Same old emetphobic self

[Regina48]

I'm so sick of myself and all of my issues with emetophobia. It's actually been quite some time since I felt the need (panicking enough to reach out) but the fear never goes away. Absolutely never. Here I am, 11:30pm west coast time, stomach feeling bad. Luckily I was recently prescribed zofran just in case I feel sick. I broke down and took one and am just praying it completely wipes away the sick feeling in my stomach. I'm just so tired of being me.

[Hidden]

Hi Regina,

I didn't know what emetophobia was and had to look it up. I think people shy away from conditions they don't know or understand . I may not know anything about your condition but I can relate to having phobias. The issue is not the vomiting, the issue is the fear itself.

How did this occur in you? Are you receiving therapy aswell, strategies to help you overcome this? I'm so sorry your feeling so unwell! What has made it worse recently? Taking meds and reaching out are good first steps.

[Regina48 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Jeremiah - thanks for the reply. My phobia started around 11 or 12 (I'm 51 now). I have had a few visits with therapists and they consider me to have OCD that revolves around my phobia. There wasn't really anything that was really traumatic when it started. I got sick one time in the middle of the night (nothing crazy sick) and the next thought was "I can never let that happen again". Luckily I don't get sick very often (I can only remember 5 times) and I do have some coping skills but having a drug I can take for feeling sick like Zofran is a good thing.

[robbylynnofnm]

Hi Regina,

I have celiac disease, so vomiting is a part of my life, often more than naught. I eat something and it will have somehow come in contact with wheat and it makes me nauseated and then I violently throw up and have bowel problems. It sucks. I hate it. I cry sometimes when this happens because I have celiac disease and ask "why me?" So I can relate. It's hard seeing others or making a meal for others and I can't eat what they are eating. At restaurants I have to order things with lots of goofy questions. It doesn't excite me to go out to eat. When someone asks to order in pizza at work I have to explain that I can't have any and they look at me funny.

What I have to do is concentrate on the positives about my life when those moments come. There are always people who have it a lot worse than me. At least I can walk, talk and am in relatively good health. Or I concentrate on the environment I am in. Such as what I smell, touch, see and hear. That helps when I start with the nausea. I drink something like sprite and eat some gluten free crackers or bread and it helps stop the nausea by absorbing the stomach acids. Anyway girl, I feel ya. I just keep on keepin on.

robbylynnofnm

[Hidden in reply to robbylynnofnm]

Hi robby

I've notice all the people at work who have IBS also suffer from anxiety. I work in a Sen school and noticed that all the students with ASD have a sibling/s who have eczema, allergies and or asthma. In my view all these conditions are linked to anxiety