Emetophobia

So I’m severely emetophobic but these past few weeks have gotten SO bad. I had a bad reaction to an SSRI that made me feel like I was gonna throwup, I stopped taking them over two weeks ago but ever since then the fear has got even worse. I haven’t left the house properly in weeks because I’ve convinced myself I’ll be sick. I feel nauseous even indoors a lot of the time (there are hours when I don’t, like for example this afternoon I was fine). But I challenged myself to go for a short walk this evening and omg it was so hard I really thought I might throwup. The thing is I KNOW it’s anxiety and not real nausea because it feels completely different to when I was actually nauseous from the medication. This feeling is more like a tight throat/sensation of a lump in my throat that makes me feel like I’m gonna gag. I also have RCPD (I can’t burp basically lol) so I just feel like I have trapped air in my throat that’s gonna make me puke. The phobia has gotten really really bad. I have started therapy recently but I’ve been scared of throwing up since I was a kid and I’m now 31 lol wtf. I remember last Christmas my mum said someone at her work had been sick and I was so scared my mum had caught it and would pass it on to me that I refused to leave my bedroom without wearing gloves and a mask and wiping everything with anti-germ wipes. But right now it’s so so bad because I have literally gotten to the point where I’ve convinced myself I feel nauseous pretty much 24/7 and I am taking anti-nausea meds almost every day. Has anyone else dealt with/has tips for this??? I’m literally desperate 😭

Anonymous

Date posted: 3d

Hi!I'm sorry you're dealing with this bad situation.You shouldn't stop SSRIs suddenly bc it's going to have a bad effect on your body(your symptoms may get worse).If you have a bad reaction to any of them you should consult to your psychiatrist first so she/he can change them for you.

suzie90

Date posted: 3d

@Anonymous Hi! Thank you for replying, don’t worry I had only been on them for a short time and consulted with my doctor first :) she was super understanding and gave me lots of advice 🩷

Turtle

Date posted: 3d

I’m adjusting to my Prozac right now. I’m on week 3 of the 40mg dose. I first went off Prozac 3 years ago and stayed on for about 2 years, then came off cause I was feeling so good (it was doing its job). With that being said, it took a good amount of time of feeling wayyyy more anxious, just being on high alert, and being nauseous and just feeling weird. Obviously this made my anxiety so much worse, but in the end it was soooooo worth it. That’s why I’m going through the hard part of getting back on right now, it sucks so bad in the moment, but it will be so worth it in a week or so. I hope my story helps you and just know that with these SSRI’s it is totally normal to feel way worse before it starts to help (it means it’s working! Your brain is getting used to the serotonin) most people stop when they start to get more anxious /feel weird, but that is a sign it’s working that nobody normalizes! If you do decide to go back on the SSRI (I cannot even describe how much Prozac has changed my life for the good, but the adjustment period is so hard) try to take something soothing with it like a yogurt drink. This helps me deal with the nausea and almost like coats my stomach. Wishing you the best. I hope this helped🫶🏻

quesadillagirl3

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2d

Whenever I started a new SSRI, restarted one, or increased the dose, I ALWAYS had nausea. Now I just use it as prime exposure therapy time. Yesterday I noticed someone threw up on the TV and I didn’t even flinch!

lexalove63

Date posted: 3d

Gosh, I understand this like the back of my hand. Vomiting is my number one BIGGEST fear. I don’t drink for this exact reason. My mind will tell me I will throw up if I have a literal sip of BEER. Anytime someone says their stomach hurts, I can’t help but remove myself from their presence, and oh, how terrible I feel for doing that. A girl threw up in my class and I had a panic attack for the first time in so long. I was covering my ears, sobbing, and I became more of a mess than she was. It’s become to where I am constantly hyper aware of my surroundings and the people in it. I feel you. I’m so sorry that it’s this severe for you. Just know you have someone to relate to. You are NOT alone in this.

suzie90

Date posted: 3d

@lexalove63 Omg literally same, it’s the worst. I am so so sorry you’re dealing with this too, it’s horrendous honestly. I hope we both beat it 🩷

JawnyD

Date posted: 23w

Advice please

6 months ago I had a severe panic attack and it’s changed my life. Scared of 99% of foods, can’t take meds out of fear, been hospitalized a few times cause of blood sugar drops and other health scares due to poor eating. I’m constantly scanning my body finding any little thing that’s uncomfortable and then fixate and panic over the smallest things. Whether be a smell I’m unfamiliar with, a weird sensation in my arm literally anything freaks me out….. who has had success with exposure or has dealt with similar issues. I feel like I’m unintentionally slowly killing myself but I’m too scared for meds and therapy doesn’t seem to make much of a dent right now. Please share some success stories I need hope.

ChaoticCatte...

Date posted: 22w

Contamination/health OCD struggles

Recently, I’ve been struggling a ton with what I eat/put into my body? I’m a first year college student with a few different health issues (including IBS), and lately it’s been hard for me to find food on campus that doesn’t upset my stomach. I also have pretty severe emetophobia, and feel extremely anxious when I feel sick. The ironic thing is that being anxious makes me feel even worse, so I end up sticking myself in an impossible loophole. My OCD has taken hold of these fears over the past few months, and it’s been such a struggle. Especially since people have been getting food poisoning from various dining halls on my campus lately. My OCD has gotten so bad that sometimes I’m too afraid to eat food other than what I buy myself. I feel so trapped. I don’t want my OCD to affect my physical health or prevent me from eating, bc I love eating!! It’s the fear of getting sick that’s the problem. And it’s even harder when everything is so unfamiliar. Just wondering if anyone could relate. Advice is appreciated!

The Nervous ...

Date posted: 11w

Years of constant Anxiety leading to Panic attacks

I am trying to see if there are others like me. For the past 12 years, I’ve had crippling Anxiety that leads to intense panic attacks. I’ve been in and out of Ambulances and ER rooms and have called 911 several times. The panic is that intense. I can be just driving down the road and out of no where, BOOM! Hit by the anxiety bus. Most of the time it leads to me panicking, thinking I’m going to die or something is fatally wrong with me. The fear is so intense that I can only find a fraction of calmness by consistently checking my blood pressure, putting on a pulsometer and even checking my blood sugar until it passes. I’m not even a diabetic. I’m always having intrusive thoughts that doctors can’t even fix me. I’ve never met anyone else like me. I feel so scared sometimes that I’m going to loose my mind and that I’m going crazy and will end up in a straight jacket. Then I get another attack just thinking about that as well. Starting new medications freak me out too. If I experience ANY minor side effect, I immediately panic and freak out. I’m being so held back by this . This is a constant obsession that I can’t shake. It’s like I walk hand in hand with Anxiety and panic. Anyone else ever had these issues?

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