Stomach bug going around my school... terrified

[jnerd]

So it seems like there have been a lot of bouts of stomach bug in my school this year, and being an emetophobic doesn't make these times easier. I had thought after Christmas break that it all would've worked out and there would be no more bug to worry about, but it has returned.

I heard about it in my Spanish class today, since we had just unfortunately learned the word for v*. They said that a lot of kids had been v* in bathrooms lately. I heard this and immediately started to panic, knowing that the bathroom was something of a sanctuary for me, since I have slight OCD and need to wash my hands frequently, or I get anxious. Now I am terrified to go into bathrooms, let alone be in class knowing that someone could be infected. My emetophobia is so bad, it has invaded my life. I am scared to go to school, and starting to be afraid of leaving my house. I hate it so much. The main problem right now is this stomach bug. How can I keep myself safe and if something does happen how can I calm myself?

[kam00096]

Best thing to do is to keep up the good hand hygiene and avoid touching your face/ putting your fingers in your mouth etc. As far as calming yourself down I find deep breathing exercises help a lot. There's something i think is called elevator breathing (that i learned about on here!) where you breathe in for 3, hold for 3, breathe out for 3, hold for 3 and then increase the number as you go. Just about always calms me down!