anyone up for a emetophobia support thread? - Page 3

[frog]

I'm similar to Pinks--I can't cope, at all, with the sound or sight of someone else throwing up. It got a LOT better after doing some EMDR, but I'm nervous about how I'll cope with my children when they vomit.

[mykdsmomy]

As I was reading through this thread, I had a thought.....how many of you feel like an "outsider" because people dont understand why you freak out over puking so much?
I have a really hard time with many of my friends over this issue. When someone's dc is sick with something pukey, I wind up asking them a million questions....like when did this start, do they have a fever, etc....I need to make sure it's not something contagious.....then the mom's look at me like im a freak.....kinda like "what's the big deal if they get sick" The funny thing is, if kids have runny noses or whatever, i'm totally fine....it's the stomach viruses that get to me.....
Anyway.....have you found you have less friends or are more secretive of your fear because of the emetaphobia??

[Pastrydemon]

I can't believe there's a name for it!

Hi! I'm new here. I clicked on this thread because I was curious what it was.

I've read most of the posts here and have to say that I recognize myself in so much of what all of you have written. I've been this way since I got what was probably a stomach virus when I was 5. I remember the night in excruciating detail. I was basically anorexic for about 4 years after that. Earlier in the day I had been to a neighbor's birthday party. At some point in my vomit-fest that night my mom said, "oh, you must have eaten too much at the party!" Totally innocent comment that stuck with me for YEARS. I would weigh myself nightly and do frantic jumping jacks in the bathroom if the scale inched beyond some certain point. I remember getting complete panic attacks in tight quarters such as church. I'd go running outside almost crying. I remember running around screaming, "I want to die!". My parents didn't know what to do with me. My mom took me to a Dr. at some point (age 6 or 7) and I was so afraid that even talking about it would make me puke that the Dr. somehow became convinced that I was constipated. This resulted in me getting to come down stairs and eat high fibre cereal late at night for my "poo problem." What insanity. I really only puked a few more times (I'm 36 now). Most recently I caught a bug from DD a year ago. I threw up once (in the sink, was too afraid of the toilet). I was in fear the whole time that DD would wake up and need me. Luckily DH was here and was able to go into her when she did wake up (he didn't catch it until the next day). Horrible. When I was in college and drinking way too much I would seriously force myself not to vomit. I'm sure I've done irreverible damage to my liver as a result.

I've often thought it is a fear of losing control. Mine seemed to also bring on OCD like behavior. Like I'd tell myself that I wouldn't vomit if I turned a light switch on and off a certain number of times. This was when I was in elementary school. I still feel that bubbling up when I hear something is going around. I remember a year and a half ago, we were at some friends' house eating dinner. My friend was trying my Ergo carrier on with her son and her DH said, "he'll probably puke all over you! Yeah, he just stopped vomiting this morning....been sick all week" I was FREAKING OUT. I could not believe (and her DH is a physician) that they thought it was ok for us to come over (with our 16 month old daughter too! Needless to say I ate next to nothing...watched DD like a hawk and washed both of our hands and used hand sanitizer like 50 times that evening. I was so mad. I feel I have to ask her if her kids are sick when we see them now but don't want to be a jerk.

Wow.....what a rambling post. I had no intention of dumping all this right now. I honestly had no idea other people felt like this. A relief.

I'll be back!!

Erin

[PinksMommy]

I was confronted with an incident a few weeks ago.

My BIL was staying with us for about a month and he started getting really sick from his work. They cut up concrete or something in his shop (?) and he had gone against policy and wasn't wearing a respirator mask for weeks. Well all of the concrete dust got into his lungs and his stomach and I was awakened one horrible Saturday morning by him violently wretching in the bathroom which adjoins my bedroom. It is the only bathroom in our house. I felt so trapped and panicky. I turned my radio up as loud as it goes and hid under several pillows while plugging my ears, but I was jumpy and nervous the rest of the weekend. BIL had nasty hacking gagging cough the rest of the day, he said it was good to clear his lungs but I was shaken every time he started hacking. He moved out soon after that and I am grateful because he is a person who is very laidback about throwing up, in the mindset of "I should just puke because I'll feel better faster" and I was paranoid being around him.

