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i know i am stupid

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I realise how easy it is to catch swine flu. A few of my friends have had it. It isn't something that I'm very paranoid about, it's actually the tamiflu. One of the very common side effects is nausea, vomiting and retching. I have an insanely big phobia of vomiting.. so much so that if I think of the scenario, say my mum is being held captive and she'd only be released if I cut off my hand. Then I'd do it no question asked. So now my mum is being held captive and will only be released if I throw up. I'd do it but there is a pause in my mind. Throwing up is the WORST thing imaginable for me.

So if I get swine flu, I'm thinking I just refuse tamiflu. Arent I stoopid? I know there are a few people on the boards like me who are phobic of being sick too. (I think there are anyway eep..) :(

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hurl up with swine flu, hurl up with Tamiflu. Take your pick... :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I didnt know swine flu made you throw up? :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    why not go to get your phobia sorted? at a physcolagista or whatever? I got my phobia of velvet cured on my own tho, by just gritting my teeth and telling myslef it was fine. It did take alot of time tho!! Needs support from friends x
    C-A x
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I did think about it but I cant see myself getting over it. It feels too intensely rooted. The only thing I can think of for a psychologist to give advice is to put myself in situations with sick people or make myself sick. I cant imagine anything worse. I know it's sad but it feels like life or death
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you are able to spend a few days in bed on your tod then you really don't need to take tamiflu. It's only really for people who need to get back to work or to kill it off quickly so they don't spread germs round for any longer than they already have.

    If you get ill, stay in, drink fluids and you'll get over it, no magic drugs required.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you are able to spend a few days in bed on your tod then you really don't need to take tamiflu. It's only really for people who need to get back to work or to kill it off quickly so they don't spread germs round for any longer than they already have.

    If you get ill, stay in, drink fluids and you'll get over it, no magic drugs required.

    that's what I'm counting on :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Im definetly Not goin to take tamiflu if I get swine flu. I hate the thought of being sick let alone actually being sick.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    chances are you might not even realise you've had swine flu and you'll only get it mildly so i'd try not to worry too much.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I did think about it but I cant see myself getting over it. It feels too intensely rooted. The only thing I can think of for a psychologist to give advice is to put myself in situations with sick people or make myself sick. I cant imagine anything worse. I know it's sad but it feels like life or death

    Unfortunately that is pretty much what they do. They call it 'Exposure Therapy', but it consists of basically scaring you until you're not scared any more. I was supposed to have CBT for 6 months to try and get rid of my phobia, but I bailed on it after a few weeks cause I just found it too traumatic. The therapist did admit that it's a tough one to treat because it's so unpredictable. It's not like a fear of heights, where you can go up 2 feet, then 4 feet, then 10 feet, until you feel ok.

    That said, it was technically exposure therapy that got me where I am today (still fairly scared, but nowhere near extremely phobic). I married a man who's really pukey. I started to freak out less about him doing it cause I loved him and wanted to check he was ok. That is slowly leading to me being less scared about me doing it! So there's hope.

    Not that any of this is entirely relevant to the original point of the thread, of course.

    If I were you, unless you were severely ill, I wouldn't take the tamiflu. I've heard mixed reports about its effectiveness, and your body is generally pretty good at fighting its own battles :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Unless you are in an at risk group or have a more severe strain, you won't need to take tamiflu. For most of the cases it is mild, and people don't need tamiflu, even if they do take it, it only reduces the time you are ill on average by a day. So I don't think it'd be stupid not to take it (if you are normally healthy and it's a fairly mild case, as said before).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanks guys :)

    I only panicked because my bestfriend took tamiflu and decided to tell me how she 'couldnt keep anything down'.

