is. i've been with my boyfriend for three years and i just told him about six or seven months ago. it sort of just came up into conversation one day that neither of us have been sick in years, so i told him. he never knew that someone could be so scared of v*, and he definitely gets frustrated because everytime he says he has a little ache or pain, i never want to see him! but, we make a joke about it now and he's fine with it. when you feel ready to tell someone, you should, but don't rush it if you don't feel comfortable!!!!

[chloe]

my OCD is a result of my emet....its basically washing my hands but I have it under control - just about. OCD gets worse when emet gets worse - but I've had this fear since I was about 5-6 so I guess I taught myself to deal with it by washing hands and other OCD tendencies I have.

[laneyb]

I wdnt say that I have OCD (never seen a doctor about it) but definetly OCD tendencies.


I spend ages in the supermarket picking which prepacked food I want, I check dates vigorously and smell every thing before I eat/drink it.


I also have a thing with numbers, last year until I hit 37 (aaaarrrggghhhh cant believe that, still feel and look (so Im told) about 20) everything I do had to bedivisable by my age (36) so things had to be done in 6's or 4's. However since hitting 37 this has changed so now I do things in 3's or 7's as 37 cant be divivded.


God having written that down makes me feel like a completenut!!!


Laney[img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img]

[caligirl510]

My mom had emet when she was young too. She also had OCD, so I got it from her. But hers didn't last that long. My mom is always under stress so he got an ulcer in 2004. And I have a little brother, so he likes to burp grossley because he knows I'm going to panic. I have a cousin who has the same fear, but hers is not as bad. At school only a couple of friends know. My teacher knows but she doesn't know it a phobia. There's one girl in my class who gets s* in class at least once a year, she usually misses but 2 months ago we we're takeing class pictures (with everyones camaras) and I seen her face and I just could tell she was s*. Thank you guys so much for telling me thing that made me feel comfortable.

[madisonsmom]

I have always been OCD too.

[kellybean]

My phobia got worse about 4 years ago for some reason, and that's whenI developed OCD.

[samara's on tv]

I have OCD tendencies. I can't do anything in multiples of three...I always have to do things in twos...like when I come into my apartment building I have to press the elevator button two times. I buy things in twos...if I eat something like cookies I can only eat 2 or 4 never 3. I don't step on cracks. If I'm on a message board and my posts get up to like 333 or 444 I HAVE to post again so it's not a triple digit number. When I talk about the last time I V*ed I always knock on wood, 5 times. I wash my hands compulsively...I'm just a big mess.


~Monica

[one who squeaks]

I'd choose death over v*ing too. :/

OCD and phobias are both anxiety-based disorders, so it's not that
uncommon for them to occur together. I've had OCD since I was young,
though it got worse as I developed emet. I have all sorts of weird
little rituals (most involve counting) and a fear of contamination.

In some ways, I'm lucky to have a sister who also has OCD and a
phobia-- we can easily relate. She's one of the few people who doesn't
poke fun at me when I panic over an unexpected v* scene on television,
and she warns me about imminent graphic content. I have ample time to
run screaming into the night if I so wish.



Have you ever thought about getting psychiatric help? Having a
therapist to rant at has helped me a lot-- I can completely lose my
composure in front of her (I hate showing emotion in the first place)
and it's okay because I know she isn't judging me.

It's sad and unfair when someone so young has to suffer through so much
emotional garbage. If there's anywhere you can get help, go for it--
the sooner you nip this, the better.

Good luck. :}

[smokycat]

Oh, yes. If I come home from the store, the first thing I want to do is WASH MY HANDS. I feel like they are crawling with germs. Then I feel like stuff I touched before I washed my hands (steering wheel, doorknob) are comtaminated so I avoid those. You are definitely not alone.Try to get help. It is a very common thing these days that can be helped. I was WAAAAYYYY worse before I got medication. Now, you'd never know how I felt if I didn't tell you. And I don't feel that bad. I used to count, have rituals, compulsions, I was a skeleton because of my eating (emet) phobias. My skin was raw and you could see it a mile away.Now I'm tons better. I still wash my hands more than other people, can't stand v* or germs, but to look at me or watch me, I'm normal.

[karenanna]

I remember having this fear when I was 12 and its great to tell people you
trust. But, I remember also that I was really glad a lot of people didn't
know because when something DID happen, no one noticed my strange
behaviors (the OCD and panic). I had a way to do what I needed to
without making it obvious. The worst scars came from my younger years
and the teen years got better. I think its also because kids got sick in
school much less.

To this day I have a really hard time putting pink and black together (like
a black shirt on a pink hanger) because of an incident, and I can't listen to
"the locomotion" and I can name about a million other OCD that have
come and gone on a montly basis. I think as I grew (I'm 26) some things I
could use common sense to get over, but it takes a long time.

good luck We're all in the same boat.

