Fear of being ill alone

[jaigopal]

My emitophobia is most acute when I am living on my own. My wife is away for a week and I cannot sleep because I fear that I will wake up in the nightand vomit. The thought of being sick is bad enough, but doing it on my own is worse than death, in my mind, as there is no-one around to keep me calm.Does anyone else have this problem?


Today, I ate some toast and looked at the packet of bread afterwards and discovered spots of white mould on the other slices. Now, I'm having a nightmare about what will happen to me and whether I'll vomit. With no-one around to talk to - I work from home - my fears are piling up. Google doesn't help ashealthwebsites are full of hypochondria-inducing advice about how bread mould kills cows, or at least induces severe vomiting and cancer. I cannot work now, because my mind is filled up with bread-related nightmares. Can anyone put me at ease?


I've even become vegetarian this week, fearing that the fish in my fridge will make me ill. Even though it is yet to reach its use-by date, I keep worrying that the fridge temperature might be wrong and it has spoiled or something. If someone else was around, they'd tell me not to be stupid and I'd eat it anyway.


It's a strange situation, as I've eaten in road-side cafes in India and have never been ill, but I'm dead scared of bread-mould. This emitophobia is a nightmare.

[jesskali]

I don't think the bread will bother you, especially if the piece you ate did not have mold. Try not to worry, you will be fine.

I am somewhat the opposite from you with my emet. I don't want to be sick when anyone is around. I would much rather be alone. I have known my husband for a little over 3 years and I have not been sick in that amount of time. I worry about the day that "it" happens and my husband is around. It doesn't bother him at all, but I would just as soon be alone if "it" happens!

[nicki]

Hi, i can relate to everything you have said, just one thing about the mould, i am no expert but bread mould (i think its called rhizopus) shows as black spots not white, any white spots are more likely to be flour that has not been mixed up properly, i dont think mouldy bread makes humans ill anyway even if that is what it is.

[Babydoll]

awww... you sound so scared!


bread mold will not make u sick, I promice. It just tastes bad... you know that they make penicillin ( an anitbiotic) from a certain species of mold? You might get grossed out by it, but it won't hurt you, unless you eat large amounts of it!


as for your fish, you have to trust your fridge is working properly. I have never EVER heard of someone getting food poisioning from a fridge that was off temperature for a few degrees- worst case senerio - if your fridge DID reach a funky temperature, the air inside would remain cold long enough for food to stay good untill you noticed the temp was off- but I promice, nothing is wrong with your fridge.


it seems here your obsessed with the what ifs,and we all are to a certian extent, but you have to keep telling yourself, what are the chances that my fridge will stop working properly? then think of something as unlikely, like, what are the chances I will get struck by lightning in the middle of the house? when you put it into perspective, you realize the chances of both of them happening are about slim to none.

[jaigopal]

Thanks, Babydoll. Yes, I am obsessed with the "what ifs", which normally don't happen. Phobias are irrational, they make no sense. I have not vomited for about 10 years, but that doesn't stop me from worrying whether the next time will be tomorrow, today or even the next hour.


Certain situations make the fear worse, such as being in the house on my own at night, taking an exam, making a speech, getting on an aeroplane, being in the cinemaor going to a job interview. The places where I don't have a problem are walking in the woods, doing the gardening orspending time with friends. So, stressful situations where I am not in full incontrol, my safty nets are down, when I feel trapped or when I am expected to perform, my emitophobia goes into over-drive and I get neurotic.


I don't know whether others are in the same position. To be honest, I rarely speak about these things. I just suffer in silent anxiety.

[littlemiss]

i have to agree, i have eaten bread and looked at ot and there have been white mould spots! or white mould spots n other pieces of bread in the loaf...I was fine! trust me it has got to be REALLY mouldy before it effects you, and event hen i don't think it would make you sick...a friend of mine ate a bagel once and turned the bagel over after eating half of it and saww green large lumps of mould...never got sick, just grossed out...you will be ok...YOU WILL be ok...

[SimplyMe]

I agree that the bread is OK. I remember a while back my Mom had gone to lunch w/ my aunt and she came home and told me that she ate half of her sandwich before she saw the other half was MOLDY! YUCK! But she never even got nausous from it (well maybe when she saw the mold lol but not form any possible ingestion) and she is not an emet so she would not have fought off any nausea, etc.


