Anxiety disorder, OCD, panic disorder, depression and emetophobia.

[verityvee]

Does anyone else have ALL of these?
Because everytime I look for "cures" and such, It always classes "anxiety disorder" and "panic disorder" and "OCD" seperatley. But I feel I have all of these! I obsess about being sick, I worry about being sick all the time, I get depressed from it and I have frequent panic attacks. I feel like a complete mental f**k up. Anyone else feel the same?
I'm only 17 and I hate it. I want help but I can't find it. I've tried hypnotherapy - failed to work. I consistantly worry. Today I had a driving lesson and my instructor's wife is ill with cancer in hospital and he said he couldn't get into Worcester hospital because there was a norovirus outbreak. This then scared me to death even though I hadn't been to hopstial. But I thought somehow he could have it because he might of touched the doors ect. So now i'm worrying about that. I just obsess about everything. As soon as I stop obsessing about something, I start on something else. I HATE OCD and it all. I just want to be normal... am I ever going to be able to make my boyfriend happy?
AHH sorry. Really frustrated/anxious/sad/depressed/confused/angry :/

[paulinek]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I think emet by itself can trigger off symptoms of other anxiety disorders for example some people may say i have OCD because i wash my hands alot and dettol spray everything to death but I only do those things because i'm scared of getting sick, not for any other reason at all. And I have a problem with eating out or going to cinemas and crowded places which could be labelled anxiety disorder or social disorder or whatever but again it's only because i'm scared of getting sick, catching a virus or someone else getting sick in such situations.

I think if we learnt to deal with the fear of v* then alot of the other associated things that go with it would reduce also.

[vixki]

i have them all and have been diagnosed with them all. i don't know how to help, but just to let you know you're not alone.

[amie.essex]

I too have emet, OCD and anxiety disorder! But as paulinek said above its all linked to my emet. I'm starting therapy in a couple of weeks and I'm worried about whether they will recognise that its all part of one thing or want to treat me seperately for each?!?

Try not to worry about your driving instructor infecting you (easy for me to say I know) but it really is highly unlikely, if not impossible, for it to happen that way. Enjoy your driving lessons - it gives you so much freedom and you'd never have to take public transport again - yay!! I love being able to drive.

As for the boyfriend why do you feel unable to make him happy? Does he know about your emet/anxiety etc? If so is he supportive? - my other half knows about mine and while he doesn't really 'get it' he's quite good with me and helps me cope (we have 2 children which adds a whole new dimension of panic lol!)

Take care xx

[olschesky]

i feel the same way as you.....haven't tried any therapy but hope to soon.....just know that we are here for you if you need to talk/vent or whatever

[sarkatsug]

Hi there,

I am new to this site and feel a little relieved that I am not the only one. I have yet to get therapy, for some reason it frightens me. I do know that there is not a single day that goes by without me thinking or stressing on this. I am assuming that I have other issues that go along with the fear that I guess would be linked to OCD, anxiety, depression, etc., but as I said, I have never been diagnosed. I do wash my hands obsessively. I can't go into any building without knowing the escape routes or where all bathrooms are located. I cannot go into a public restroom without panicking at every sound. If in a public place I must sit at the end of an isle to enjoy the reason why I am there. If I am trapped in the center of the isle, the entire production will be spent obsessing on how I can get out of there if anyone or if I have to get sick. There are many more things that I can list...
Just know, that you are not alone.

[troy-anna]

you are so entirely NOT alone. i have been formally diagnosed with OCD, major depression, major panic disorder and emet.
hard road to travel.
i'm here for you.

[DJEskimo]

I've actually just been to a psychiatrist and he explained to me that ocd/anxiety/phobias are all closely related. In fact it's not often that psychiatrists diagnose anxiety patients with just a phobia. Most of the time there are other issues that make the phobia worse.

[verityvee]

Thank you so much for all your replies!
It's great to know I have support and fellows!
I don't necessarily think it is ALL linked to emet like some of you do as my Dad has OCD and anxiety and he isn't emetophobic. I think if I wasn't emetophobic i'd just be obsessing about something other than being sick...
Does this make sense to anyone? xx

[paulinek]

Yes it does actually, i think it's a rare thing to find an emet who doesn't also have anxiety issues, so i'm pretty sure we are prone to anxiety already but something in our past triggers it off to come out as emet whereas with other people it may come out as agoraphobia, or fear of birds or whatever but that we were going to be anxious of something and it just so happens for us it's s* - what luck of the draw eh?!

[kimmiekoko]

Yes, have suffered from all these fears as long as I can remember. I never knew what OCD was before but then learned after talking with someone that I became close friends with that had it and most everything he said he goes through is exactly what I do.
I also have a fear of driving, I panic each time I have to drive on the highway or in town.
With OCD I went to therapy and knocked out most all the ones on my heiarchy list. I wasn't able to sit on chairs out in public or other people's house unless it was leather or vinyl (sometimes), wasn't able to walk on any floors even with socks unless it was tile (depended on the tile though), or sit on toilets unless I was the only one using it (even after my husband) which is why we have separate bathrooms.
My therapist and I did the desensitization thing and was successful. He had told me that OCD is pretty much hand in hand with the emetophobia thing but was kinda hard to work on that one easily. So, on my own, I tried looking at some graphic pictures online and listening to some sounds, I didn't do it very long but it felt as though I was getting my anxiety down to where I was actually laughing about it but it's still here, can't get rid of it no matter what I do and it totally wears me out!

[sage]

I hope this info makes you feel a bit better about yourself:

First of all, phobias and OCD are anxiety disorders. They're just a different type of anxiety disorder, and sometimes people have only one and not the other but most of the time people with severe phobias have obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Secondly, panic attacks are a symptom of anxiety disorders when they are in the severest form. Depression can also go along with anxiety disorders but it doesn't always. Luckily in the past few years only there are drugs that work on both the anxiety and the depression. This shows that both are closely related as well.

So....you have a severe phobia and it's triggering depression. That's it. You're not "a complete mental f* up"

Once you get treated for anxiety the depression will probably lift. It's tough to be 17 and have an anxiety disorder - teens are particularly vulnerable for depression because of the hormonal changes.

Check out the "Research and Information" section of this website - read through it all - and reach out to someone for help. All of this IS treatable and you can live a normal, happy life.

All the best
Sage

[ziegfeldgirl]

i have them all and have been diagnosed with them all. i don't know how to help, but just to let you know you're not alone.

I, too, have been diagnosed with all of them, as well as ADHD and a body image-related eating disorder. I know how hard life can be with all these issues, but you are not alone and there are people who understand what you are going through!