Can anyone give me some advice

[saavik]

Dear Forum


I wonder if anyone can help me. I have suffered from anxiety and depression for about 5 years, on and off and i have particularly suffered with panics. However when thinking about my problems, usually i get panic attacks when i begin to feel nauseus. I will start to feel that way and get more and more panicky which will then turn into a full on panic attack. The only thing that relieves this is taking some medication.


I have read about emetophobia and i have begun to consider that i may suffer from this phobia. However my most favourite hobby is eating out and i have never had a problem eating in a restaurant or having a meal until afterwards, if i either havent eaten enough or am totally full. I also feel that in the morning when i get up for work and i feel tired and worn out, i get panicky because i may be ill and nauseus at work. It really depends on what kind of day i am having. Im absalutly terrified of public transport as i associate traveling with sickness. I am terrified of being sick in public and this is what brings on a panic. I am only happy when im driving my own car and no one is around.


I dont know what to do, whether i could be a sufferer or not. I only feel safe when im in the house and nobody can see me being ill.


Can anyone give me any advice


It would be most grateful, Thank you kindly.

[tcsarah]

Yes I would say you are an emetophobe as you sound so much like me. My biggest fear is vomiting in public, the thought of that cripples me. I can cope pretty much ok (welll compared to how I used to be!) with being sick in the privacy of my own home, so long as nobody sees or hears me!


The thing that gets me through is medication, after many years of trying different tablets (also tried many different therapies) I've finally found an anti-depressant that helps me so much. Before these meds I would get into such a panic before I went out worrying about if I were to get sick in public that I would actually make myself physically ill with nerves. It was horible and meant I avoided so many things and when I did force myself to go out would have massive panics and feel ill the whole time.


Are you being treated for your depression? Have you ever tried therapy?


Welcome to the group, by the way! [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]


Tracey

[saavik]

Hiya


Thank you very much for your reply. It is nice to know that im not the only one who feels this way.


I have been in a unit for my depression and anxiety about 5 years ago and i got over it and went to university. However it has a tendancy to pop up now and again, and each time it does, my doctor does send me back to the pyschiatrist, who actually is very nice.


I have been taking anti depressants for 5 years now and at times of anxiety, i take diazapam. However, like i said before, i get real fear of being sick. Its like the whole world is going to end and i just want to disappear. I am just confused, as some of the posts on here talk about fear of other people being sick and or stopping themselfs eating. I am not really like that. I have to eat, as if i dont, i get real hunger pains that makes me feel nauseus. I eat healthy and i eat quite a lot!! so im not scared of food. Again, my boyfriend had food posioning about 3 months ago and i was the one cleaning up after him and it didnt really bother me. So it does makee me feel different, i only fear myself being sick when the feeling comes on, if so i have to get out of any social situation and get reassurance from my boyfriend that im not going to be sick!.


I suppose this phobia affects people in very different ways,.its nice to hear from people who do suffer similar feelings to myself thou.


Take care. Kx

[tcsarah]

The thing about this phobia is we all suffer in different ways and to differing degrees. Some people here are scared of being sick themselves whereas othersfear only others, and then there arethose thatfear both.


I too don't have any issues about food and will eat anything so long as there isn't meat involved (I'm a vegetarian!). I have such a big appetite too (luckily for healthy food and not junk food!) which I try and keep under check to keep slim! If I don't eat I feel terrible - I get shaky, dizzy and feel nauseous. Sometimes it seems like I am constantly wanting to eat!


I have suffered from really bad bouts of depression in the past, with panic attacks and anxiety that would really floor me so I know what you are going through.


Have you had chance to have a look at the Treatments thread yet? There is some excellent advice there from dealing with panic attacks to finding the right therapist.http://www.emetophobia.org/forum/forum_topics.asp?FID=8 Also have a look at this post by Sage http://www.emetophobia.org/forum/for...sp?TID=1926&am p;PN=1it's a really inspirational read.


All the best, take care.


Tracey x