Fear of being sick in public

[PinkCookie]

Does anyone else suffer from this? If so how do you deal with it?

[Hidden]

My granddaughter has this,she always has water to sip and mints to suck, had it since she was a child and it has got a lot better over time,she also carries a plastic bag with her.Shes had some counselling also.

By the way,she has never been sick in public from the fear off it x

[PinkCookie in reply to Hidden]

I'm definately going to try water and mints I have a 10 hour exam tommorow and just terrified of being sick hope she is okay i know how horrible it is thankyou for reply!xx

[Hidden]

Your welcome.Shes very much better than she was.At one time she wouldn't even eat out because she was so scared of throwing up and as I say she never has.

Only ever been sick when she's had a bug.

Kerp the plastic bag in your school bag or handbag,you probably won't need it,but you know it's there.

That's a long exam you've got tomorrow,if you start to get anxious don't forget to ask for extra time if you feel you need it.

Good luck xxxx

[PinkCookie in reply to Hidden]

I'm the same i stopped eating out :(! I will thankyou! I've asked about extra time or breaks etc they said it's not possible i have to do it or face disqualification and get a fine if I don't stay in the whole time in terrified they're normally so helpful xx

[CWijnberg in reply to PinkCookie]

Hi I was just reading this and this is very similar to what happened to me. My anxiety started in an exam (3 years ago) of which I started thinking I wasn't feeling and I became extremely dizzy. I have always carried Halls or mints and a small bottle of water so this really helped however since this day I have really struggled with anxiety attacks. I also stopped eating out, I stopped buying chicken in case it made me sick and I stopped drinking coffee. I found by controlling my environment around me I would feel better.

I struggle with headaches and Migraine which leads to me having to take certain tablets. I suddenly became increasingly scared of taking these and other tablets in case I had a bad reaction. As soon as I took tablets (that I had previously taken and been fine) I would start being short of breathe and start shaking.

I must say this was a very scary time for me as I felt incredibly alone and vulnerable. I was scared to drive and be in traffic jams etc.

I have now got to the point where I have started eating out again, drinking coffee and limited myself to only taking some tablets IF necessary. Its been a long road for me and I still struggle on a daily basis, having to talk to myself and convince myself that I am fine and will be ok.

But I really understand where you are coming from it is so hard especially when writing exams and the added pressure that comes with it all!

Hope your exams are going well!! xxxx

[PinkCookie in reply to CWijnberg]

Thankyou! Well done on taking control, the exams themselves are going well just terrified off being sick in the hall :(xx

[Hidden]

Try the breathing if things start to get on top of you.If it gets too much ask to go to the toilet,they can't stop you doing that and it will give you a little break xxx

[PinkCookie in reply to Hidden]

I will thankyou! Dreading it :(xxx

[Hidden]

Let us know how it goes xxxWill be thinking of you xxx

[PinkCookie in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou I will do xxx

[rocketred]

I always have polos and gingins in my bag (they're a little sweet made from root ginger and they really work - I get them from Holland and Barrett) as well as water and that helps I think. Deep breathing also works for me.

I'm currently having CBT for my emetophobia and I was given a chapter on emetophobia from a book, not sure which one, and there was a bit in it which said that most people haven't been sick for years even though they've not done anything to prevent it. I'm more than happy to summarise the chapter and post it here if it'll be of use to anyone? I found it quite helpful in breaking down the fear and making it easier to understand if that makes sense.

Good luck with the exam, hope it goes well for you.

Megy xxx

[PinkCookie in reply to rocketred]

Definately with you on the polos got me through the day today! Sounds good its a horrible fear! Thankyou thats the first 5 hours done another 5 tommorow I guess it went okay xx

[rocketred in reply to PinkCookie]

Well done! You're halfway there now which is awesome. Is it an Art exam or something similar? I remember when I was at high school, my friends who did art had to do a long exam. Good luck with the other half of it

I'm home now so am planning on summarising the chapter (think it'll be good for me to fully understand it as well) later this evening.

Megy xxx

[PinkCookie in reply to rocketred]

Really late reply but yeah was a photography exam ;)xx

[partygal in reply to rocketred]

Hi I also suffer from emetophobia and I would really like to read the chapter.

