Emetophobia - any fellow sufferers? What do you do to cope?

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It's that waiting isn't it. I would have thought you would be ill by now if it had been raw and you were going to be affected but that's not going to make you feel better. I would be exactly the same as you. Hopefully it was just a fatty, gristly bit. There are some revolting looking bits on chicken that are perfectly edible.
 
God I hope I’m going to be ok. I go on holiday this weekend Sunday. Will I be ok and safe by then do you think?

I can’t stop looking at the photo! It’s meant to be a grilled chicken breast burger. I have reported it to environmental health so I guess now have to just wait and see if they get in touch with me. The restaurant failed to take it seriously - no apology offered

Edit: now my 3 year old has woken up saying his tummy hurts. Honestly I’m a nervous wreck this is just a total tit show right now
 
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You will be fine by Sunday!
I swear our kids know when we are at our worst and get a tummy ache on purpose just to finish us off (if it helps the OH is moaning his stomach woke him up at 3am. He is very fed up with me quizzing him about it and it's not even 7am. Happy days!).

I suppose EH wont care unless it actually makes you ill.
 
Ladeepfriedmarsbar said:
You will be fine by Sunday!
I swear our kids know when we are at our worst and get a tummy ache on purpose just to finish us off (if it helps the OH is moaning his stomach woke him up at 3am. He is very fed up with me quizzing him about it and it's not even 7am. Happy days!).

I suppose EH wont care unless it actually makes you ill.
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Yes I agree it’s just total shite. I’m having a day to myself today to go Xmas shopping and my little boy is going to my mums house and so now I’m worried I’ll be feeling anxious walking around a shopping centre on my own. I was going to have a lunch out too and have been looking forward to it so much but I won’t eat at all today now because I’m scared after last night.

I’ve taken an anti sickness tablet and a buscopan tablet already (my comfort blanket).

Thanks re Sunday - I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s a 3 hour flight and my 3 year olds first time flying so no doubt it’ll be swallowing my comfort blanket tablets before getting on board too.

Imagine a life where you’re not scared of these things. How lovely and relaxing would it be.
 
Morning all.

@swimming in so glad to hear you were ok over night. I would imagine if you were to be ill it would have happened by now, the body would need to get rid and would do that quite quickly I think. Totally sympathise with all the worry and panic though, I would be exactly the same. Its just the hardest thing isn't it. If I had one wish I would wish for this phobia to be taken from me.

I had my littlest's monitor camera on all night, literally all night. She was up a few times in the night but with a new cough she's got from nursery. I would honestly take every cough and cold every day of the week to avoid a bug.

So we go again today, worry and panic that today is the day if it wasn't yesterday. The constant worrying is just awful isn't it, the feeling of dread and absolutely no control...I bloody hate this so much.
 
PennyPop said:
Morning all.

@swimming in so glad to hear you were ok over night. I would imagine if you were to be ill it would have happened by now, the body would need to get rid and would do that quite quickly I think. Totally sympathise with all the worry and panic though, I would be exactly the same. Its just the hardest thing isn't it. If I had one wish I would wish for this phobia to be taken from me.

I had my littlest's monitor camera on all night, literally all night. She was up a few times in the night but with a new cough she's got from nursery. I would honestly take every cough and cold every day of the week to avoid a bug.

So we go again today, worry and panic that today is the day if it wasn't yesterday. The constant worrying is just awful isn't it, the feeling of dread and absolutely no control...I bloody hate this so much.
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im with you there 100% about taking every cough and cold over the other thing. The worry is constant and I mean constant. I can’t think of anything else and my mouth starts watering and I get shaky. Then I convince myself I feel sick and if I go to the loo for #2, I am terrified if it’s just a tiny bit soft sorry tmi. I can’t wait to start my therapy for this, I should get to the top of the waiting list by February.

I am very in tune with my body which is good but not in states like this. I am feeling every bubble in my tummy
 
Someone who wasn't at nursery yesterday was there this morning and wasn't off ill as such, just not 100% but better today, so I'm feeling a tiny bit better about things, but the worry just doesn't switch off like that does it. Yep, it's completely constant for me too, it's consuming. It's so nice to talk to someone who understands that, I wish we could fix each other but at least we know we're in the same boat! I know what you mean - this is tmi too but I get anxiety poops! As soon as I hear anything about illness I have to go. It's the fight or flight kick in and my body getting lighter for whichever I have to do! Which obviously wants to be flight! I'm the same with the bubbles, feelings and sounds too...it's all so draining.

I hope you can go out and enjoy your day today, sounds like you need it! I've also got a day to myself so I'm starting my wrapping. Distractions are always helpful - I find sitting about doing nothing gets my head into a bad place and makes me miserable. Try and focus on the good things and enjoy the peace! Xx
 
You guys all sound like me and it's quite comforting! I'm fairly paranoid about chicken, hate belly noises and get the anxiety toilet run too.

We're just muddling through and hoping to make it to Xmas. Quite relieved that the schools finish a good few days before, I hate when they finish on the 23rd and you're within the 48 hours on xmas day.

