New here and need some help!! (Trigger warning!)

[gabixxriella]

hi! im gabi and im new here. im 16 and, well, i've had emetephobia since i was eleven and it went away but now its back in a really weird way. i used to only be afraid of v* from like food poisoning, virus, etc. but a few weeks ago i was reading a book, and in the book someone got such bad anxiety that they v*. so now i've started getting panic attacks and anxiety because i'm AFRAID of getting panic attacks and anxiety because i'm afraid i'll v* from them!! (does that make any sense haha?) i know this sounds super weird.but now, when i go in the car with my family, or my parents leave the house for a few minutes, i'll start PANICING and and having horrible anxiety attacks because i'm AFRAID of anxiety. i dont know how i'm ever going to live on my own as an adult. i'm TERRORFIED of not having my parents around!!! like i said, the worst part of my anxiety is being afraid that it will make me s*. can you please tell me that that wont happen to me, or something to do to make sure it doesnt happen if my anxiety gets bad?? ( sorry if i misspelled anything. im from italy.) thanks in advance for any advice and help!!!

[gabixxriella]

im always so stressed out because im afraid of being afraid. i cry a lot over it. its really making my life miserable and giving me anxiety all the time.

[blueridge212]

First of all, welcome! I'm so sorry that you're fighting anxiety, but you are not alone here. We have all felt the exact same way at some point.

There was a time growing up where I was terrified to be away from my parents as well. I HATED to be alone when I was nervous, and also had no idea how I would ever be able to live alone. I am 24 now, living alone, and I love it. It's actually better for my anxiety to be alone these days, so just consider that you might very well notice a similar shift yourself one day

There is a book called Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Claire Weekes, and it is fantastic. It teaches you how to manage anxiety attacks so that you can stop them and eventually prevent them. It has helped me tremendously.

It is possible to be sick from severe anxiety, but I think it's very rare in people with emetophobia, so I don't think that you have anything to worry about.

If you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to message me and we can chat! Everyone here is very friendly. It's a really nice community. Welcome again!

[gabixxriella]

thank you so much! that was so kind, and really made me feel better!! and i will definitely look into that book you mentioned. thanks again!

[Koizumiii]

Hi! Welcome to the forum, I can assure you that it's a very friendly and helpful place!

I'm 15 and I've had it since I was about 6... I had an 8 year v-free streak that ended last march, and while it did make my fear worse for the time, it also kick started my recovery. My parents finally believed that it was a real thing, and began researching how to 'fix' me. It caused a lot of strife but now I've started medication for the anxiety and depression (suicidal feelings because it was too much to deal with and I didn't care if things got better, I still don't want to suffer until then or get sick, ever) about two weeks ago, and even before then, I've been so improved. It used to be that every day I wanted to die just to stop suffering, I felt I deserved better, but today... I had that thought and then realized that I had a strong desire to keep living, keep going towards the rest of my adventure.

That said, I do still get anxiety attacks and stress about it all. However, if my many many years of fear, I've found things that help!!!

1.) Candles, candles, candles. I find that lighting two tea light candles (my lucky number as well as just a convenient setup) on a table in my bedroom seems to 'burn up' the stress. Sometimes I also like to just sit in my room and turn off the lights and watch the firelight, but sometimes that makes me even more nauseous and anxious, so if that happens to you, just keep the lights on.
2.) Meditation. I know it sounds really cheesy and stupid, but I swear it works. Sit crosslegged with your wrists on your knees, palms up and relaxed. Close your eyes and just breathe. Let your mind wander- plan your schedule for tomorrow, think about the last episode of your favorite show, etc. Just don't guide it, and keep a straight back.
3.) Ginger capsules. I take 550mg ginger capsules, and while they seem huge they're not too hard to get down. They work great for nausea.
4.) Rescue Remedy by Bach Flower Remedies. Just 2-4 drops of this herbal extract blend really really gets rid of my anxious thoughts and feelings.
5.) Cold water. Take sips of cold water (IMPORTANT: SIPS, NOT GULPS) during a panic attack and just see how quickly it goes away. Part of what makes us panic even more is the hot feeling in our throats, caused by acid and anxiety. The sips of cold water cool the heat and help dilute and wash away the acid.
6.) Relaxing sounds. Sometimes I'm too nauseous to listen to anything but if I get it soon enough, it really helps prevent it getting worse and helps to calm me down a lot. I have this (free!) app called "Rain Rain" and it lets me mix and match from a BUNCH of different relaxing sounds. The mixture that I've found helps me the most is a ticking clock at half volume and the classic Rain Rain (a thunderstorm) at full volume. I then adjust my phone's volume to make it so that the combination is just in the background, but still noticeable.

I know I have more tips but I can't remember them now... If you ever need to talk feel free to send me a message too!

[afiadkay]

Here is my blog travelwordpr.WordPress.com
I have written about my experience. My started as a child and got worse as I entered high school since I had to attend boarding school. I thought I was weird cos the people around me didn't experience it. It's something that I've been hiding from family and friends for soo long until I wrote about it on my blog

[gabixxriella]

@Koizumiii, sorry for the long time to reply, i forgot my password haha! thank you so much for your answer! that was extremely helpful! i will make sure to try the things you mentioned

[veronicac2212]

@Koizumiii had some really great tips that I have used as well, especially the relaxing sounds, except I use an app called Quick Sleep that has really soothing music that helps me. Drinking small sips of water really helps me too. You really have to just try a few of the things mentioned and see what works for you.

Like me was said previously, it is very rare to just throw up from anxiety, especially when you have things to help combat it. It would have to be extreme anxiety that you did not try to treat.

inalso have found that essential oils are really helpful. Lavender is calming and used to help people sleep. You can put it on or just smell it. It may seem strong smelling so you might want to try different scents that calm you down. Or even a nice smelling candle.

I hope you can find some remedies that work for you. You are not alone in this. :-)