As for beign alone, personally, I fear doing IT no matter if I'm alone or not but you are right having NO ONE there "just in case" is just one more notch ont he anxiety scale.The best way I talk myself down is play out the reality of it happening, like statistically, in your life how many tiems have you been sick and how many were you by yourself and why today would you be sick? I hope this helps! I'm sure you;ll be fine both alone and w/t he bread!

[Kirstin]

I really hope you are feeling better now, it is horrible to feel so scared. It's funny but if I feel ill at all I would much rather that there was no one anywhere near me! I can't stand having people around - anyone else like this?

[carry]

id just like to tell you that a few months ago i ate a full piece of toast before i realised it was out of date and covered in blue mould.( i must of buttered it with my eyes closed) anyway i was absoloutly fine,didnt even feel sick so dont worry ok!

[shiva]

I am also afraid of being alone and getting sick. This irrational part of this phobia played a part in my marriage ending (because I was too smothering and needed him around 24/7 just incase) and then caused me to not let the divorce go through until I found my next guy. Isn't that soooo sick??? I had to cover all angles and make sure that I wasn't going to spend many nights alone. Luckily, the relationship I found myself in directly after my divorce is very healthy and wonderful, I still regret not giving myself alone time to greive over the loss of my family. Just goes to show the stuff we do in order to feel safe.


I hope this week goes by quickly for you. Try some relaxation and deep breathing before bed. Does it help to sleep with the tv or radio on?


Take care.

[ontariogirl]

jaigopal; how are you doing? The white mold on the bread won't hurt you, it is ok, you will be ok. I have suffered in silence for many, many years my friend and it is the worse feeling. A few years back I broke the silence, I am very vocal about this phobia. I know how you feel being and scared and alone. I feel frustrated with the why me's? Not knowing how you will feel 5 minutes from now, the anxiety is so overwhelming that I break down and cry. Afraid of going to sleep just in case I wake up feeling sick or vomiting and not being able to control it. Being petrified when I have a pain in my right side thinking that it is my appendix, going to the hospital and having emergency surgery thinking I will be sick from that, it is a vicious circle. You are not alone ok, keep coming to this site for support the people here are great!!

[charzysbebe]

Gosh, I wish I could say that I have that problem. I so much don't want anyone around me if I were to be sick. I would much rather be alone, and look goofy in "panic mode" all by myself, than have someone else near me.


That to me, is great that you would love the support! [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img] Charlotte

[jaigopal]

Hi,


Thanks for all your support and advice, which is very helpful and reassuring. No, I didn't get sick from the mould!


Dan

[realtaken]

Hi Dan:


Don't suffer alone. I am the SAME exact way and I am worried about my marriage because I want my husband home all the time to be here for ME. I also don't want to be sick alone. I know it seems all goofy like you look weird and unattractive, but I am a big 28 year old baby that needs her hand held. I think about the what ifs a lot too, but they often don't happen. You need to get around some people and stay there. Being alone is not good because your mind will overtake you if you allow it. When I am alone, that is when I dwell the most and when I get the most depressed. Hang in there. You have people here who care for you.


Stephanie

[donna1216]

I agree, the bread mold will not make you sick!! How funny, it seems that we, the most expiration date conscious people on earth have all had moldy bread experiences!!! Mine wasn't at home, though, a couple of months ago I was visiting with my husband while he was working (he's a bartender) and I ordered a sandwich and the bread was molded (it was fresh, too, they had just gotten it from the bread company that morning!), which I noticed after I had eaten half of it!! They were all glad that I was the one who noticed it, instead of a "real" customer!!! Jerks. . . . . . [img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]

[mitch4133]

I am the same way to, I cannot be alone. I always ask my boyfriend everytime I feel sick "Will you help me if I am sick?" I take great comfort in knowing that someone is there if "it" happens. And if my boyfriend isn't around, I go straight to my parents, because I know my Dad will not leave myside. He helped me last time I got sick, and stayed up with me all night until I was better. And I am so thankful that he can do that, cause without the comfort of him, I would be even more scared. I just hate being alone when I feel sick, and there is nothing wrong with wanting someone there to help and comfort you. We all have our own ways of dealing with our fears, and for me talking about it, and having company is the greatest comfort to me that I can have. So you are defenilty not alone. How are things going with you?


Michele

[tiara]

mitch4133:


That felt exactly like something I would have written. I am exactly that way too, every time i feel bad I have to ask and make sure my boyfriend will be there and take care of me. And since my father took care of me the last time, I know that he can really help me, so I also prefer him to be there for me incase something would happen.


I really don't want to be alone when I feel sick, I wouldn't know what to do and how to handle it if something (god forbid) would happen.