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Irrational fear of tummy bug!!

Posted , 23 users are following.

beth79547
beth79547

Hi. Im a 22 year old female who has an extreme fear of catching any type of illness that may involve me being sick. This has caused me to develop generalized anxiety in every day life but it all boils down to my phobia. my mum was sick saturday night at midnight its been over 48 hours but im still panicing i may pick it up!!?? I have been percribed amitryptaline low dosage about 2 weeks ago to help take the edge off and settle me at night but im not sure if its worked yet i just think im so anxious nothing will work. ive had CBT which didnt work. i find the thing that helps me the most is reasurance and talking about how im feeling. 

2 likes, 33 replies

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  • elizabeth20203
    elizabeth20203 beth79547

    Posted

    Hello Beth, I do understand where your coming from as i fear being sick and cannot bear to see or hear anybody else being sick. All i can say is the very few times in my life i have been sick and i am now in my fifties, i felt better afterwards. Our bodies have a way of getting rid of bugs and poisons by ejecting them. Try not to think about being sick, if you have no symptoms. Think positive thoughts and distraction methods. 

    Best wishes.

    Elizabeth.

    • beth79547
      beth79547 elizabeth20203

      Posted

      Thank you Elizabeth. My anxiety makes me feel things that arent there so these days im not sure if im ill or not. these past few days i have been thinking positive and it has been helping. Just so happens this winter so many people have been struck down with sickness makes me so on edge. Positive thoughts are getting me through x
  • amy38525
    amy38525 beth79547

    Posted

    Hey Beth, I'm also afraid of being sick, particularly getting a stomach bug. I also found cbt didn't really help too much. I get really paranoid in the evenings, because that's when you're normally sick if you're ill. But reassurance helps me too, and I'm reassuring you that you'll be fine. Just think if you were going to be ill you would of been by now, thats what I try to think anyway. 
    • beth79547
      beth79547 amy38525

      Posted

      Thanks Amy thats the type of thing i need to hear! Yes i know you always hear about people being sick in the night which is why i have trouble sleeping. I constantly feel ill at some point during everyday because of my anxiety with being sick so you can imagine what ive been like the past few days lol. Its a viscous cycle. i find it worse during the week when i no i have to go to work where as weekends im more relaxed. 
    • kiah100596
      kiah100596 beth79547

      Posted

      I know this is an old post, but it's nice to see I'm not the only person going through this. I struggle to sleep at night because I'm scared I will wake up sick (it's 11.40pm, Iv got my 11 week old baby off to sleep and I'm sat here anxious and awake)!!! And little niggle or stomach pain sends me into an anxiety attack, it's ruining my lifesad makes me so miserable 

    • vicky56658
      vicky56658 kiah100596

      Posted

      I’m the same my little girl is 3 she just had a stomach bug is been two days and I haven’t got it but I constantly think about it a lump in my throat I think I’m going to be sick I don’t sleep at night because of feeling sick. X
    • isobel51464
      isobel51464 vicky56658

      Posted

      I am exactly the same. My friend said she threw up 4 times the other day, and before Christmas someone told me they had a headache all day, then the next day threw up loads from a bug. Today I have had a headache at least 4 times with severe pain and I’m terrified that either during the night or tomorrow I will be struck with this stomach bug. It is a symptom of the bug so I don’t feel my fear is irrational? Why else will I be getting these headaches all over my head?!
    • kaz50268
      kaz50268 isobel51464

      Posted

      Hi ive suffered with this phobia for years and years, Im ebarassed by it and dont admit it to people, in fact i do my bet to hide it.  At the moment I try and eat during the day preferable lunch time, then I dont need to eat too much at tea time, incase I get a bug or feel sick during the night. To my mind (and I know its irrational ) if I eat small amounts then if I get a sick bug then it wont be as bad cos ive not eaten very much.  I have suffered migraines in the past and have medication for them, including anti sickness tablets, I end up taking them when I  panic about being sick, its so stupid but I really dont know how I will ever get over this.  I would love to hear i'm not alone.

    • Kzoe9
      Kzoe9 kaz50268

      Posted

      I feel exactly the same way. I have GAD and recently after a stomach bug I had I developed a fear of vomiting. Since then I've struggled with eating food. If I feel the slightest bit nauseous I'll think I'm becoming sick with something so I won't eat because (in my mind) if i dont eat my stomach won't get any worse and I won't vomit anything up. Its really taking a toll on me to the point where I've lost heaps of weight and I'm now underweight. I have developed an eating disorder as I've become obsessed and fearful of food as I think it will make me sick. My psychologist says I just have to push through the nausea and just eat foods, but it's extremely difficult for me to do. I'm scared if I lose any more weight I'm going to be admitted. I'm really glad that ive found someone who has the same thoughts as me.

    • isobel51464
      isobel51464 Kzoe9

      Posted

      My fear is of being sick and getting a stomach bug. I’ve never properly stopped eating but I often find that I feel sick at night and it’s due to hunger. I feel sick for a while and after it’s paased (sometimes hours and into the night after me panicking) it turns out that I was just hungry. So maybe, if you can tell yourself that you’re just hungry and push through feeling sick, it may help smile 
    • torie79557
      torie79557 Kzoe9

      Posted

      Hi i’m new to this and im just reading through what you’ve put and i’m just wondering if you panic like every single day just of the fear you’ve picked up a sick bug? Like if you go out somewhere do you worry yourself to death wondering if you’ve picked anything up.?
  • sharon22225
    sharon22225 beth79547

    Posted

    Hi, God I thought I was the only one that thought like this. I haven  fear of been sick too. I panic if anyone near me says they feel sick, can't bear to see anyone sick or even any on floors outside. I go into panic for days till I think it would of shown itself if I have caught it. I try not to touch surfaces that people touch ie handles and wipe my desk at work with antibacterial wipes. I even had a Go at a colleague at work cause she had been sick that night and come into work and then sat next to me... I find trying to just keep telling myself I will be ok, and like you try to think positive thoughts . 
    • beth79547
      beth79547 sharon22225

      Posted

      your definatley not the only one Sharon so dont you worry!! I am extreme aswel. i had a nice chilled night last night, slept well and had a nice morning and as soon as i had thought about leaving the house for work i though hmm i feel a bit dodgy. then that sets me off for the day then!! its horrible. if i had a wish it would be to never get ill in my life with a tummy bug lol.
  • Guest
    Guest beth79547

    Posted

    hi beth you maybe suffering from something called emotophobia which is a fear of being sick google it for more imformation 
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