Back to today though and my brain is running the latest scenario of one of the kids best friends who has a sibling that was literally green on the school run this morning. They weren't ill yet but not going to school (and I love the mum for being proactive on that) but my head is now going 'that will be a bug, they share a room so the friend will get it but when will it strike?'

I'm basically creating a huge scenario in my head that may or may not play out. It's exhausting being in my brain. The sickness bug is slowly circling the school/nursery and I wish it would hurry up and bugger off!
 
Well I’ve made it around the shopping okay but everytime I stopped and sat down for a moment with heavy bags I got stomach pains and was convinced okay yep you’ve got food poisoning. But it’s 12:30 and I’ve not eaten since 7pm last night so that could be why. It’s like a gripe like pain in the middle of my abdomen.

Absolutely exhausting isn’t it
 
swimming said:
Well I’ve made it around the shopping okay but everytime I stopped and sat down for a moment with heavy bags I got stomach pains and was convinced okay yep you’ve got food poisoning. But it’s 12:30 and I’ve not eaten since 7pm last night so that could be why. It’s like a gripe like pain in the middle of my abdomen.

Absolutely exhausting isn’t it
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It's just because you're hungry. Have a nice lunch or you'll end up thinking every hunger pang is the onset of something dreadful.

At least you didn't eat much of that chicken, yuck. You'd likely know all about it by now if it was going to make you poorly.
 
How do you keep the panic down when your kids friends and people who sit beside them are off?

I don't know why they're off and my kids seem absolutely fine so making something over nothing as usual. Hoping it's for colds and ear infections etc but it seems like a sinking (plague) ship just now 😭

Very glad that dancing and brownies stop this week, one less infection route but dreading the next 2 weeks of school.
 
I've got a horrible cough and I almost coughed myself sick just now and I've felt nauseous all day. I'm so fed up with panicking!

FP usually shows itself within 12hrs so I think you're in the clear lovely xx
 
Welcome @InanimateObject, glad you found us! I can totally sympathise with everything you've said, it's truly exhausting and utterly hard work to keep this up isn't it - sadly we don't have a choice ☹️ keeping calm around the kids is so hard, I was snappy yesterday because I was so anxious and I felt terrible. I also worry in the same way that you do, the panic is just full on, and my brain asks every question and jumps to every conclusion.

@swimming I'm glad you got out! As the others have said, I reckon you're in the clear now as well. I hope you managed to have some lunch though.
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Ok, my little one has just come to tell me her tummy hurts 😫 out of the blue but straight after she was arguing with her sister! I hope it's just because she wants some attention! 🤞🏼🤞🏼 I was just starting to calm down a little bit! 😩
 
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I don’t eat chicken for the fear. Never. I’m very funny with food anyway and stick to red meat.
I remember getting food out of the bin to check it too.
 
I won’t be having chicken for a very long time and even then I’ll be burning it just to see it’s cooked! And 100% I will not be ordering takeaway chicken ever again.

What a 24 hours. I’m ok. Exhausted mentally and physically and emotionally and my throat is so sore and this always happens when I’m stressed it’s like my body says okay she’s run down and let her guard down let’s give her a sore throat too!
 
Here we go. Honestly anyone else reading these posts would genuinely think I am some sort of nutter.

So last night about 7pm (after not eating all day!) I ate 3 small slices of cheese pizza then got full up.

8 hours after eating the pizza I’m woken up with upset stomach and had to go to the loo.
Ffs.

I’m not worried at all because in the past my body has been known to reject certain levels of cheese but because in my head it’s 36 hours since that bloody chicken I’m now scared to go back to sleep cos yep this is it etc.

Now I’m convinced the pizza was dodgy.

honestly this is no joke is it and I’m beginning to wonder if I have some sort of underlying OCD contamination alongside emetophobia.

If it wasn’t for the fact I had a child and needed to set good examples I would 100% just survive on safe foods like plain pasta or crisps and lemonade.

This issue has heightened for me so much since having a child and maybe certain factors play a part in that such as I’m always exhausted, my body and brain don’t get to rest and recoup, I never stop.

I’m grateful for my safe space here so much!
 
Oh bless you, we are all the same. I hear you about the safe foods. I didn't eat chicken for years and years and I wont eat chicken in restaurants etc, my OH has to have cooked it. Turkey terrified me until a few years ago after a school science book using it as an example in a salmonella incident. I was a vegetarian for many years as the food was safer and I'll still pretend to be one if I don't think the cooking is safe.
 
I'm the same, I avoid chicken in any form. Have done for years now, I just can't bring myself to even buy it. The kids have nuggets but they get cooked for an extra 5 mins at least!

@swimming I had a similar thing with pizza a few years ago. Had a cheese pizza and woke in the night feeling dodgy. Didn't want another dominos until the other week - about 5 years after that incident! I don't think it was a dodgy pizza, I think it was the cheese but my brain put dominos on the do not eat list and that was that.

I feel like I'm crazy half the time, people don't understand my phobia at all and it's so hard to explain. My family does try and ask questions to understand it but I know they just don't get it, but at least they try.
 
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