So that is my not so good experience. Also recently, my DH over-drank while bowling and we were laying in bed after we got home. He got out of bed and I asked him where he was going. He said he had to go poop. He came back a few minutes later and laid down again. About a minute later, he said "Oh no. I have to go throw up."
But I did NOT freak out, he went into the bathroom and I rolled over and deep breathed and went to sleep. I don't even know when he came back to bed because I was so calm I just slept. It helps that he is a "polite puker" as he calls it. He doesn't really make any noise.
Of course, the next day he insisted that he didn't tell me he was going to be sick but he did, he was just drunk.

[shelbyk74]

Originally Posted by tm2840

Just read the last post about none of her kids having a stomach bug yet and you know what??? Neither have mine!!! My oldest coughs til he gags due to mucus, (still!) but in almost 6 years with two kids, no tummy bugs yet for them.

Must be a special guardian angel protecting us. NOW I think I could handle it some, but three years ago??? No way!

Yay extended nursing (why I personally think my kids have never puked).

is this still open to reply to? jsut joined because of ""i'm an EMET"

[mamamilkers]

OMG, I just found this thread, as well. Like so many PP, I had no idea there was a name for this. Honestly, it's very comforting to know I'm not alone in this deep, deep fear. This season, with all the stomach bugs, I'm just compeltely and utterly FREAKING out. I read that thread in TAO about the "puking illness" and thought I was going to get sick right on the spot. I medicate myself and my older DD every day to keep us healthy. I down vitamin C, take immune boosters, probiotics, wash hands about 100 times a day . . .

I read Melaya's post that not throwing up in many years must mean you have a true case of the phobia. I find that interesting. Until two winters ago I hadn't thrown up in probably 15 years? One bad case of something one night. It was truly, insanely miserable and I was terrified the whole time. I would probably rather give birth than go through that again, and that's saying alot for me because I HATE giving birth!

I want so, so, so badly to get over this fear. Like PP I avoid alot of things this time of year because of my fear. I don't want to pass this on to my DDs
I want them to have healthy hygeine habits, but not be as freaked as I am about things. My freaking is on the inside, I guess!

I have no problem with DD getting sick. She was puking right before her first birthday and I had no problem caring for her and don't even remember caring about getting sick myself, I guess I was in overdrive mama-mode.

Not sure if anyone is going to post to this thread anymore, but I will subscribe to it. I could use the support, especially this time of year. My DP is going our of town for almost two weeks next month and I literally pray every day that we don't get this illness while he is away.

[shelbyk74]

hi..i just happened to check this thread. mykdsmomy has started a new thread...it's called emetophobic momas. that's where the new posts are.

but welcome to the insanity...just kiddin

shelby

[chrisg20]

Can we get this thread going again? I am emetophobic as well, and would love the support of others...

[aihcalappa]

Originally Posted by chrisg20

Can we get this thread going again? I am emetophobic as well, and would love the support of others...

I'm here. Anyone else up for reviving this thread?

[Beeblebrox]

Wow it's so nice to know I'm not alone. I'm a MAJOR emetophobe. Terrible. I feel so selfish about it too. Whenever I hear that someone around me is sick, instead of being concerned about them, I worry about ME getting sick. When I was little I would go days without eating because I was terrified of getting sick. If someone around me is sick I am full on panic mode. My brother who lives upstairs was sick on Wednesday night. I had gone upstairs on Thursday (not knowing he had been sick) I walked in the living room and stepped in a wet spot. I thought the dog had peed, I asked my mom and she so casually says, Oh yeah your brother started throwing up last night. I was SOOO MAD!! She KNOWS how bad I am. I immediately rushed downstairs with my kids, scrubbed our hands, our feet and I took a shower. I was in tears in the shower. The next day I went to our Shabbat services by myself and I actually called both my DH and my mom to ask them if they felt sick at all because I was so worried about getting sick while out. It's so pathetic.

I've been this way since I was very little.

I cope by avoiding people who are sick, avoiding going to places heavily populated by children during the winter, washing my hands the minute I walk in the door, being very picky about what I'll eat at other people's houses and potlucks. Obsessing and asking DH how he feels if I feel slightly icky.

The thing that stinks is that my DD1 has had about FIVE stomach bugs in her three years. FIVE! : I got a horrible stomach bug in February and it seriously set me way back for MONTHS. If my DD1 wakes up in the middle of the night and seems fussy, I quiz her about if her stomach hurts . Gosh I hate this.

[aihcalappa]

Wow, I'm glad someone else responded! I know this thread is super old, though. I have been an emet since childhood, and having kids has made it so much worse. I'll come back to this thread when I've gotten the kids to bed.

[aihcalappa]

Giving this a