does anyone understand, relate, or have suggestions

chance1 · Post by **chance1** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:56 am

hi! i am wondering if there is anyone out there that has this phobia or problem, issure or whatever you might call it. i think this is an underlying issue that if answered or conquered i conquer a lot of my fear and anxiety and panic. i am scared to death of the stomach flu..i have had this problem in the back of my mind for many years..had a problem where it seemed to come back..(the thoughts etc)at one time about 11 years ago where it was an obsessive thought where i couldnt get it out of my mind and it infilterated everything i did..i couldn't even vacuu without going crazy and thinking about this..i prayed and prayed to God for an answer, and finally got on zoloft..and believe it or not zoloft gave my life back..and this train of thought went away..i got my life back..and could tolerate my children getting sick..still was scared half out of my mind if i got the stomach flu..but i could deal with it. then i found out about the natural world and had been on zoloft for a long time and decided to get off of it to see how i did. well, i was fine for a couple of months and then i started to have health problems because the zoloft had left my whole system drained and out of balance..then on top of healing from all of that my anxiety and panic came back full force..and then the horrible scary thoughts of the stomach flu..i mean it freaks me out if my husbands stomach growls..if the kids tell me they have a stomach ache and it is the flu season im so scared..i cant cope..my system goes into full panic and i fight and fight the thought that im going crazy because i freak out so bad that they might get sick. i have no idea why i feel this way..i have tried to go back in my life to see why this would be..but it scares me so much the thought of being sick that i cannot even go out in a boat if it is rocky because i might get nauseae and then i will freak out...im so scared of the thought of possibly getting sick and throwing up that my whole ill thinking stems from this fear..it infiltrates to a lot of things..
i have been praying and praying for an answer to this question..this mystery..and all i want to do is be normal and be able to deal with my children in a peaceful way when they are sick..or when im sick not to freak out..nothing else scares me..this paralyzes me..im on my 3rd session of lucinda's program and have learned so much..but of course i still struggle with the fact that i can't even let my body have a sympton because if my body has a symptom of pain i cant deal with it..(of course i can deal with it and i do deal with it cause i have to) but it scares me and panics me to even have a stomach pain..i cant handle pain in my stomach..anywhere else im fine..my stomach scares me i guess..i just want to be able to look at the stomach flu like a regular sickness, i dont want to be afraid and i don't want to think i have to get on a drug to get my mind better. there has got to be a solution something out there to help me to see this in a different way..i do not know why im so scared but i am petrified..is there anyone who has some advice..some knowledge..some ideas..or if you have the same problem let me know..thank you so much for listening
i do know that someone elses fear that i don't have seems really miniscule to me and i can't imagine why they are afraid..so its just what we think is scary is scary..its just that i want to know why this happens..what makes me afraid?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:03 am

I need anyone's help! I went to a counselor yesterday to discuss my anxiety and panic attacks. I did help, but when I had to discuss things in my past I felt like my whole inside of my body was going to tremble right out of the chair. I stop taking the beta blocker yesterday and my symptoms seems to be worse since I stop taking the beta blocker. I haven't called the doctor, but I just don't know what to do. I have been doing good for the past two weeks. When I have been getting anxiety I would just shake it off, but...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:14 am

Hi Chance
I have the same phobia its a fear of throwing up
and it can show itself in so many ways.I was and can be scared to be around sick people for fear I may get what they have, or around someone who might vomit because they have morning sickness or cancer or Whatever! It's a real phobia and it even has a name. It's called
Emetiphobia and it's a scary one. I think that what seperates it from other uncomfortable physical symptoms is that if you do vomit its so uncontrolable and you heav and cry and your body is in charge whether you like it or not. I know some have diahrreah issues but for me I could sit on a toilet for hours with runs and read a book. You can't read a book while you are barfing, ya know? Anyway all fear is miserable whatever form it takes. One isn't Worse than the other, except to the person experiencing it. We always feel like ours is the Worst possible scenario on the planet in the history of time...
Anyway take care and know that you are not alone. We will fight this one day at a time. Baby steps

