support groups?

[ceinstein]

SO i just found out my 25 year fear has a NAME! Wow, i am amazed, as you all must have been when you discovered this. i do CRAZY things to avoid throwing up and it runs every single thing i do in my life. my family gets ANGRY at me when i avoid them like the plague. Ill sleep at friends' houes when someone i live with gets suck....for WEEKS until i am SURE that the germs are gone. Does anyone else do this?


Now that i have discovered this website and i see i am not the only one (i am still in disbelief), are there support groups where i can MEET people and commiserate over this fear? My whole i life (im 25) i have had this fear and i have nevera ctually met someone who is as BAD as i am about this stuff. I always meet people who say, "oh, me too, i hate V*" and then we start comparing stories and i always win.

[harmonygirl72]

I don't know of any support groups, but there have been meet-ups in the past. Where do you live? I think I hold the record for meeting in person the most people from this site ( I think it's 7, but only one posts anymore).


MaryEdited by: harmonygirl72

[abw123]

Hey there -


I am new to this as well site as well. As long as I can remember, people have


made "light" of my little fear, but to me it is very real. I also do whatever to avoid getting near anyone who is sick with v****. My husband thinks I do not care about him when he gets sick, but I just cannot help it. I will take my kids to stay with my mom for a day or two. I feel bad, but I cannot help it. You are not alone. I just wish I could truly get past this. I have two kids, 3 and 1, and I know there are many tummy situations in my future to come. Maybe this site will help me.

[Jenneh]

heya,


i don't know of any actual support groups around... but i did ask my therapist if he'd put me in touch with some emetophobes that he knows e.t.c. he said he'll get back to me with that one. i hope he does!


welcome to the site. i hope u find it jhelpful.


Jen xxx

[ceinstein]

Thank for your responses. I still cant get over this website. It's 4pm and all i have done at work all day is read stories that i can totally relate to! ABW123, if someone in my famliy gets sick (who i live with) ill leave for a week and longer until the "germs" are all gone. Winter after winter, i get yelled at for keeping my bedroom window open when someone gets sick so that the germs leave my room. My mom would tell me THAT is how ill end up getting sick. one of the hardest parts i think is neglecting people you love who are sick. But there are absolutely NO circumstances where i will help ANYONE who is vomiting. And then they get mad, understandably, and feel rejected, when i try and tell them it's not about them. Warning them ahead of time doesnt help either. right now, my boyfriend of two years, his mentality is "get over it" and "it's in your head" and once time when i was having an anxiety attack and i was clearly NOT going to throw up (though i feared i would), he wouldnt come sit with me and walk me through it because he said if he did then he would be encouraging the fear. After reading websitestoday, that is the WORST thing he could do. because if it came down to it, i'd choose the fear over him. Does this make sense you all of you too? i live in nyc and really want to meet people who have it as bad as i do, but this website is certainly helping too! are these stories i am telling things you can relate to?