    Olive I've thought about having CBT for it but it just seems like such a scary option. A therapist that I was seeing reccomended me to youtube people being sick (eurgh) but even that I cant watch it all the way through. I'm thinking I should seek help for it now. I'm so paranoid when it comes to chicken, I dont eat seafood anymore. If I feel a weeny bit off then I am paranoid about it for days. Even sleeping on the outside of the bed if I do need to run to the loo. I am just so paranoid :( It's great that you feel less phobic about it. I had a minor victory the other week. My boyfriend felt a bit fluey and rather than stay away from him I felt like I really took care of him, was on hand to do nice things a girlfriend should do and also wasn't afraid to go near him :) Wahoo. Small steps I guess.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Try and stop yourself worrying about things that haven't even happened yet and may not even happen at all. Don't get stuck on what ifs, like what if I get swine...what if I have to take tamiflu...what if this makes me sick...etc. because it might never happen! When you think about things, if you find yourself saying 'what if' or words to that effect, just stop yourself right there. I know there's a chance anyone might throw up, but there's no point stressing about a chain of events that hasn't even started. Much easier said then done though I know :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I had a minor victory the other week. My boyfriend felt a bit fluey and rather than stay away from him I felt like I really took care of him, was on hand to do nice things a girlfriend should do and also wasn't afraid to go near him :) Wahoo. Small steps I guess.

    Absolutely.

    It's about knowing what aspects are ok to keep, and what things you have to leave behind. Like, at one point I was eating barely owt, because I was so scared that something, anything, would make me ill. Obviously this isn't a viable long term coping strategy, so I've had to work pretty hard on just sucking it up, and eating. But it's probably ok to always mentally plan your route to the toilet, just in case, or always carry mints. Whatever it is that makes you feel a little better, if it's not harming you, keep it.

    It is absolutely all about baby steps :yes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    lots of people i know have had swine flu and said it wasn't that bad, some of them said they felt worse from normal flu so i wouldn't bother with tamiflu myself coz i haven't got any weaknesses that might make swine flu really dangerous to me...if you get the choice i wouldn't bother with it unless they think it really important you take it for a variety of different reasons - i know some people can have really good reasons for taking it but for me personally no thanks. Does that make me stupid?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've had both swine flu and tamiflu.

    1. I wasn't sick in the slightest. I was eating normally.
    2. The swine flu wasn't too bad - until you tried to do something physical. Then I found I could hardly function as I couldn't get enough oxygen.
    3. The tamiflu is NOT a cure.

    My experience went something like this:

    Saturday = feeling run down. Slept a lot.
    Sunday = feeling more run down. Slept a lot.
    Monday = Walked to work. Was dripping with sweat by the time I got there (it was not warm, and I was in a t-shirt). Went home at lunchtime. Fever.
    Tuesday = Felt ok, bit feverish. Didn't do much, so didn't feel the shortness of breath.
    Weds = Got the Tamiflu. Started getting snotty + coughy. Lack of air in my lung becoming an issue. Kept forgetting, and attempted to wrestle girlfriend. Realised I could hardly breathe, so got my arse kicked.
    Thursday = Was really short of breath. Walking was a chore. Snot central.
    Friday = Cough developed into a horrible hacking cough. More snot. Otherwise, I felt ok. Knackered. Not sleeping due to cough.
    Saturday + Sunday = Still knackered. Shortness of breath lessening.
    Monday = Back to work. A bit short of breath, still snotty + coughing a bit.
    Tuesday through Friday = Gradual lessening of snot and coughing, although there is still some goo up there :D

    Not at any point did I throw up. Best advise is take it VERY easy, physically, for a good 7 days, get a couple of bottles of that hand wash stuff that you rub on your hands. Use it every time you sneeze or cough. My girlfriend, and my two lodgers escaped unharmed due to my vigilant hand washing ;)

    Honestly, I don't know if the Tamiflu made any difference, as I didn't start taking it within the first 48 hours. If anything, all the bad symptoms appeared just as I started taking it :lol:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    hey thanks for that g_angel, settled my mind a bit :) I had a day a few weeks ago of feeling feverish..maybe it was a light bout of it.

    I'm glad you're feeling better too!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Unrelated to the swine flu issue but yes, I also have an insanely intense fear of vomitting... At one point it controlled my life. Now I am on new pill causing nausea and I am a nervous wreck!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Button86 wrote: »
    Unrelated to the swine flu issue but yes, I also have an insanely intense fear of vomitting... At one point it controlled my life. Now I am on new pill causing nausea and I am a nervous wreck!!

    jeeeeeez, you are so brave!! is this what you have to take as part of your therapy?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No it is my birth control pill. My understanding is that it will calm down.

    I empathise with you on the Emetophobia... As a sufferer myself, I can totally identify with how you must feel.

    Rescue Remedy is my saviour! Give it a go!
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