[2jo2]

I have OCD too, but I'm not sure which one came first. I think back to certain things I used to compulsively do as a child, and don't remember my emet being in full swing until I was a teenager, although v always bothered me. It seems my OCD has changed over the years too. At this point in my life, it's pretty much managed with medication, butI do have issues with contamination and checking. I never was really one to count things or have to do things a number of times, so I don't have that issue, now anyways. My mom has OCD, but strictly has the counting thing, doesnt' have issues with contamination at all.

[silver]

I do have OCD when it comes to the obsessive thoughts especially with the emet. I do not do any counting or things like that, but I do wash my handsa lotwhen working with food or when people are spreading sv*, colds, and other crap. I don't necessarily consider that OCD, but rather being clean. I do have irrational fears when it comes to the emet though. When the sv* was going around really bad, I sprayed myself down with lysol after leaving work one day!!Hahahaha!!! I've done some really stupid things like that!! Mine is more of the obsessive worrying like I said though, I worry about everything!!! It is good for you to recognize this at such an early age though, I didn't realize that I had it until my counselor told me last year!! 24 years old!! You have a ton of insight for being 12 years old!! I developed this fear at that age.

[caligirl510]

Thank you so much everybody [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[sage]

Hi Cal, and everyone;


OCD is actually an anxiety disorder, just as phobias are an anxiety disorder. They are SO closely related to one another that it's not really that relevant which one you have, or if you have both. That's because the treatment for both is exactly the same: very VERY gradual exposure to what you fear (such as stopping the rituals), learning slowly and gradually to relax, and that you're ok - perfectly safe, and not in danger. It takes probably a hundred hours in therapy to really get a good handle on it but it IS possible (I'm living proof - I also had OCD when I was a young child. I haven't had any sort of anxiety for several years now, and no sign of OCD for over 40 years.)


Go to this link: http://www.emetophobia.org/forum/for...sp?TID=1925&am p;PN=1and print out the info. Give it to your parents for a start, and perhaps they can get you some help. Don't be afraid of reaching out for help. YOu're ALWAYS in the driver's seat when you are in therapy - you don't EVER need to do anything that scares you to get cured.


All the best!

[beck]

My emet has definately resulted in OCD. I wash my hands after touching most things and before I eat or prepare food. I wipe down all kitchen benches and tables with wipes before eating or preparing food. I clean the toilet in a certain way and if I don't do it the right way I have to go back and do it again. I have to pray every night that my kids don't wake up sick, if I am tired and forget I wake during the night in a sweat panicking that they will v* during the night. When we are out I make my husband and children put hand sanatizer on as soon as we get back in the car, of course I use it as well.


I also havestrange routines or habits. We just moved but at our old house I swear, everytime I mopped the floor someone would v* that day. It got so bad that I wouldn't mop anymore, I used to get down on my hands and knees and clean the floor with wipes. At the new house it's something different, if I don't close the windows at nightin a certain order someone always gets sick. Gee, I feel so silly when you go back and read what I have written. I am just glad I have an understanding husband who loves me no matter how silly I seem.


Bec.

[valleymist]

I wouldn't say I have OCD except that when I do display that type of
behaviour, it always revolves around my emet. It was much worse when I
was younger and as I got older I'm able to deal with it much better and
for once in my life, I can live my life a whole lot more!

I remember I used to be really pale in elementary school all the time and
my mom was concerned about that. She brought me to see the doctor but
I would hardly say a word and the doctor just concluded that I was going
through some kind of anxiety and I wasn't actually sick. He also tried to
explain to me that milk won't make me sick (I used to freak out so bad
when it came to drinking milk, even if it was fresh, being younger I didn't
understand that it would have to have gone really bad to make you sick
and even then it didn't usually). He never said I was emetophobic (not
even sure if he knew about it at the time) but he figured this extreme
anxiety was from my parents separating because it all seemed to happen
around the same time.

I used to repeat the word no in my head over and over again and if I
didn't it would mean that I would get sick, which is why I was pale all the
time because I feared it so much. That caused me a lot of pain because it
was just so frustrating that I couldn't stop saying the word.

I'm glad that you found this website by the way, it will help you so much
and I'm glad you have your mom to tell. I told mine just a few months ago
and she says she used to be the same way when she was younger and
even now she fears it, but I don't think it's as extreme as mine.

[smrud]

The moderator wrote how he got better. HOW did you do it? Please let me know, I am turning 40 and would love to get better already. I am back in therapy for the 3rd time.

[s_snow]

Have little OCD, and because of stupid emet

[sage]

smrud,


I guess you're referring to me, huh? (I'm a woman...but that's ok) My story is on the "Experiences" thread at the top: CURED OF EMETOPHOBIA.


Good luck!

[smrud]

I am going to read your story right now. Thanks!!!