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Agoraphobia/Fear of Throwing Up

junesprout May 5th, 2015

I've struggled with agoraphobia for about 6 years now, though I'm sure I would have gotten it under control (even a little bit) if I had known what was wrong in the beginning. Every single time I was in a car, or a building that wasn't my own house, I became nauseous, and would have to get outside ASAP. I never threw up though. Only in the past year or so did I realize that, yes, I have agoraphobia, but it is mostly fueled by my fear of throwing up. I didn't even identify my fear of throwing up until the past couple of years. What I've figured out is this: I have digestive troubles that, along with my anxiety of throwing up, make me nervous and nauseous. This is worsened when my agoraphobia comes in to play. However, I am now on anti-anxiety medication, and am currently working on the medical side of my digestive issues. What I want to know is, does anyone else have this same problem? And if you do, what do you do to cope? I feel like I'm so alone in this, and thatI've spend the last several years missing out on fun activities (and struggling through university) all because of this.

2
EnchantedPepper May 5th, 2015

Hi there Tranquility Queen.

I've had exactly the same problem as you. From a young child going to nursery and primary school, I would be sick in the playground before my mum left. When I went to secondary school, everything just changed. I stopped being sick and I coped a lot better.

It was never treated for me as a child so I never knew why I was the way I was.

Then in 2008, it started happening again. Slowly but surely it was sneaking in. This feeling of sickness. It started with nausea, then as weeks went on I started being sick before work. Then more weeks passed and was being sick before work and when I got to work. And so on until on 23rdApril 2009 I couldn't take anymore and I had a breakdown. Everything changed for me that day. I forgot how to function (or so it felt). I went to bed and didn't get up for 3 weeks apartfrom using thetoilet. And I didn't leave the house again until September 2009. I went to see a psychiatrist where I was told I'd had a breakdown. I was admitted to hospital for six weeks.

It's been a tough few years but I've never given up, even though I've wanted to.

EnchantedPepper May 5th, 2015

In answer to your question how to cope. Well I'm on anti-anxiety medications too. They're really useful. I use something called positive affirmations which work amazingly for me. Take a small piece of card and write down a positive affirmation (use google if you can't think of your own) keep them with you when you go out. One of mine says "this too will pass" it's a great one for me when I begin to feel nauseous. It reminds me that I've been here before and I got through it. Another technique I use is breathing. Take a breath in over four seconds, hold it in for sevenseconds then breathe out over eight seconds. It may take a couple of times to work but it works well to calm me when I feel panic coming on. Even though I still have bad days where I need to leavebecause I feel sick, it's been over four years since I was actually sick outside. Use your support network, tell people how you're feeling, if you're with somebody and the panic starts, tell them how you feel. Even if they don't know how to help, they can just hold your hand and be with you. I wish you all the luck in the world. Keep going. You will get thereheart