Thank you x

[Binky1 in reply to rocketred]

Hi there, I'm new here and I see that you suffer from emetophobia, I also suffer from this and have done since a child (I'm now 53!) would be good to chat about your progress

Lesley

[PinkCookie in reply to Binky1]

Hey sorry only just seen your comment I'm sorry its a horrible fear no better really doing my exams so it's quite bad right now how about you x

[Binky1 in reply to PinkCookie]

Hiya, I'm ok thanks good days and bad days .. Worse in the winter with all the bugs that go about and not as bad now that my kids have grown up as I used to be terrified when they were small and got sick

Hope you can keep strong for your exams as you don't need any more stress and distractions x

[Hidden]

Hi Hun,just wondered how you got on today.Hope all went well for you,and you didn't get too stressed xx

[PinkCookie in reply to Hidden]

Hey sorry yeah it went ok ;)xx

[hairyfairy]

That would be my worst nightmare! I have been sick a few times as a child in public, & I felt so humilliated & ashamed at the time that as an adult I vowed that I`d die before I`d let it happen again. I always carry anti emmetics with me just in case.

[PinkCookie in reply to hairyfairy]

It is horrible. What's anti emmetics?x

[little-miss-kizzy]

Hi

I'm also new on here & also suffer from Emet since the age of 6 after having food poisoning I'm now 38 I've had alot of counselling, CBT, Anti depressants etc I am a lot better then I was but I still have my bad days which today is one of them  I keep getting this horrible sick feeling in my throat but my tummy feels fine, what that all about I’m so scared right now as this has been on & off since Sat.

Also is there anyone out there that has also been put off about having a baby because of their Emet 

[PinkCookie in reply to little-miss-kizzy]

I get the sick feeling in throat its horrible you feel it coming but your stomach is fine sitting in exams ATM so very scarred! Probaly shouldn't be thinking about having a baby yet but the sickeness would be off putting I can see :/xx

[Binky1 in reply to little-miss-kizzy]

Hi there, I've suffered from Emet most of my life and I'm glad to say that I did manage to go on and I've had 3 children.

I was never actually sick when I was pregnant but had terrible nausea for the first three months of each pregnancy. My maternal feelings overtook the Emet and that's why I got through it. I had no pain relief for my 2nd labour as I was scared it would make me sick as my Emet was particularly bad at that point due to stress in my marriage

It would be such a shame if this awful phobia affected you to the point that you wouldn't have a baby and I know how you feel honestly I do x

[little-miss-kizzy in reply to Binky1]

Hi I've been sitting on the fence about this for years the thing is I will be 39 this year so I really need to make my mind up about it but I am sooooooooooo scared, it's not like a tablet that you can stop taking if you feel ill it's that first long 3mths How do you cope when your kids are ill? cause that's another worry for me, catching what they have x

[Binky1 in reply to little-miss-kizzy]

Hi sorry you're struggling so much .... it is terrifying tho.

My kids are now 23, 19 & 15 so I only have the youngest one staying with me now.

I didn't cope at all when they were younger if they were sick, I had to get their dad to deal with them and if he wasn't available then it was a mad panic phonecall to my mum.

I just can't deal with it on any level

My kids know about my phobia now but for many years I felt so ashamed which puts unecessary pressure on you, I feel for you

X

[little-miss-kizzy in reply to Binky1]

I'm really lucky as my partner & parents are always there for me if I have any problems, I think I would be the same I would either ring my partner or my parents but then I would be scared that I would still catch it this thing (Emet) it makes me so sad when it's around & I don't want to be constantly worry 24/7 if I have a baby about them being sick I think it would drive me into an early grave I really don't want to go back down that route again, but then I don't want my partner to miss out being a dad & being an only child makes it hard to, I don't want to be alone when I get grey & old pressure, pressure what do I do? x

[Binky1 in reply to little-miss-kizzy]

My heart goes out to you as I know what a terrifying dilemma it is, have you had counselling for your anxieties as mayb talking through your fears with someone may help although I appreciate that we have to get on with it ourselves at the end of the day x

[little-miss-kizzy in reply to Binky1]

I've had the lot, counselling, CBT, pills & hypno. I'm a lot better then I was & can control it a lot more now & get the odd very bad day which I think we all do but it's just the thought of feeling sick for 3mth while pregnant x

[Binky1 in reply to little-miss-kizzy]

We're all different & you don't know how you're going to be when your pregnant so it's hard to call

My 3 pregnancies I was never actually sick but as I said I had the nausea

I got through it as I was soooo maternal & that was uppermost in my mind rather than Emet

You don't want to regret not having a baby because of this phobia, at least just now you have a choice but as we get older we run out of options

[hairyfairy]

I had a baby when I was 18, & he was adopted at birth. I didn`t have any morning sickness, but I did catch a bad stomach bug when I was about 10 weeks gone. It was so humiliating losing control of my body, & that`s most likely where my fear comes from.

[little-miss-kizzy in reply to hairyfairy]

It's not a nice experience that, that's what I think happened to me when I was 6 & I'm now like that with a lot of things (hate being out of control)