Jill~

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 2:46 pm

chance1: Please continue with the program! You will realize that this is an obsessive scary thought and be given some tools to manage it. The anxious mind looks for something to be anxious about. For whatever reason, your mind has picked the stomach flu as "its" thing. There may be no reason why one person with anxiety ends up unable to drive while another person worries constantly about hurting someone they love. It is not a rational process. I would stop trying to figure out why, and just accept that this is your obsessive scary thought. Continue with the program, take it very seriously; it does help, I swear!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 5:55 am

thank you sleepless mom for our comment..you are right..it is a scary obsessive thought for sure..it helps to pinpoint and know that there is a reason. im talking with one of the counselors to see how these types of things develope..its interesting and once you se where something comes from its like you can find peace in that too. she's like just realize, people get sick and they get well..ahh, to really believe that! i know once day i will it has to happen..if for nothing else my own sanity...and thank you so much jill also for your comment..it helps to know im not the only one.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 6:55 am

I share your "stomach focus" somewhat too - and I had a heart attack in May, which led to lots of anxiety and depression and stress, which resulted in gastritis where I couldn't eat anything without getting nauseous. I did throw up a few times. And it didn't kill me! I am kinda nervy about getting sick period. I am getting better about it - as I've had to deal with the gastritis and focus on what I'm eating and when and how it's been HARD but I think it's helping me to finally face it. I've been taking lots of stuff my naturopath recommended for GI inflammation for almost 3 months now and it's lot better. But my stomach is definitely where anxiety "lives" in my life! Also, I worry some about my heart since my heart attack; but I have realized that the lesson in here for me is whether it's my stomach, or my heart, or what, I have to face my fears, and learn to trust in God and LET GO.....I've been through the program once through and I'm starting it for the second time now and doing a better job of working the workbook, readings, assignments, etc....hang in there! Hopefully if we can learn to take it one day at a time, and be patient with ourselves and the process and not give up with the challenge of changing our way of thinking, it will happen...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 7:06 pm

Thanks for sharing. It helps to not feel alone in this.
Jill~

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:41 am

christmasvalley,

Could you please tell us what your naturopath recommended for GI inflammation? Like you, my anxiety hits me right in the stomach. Unfortunately, I live in a city where there seem to be NO naturopaths, only MDs who prescribe proton pump inhibitors . They mean well, but I hate those drugs--they always seem to give me acid rebound . I have been taking Pepcid, but would love to know about something natural that would work.

Thanks.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:04 pm

I am new to the program. I have owned this now for about 5 weeks although I am only in week 3. This is my first time posting and I can defenitaley relate to the G I part of anxiety I have been diagnosed with Barret's Esophogous. It is a changing in the lining of the esophogus due to severe errosion. I am 33 years old and have been having chest pains from this for the past 2 years. The acid in my case is due to a number of things . I have a hital hernia, I was a smoker, and of course a very determined(lol) worrier.Barret's Esophogus is as it was explained to me basically pre cancer state of the esophpgus. I was pretty freaked out when first hearing all of this, but now I try and watch what I eat drink and am trying to control my axiety and depresion from my anxiety. The bad news is you can never get rid of Barrets Esophogus from its onset. The good news is it can be controlled and they never expect me to actually ever develop cancer as long as they monitor it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:30 pm

Chance, You are very correct in your thinking of a couple of things that you stated .....For one we all feel that OUR problem is the worst. Beleive me . PLEASE believe me. I have been dealing with scary thoughts for a long time. I have not by any means perfected this . But I am starting to understand how and why it works and why we are so afraid, scared , feel like where gonna go nuts . And at its worse how I define depression ( When your mind and body are so exhausted and overwhelmed with worry that your mind breaks down and is very hard to build back up) It is almost like a mind game(depresion) Except you never win. Unless you have tools to identify the root of the problem and be very good at using them.The ONLY way to overcome these fears is by practicing the skills....The reason you are fealing so freaked out is because you keep telling yourself that over and over. I have done it so many times and even recognized what I was doing and still could not stop. I went To a psychologist and he tried to teach me meditation, although now I can see the benefits, then I couldn't even calm my mind enough to get in a meditative state. I couldn't hold a thought for a secoond especially when I was forced to try to. I still have problems getting focussed and if I let off or let my mind wonder sometimes I slip right back in it and wonder HOW? Anyways i just wanted to tell you that you are not alone. And that I really do beleive that this program is going to get me, you and anyone else that commits themselves to it a great tool in handling this.