Finally finding comfort!

[Vicky92]

Hi guys.
I am 19 years old and have been suffering this for years! The amount of times i have heard "dont be stupid" "get over it" "you're been silly". I am finding comfort knowing I am not alone in this. People will finally understand why i cant travel far, why i have to sit by doors, why i need to be near a window, a toilet. I can actually feel like i am talking to people rather then people that look at me as if i am a stranger to them!

Does anyone else feel this way?

[canadianreject]

Hi Vicky

Welcome to IES. I'm 18 and also emet, but I'm mostly recovered now. I definitely know how you're feeling though, and many other people here do, too If you ever need to talk, feel free to PM me

[Vicky92]

Hi,
Thank you for the reply. How have you got through this? I just cant see my future getting any brighter like this. I daren't travel far, i struggle at work, i struggle to go out on day trips with my boyfriend or my family, i dread meals with family or friends. Nobody thinks this is real. Sometimes i jut dont want to wake up!

[IceMaiden]

Hey welcome to the forum! We can definitly relate to you here, I was exactly the same as you, and I've only improved these last two years down to sheer will power, I still have my moments where I'm frightened though, you're welcome to pm me if you're in need of support

[bixzy]

I'm close to your age! I'm 21.
I didn't even know that there was an actual name for my phobia until I found this site. I thought I was just a freak because none of my friends or family cared much about getting sick. I felt alone in such a large world.
I can say that I'm somewhat recovered right now thanks to this site, although I have set backs every now and then. I guess just reading a lot of posts that had information in it regarding how to get fp* and sv* and how to avoid them.
Also, just setting your mind to "I'm going to beat this" mode helps too. I haven't traveled anywhere far because I don't have anywhere to go. But I did make a 45 minute ride to a small city (: Didn't even feel anxious about it even though my boyfriend is a crazy driver.
I'm still not very keen on eating out though. Even though I'm almost certain I've never gotten food p* EVER, it's still a big step for me due to some childhood trauma, but I do bring home things to eat. So it's not because of emet that I don't eat out.
I guess what really helps me is telling myself "You can't be sick everyday. You haven't even been sick all that many times in your life, what makes you think today is going to be the day?"
I'm just rambling now, haha.

[Vicky92]

No, no you're not rambling lol!
I didnt know there was a name either. I never imagined i would meet so mant emets in one place! i a proper overwhelemed with it! I also feel VERY alone with this, it really is controlling what i can and cant do.I fight it every day at work and just hope it gets easier in time. My boyfriend wants to go on holiday in the summer, but im so scared there will be a sick child on the plane and i cant escap it! whenever i see V* i have to escape i have to get out, i cant even deal hering it, I'm just scared i will lose him if this carries on!

[roadtofreedom]

thats good. now its time to find mine....

[canadianreject]

Hi,
Thank you for the reply. How have you got through this? I just cant see my future getting any brighter like this. I daren't travel far, i struggle at work, i struggle to go out on day trips with my boyfriend or my family, i dread meals with family or friends. Nobody thinks this is real. Sometimes i jut dont want to wake up!

It's SUPER hard to put into words what I did. I basically got so frustrated with this phobia, that I was determined to stop it from controlling every aspect of my life. It wasn't going to ruin me anymore.

The first thing I did was stop taking any and all anti emetics (things that relieve nausea, like Gravol) because I relied on them far too much. They were just a comfort thing to me, but completely unnecessary because all my nausea was caused by anxiety.

Secondly, I forced myself to do things that were out of my comfort zone. I went places even though I felt sick. I touched door handles without using my sleeve to open them, I ate out, I traveled, etc etc.

I still have setbacks, and I'm not 100% cured, I don't think I'll ever been perfectly fine with throwing up or others throwing up, but it is what it is. It only bothers me now if I'm faced with a legit situation, not just a situation I'm fabricating in my mind. I no longer wonder about the what if's: "what if that person was sick?" "what if there was germs on that that will make me sick?" "what if that food is undercooked or expired?" and I no longer panic when I find out that someone I know has been sick. I don't avoid them, or places they've been.

It's different for everyone, but taking baby steps is your best route to recovery. It's hard, you have to be uncomfortable to get better, but it's so worth it

[person54321]

Yes I've found a lot of comfort from finding this site, however it's a mixed thing. It's great to know there are others out there and you're not totally bonkers, but this site can also feed the phobia and make it grow. In recovering it's best to take a hiatus from visiting the site much once you start trying to fully recover.

[tjwbeauty]

I'm on the same boat as you! I'm 17, turning 18 soon and my senior year in highschool is killing me. People are always getting sick at school, and I get so anxious about the spreading of it! I sit close to the door in all of my classes.