What is it?What is it?
Emetophobia is a condition that is not widely diagnosed even though it is a fairly prevalent anxiety disorder. Furthermore, despite being a common anxiety disorder, not a lot is known about how many people it effects. What is known, however, is that more women have a fear of vomiting than men. An estimated 1.7-3.1% of males and 6-7% of females experience emetophobia.
Those with emetophobia have a fear of vomiting or seeing others being sick. They may also fear the feeling of being out of control while they are being sick or fear being sick in public which can trigger avoidance behaviours.
Emetophobia varies enormously in how it effects suffers; most worry excessively about being sick even though they are less likely than the general population to be sick because of all the steps they take to avoid being ill. For instance, suffers may be unable to leave home if there are any tummy bugs going around and they will avoid family and friends who have an illness. This can present quite a dilemma for mothers who can experience extreme panic if their child is ill and will feel terrified if they are actually sick. Many sufferers will also have a strict diet which is free from anything that might cause a stomach upset and some will avoid medications which list nausea as a side-effect. Many women will also dread the thought of being pregnant because of concerns about coping with ‘morning-sickness’.
How we can help
Anxiety UK is a user-led charity with more than forty years experience in supporting those living with anxiety. By becoming a member of Anxiety UK, you will have access to a range of benefits, including:
- Access to reduced cost therapy within two weeks of submitting your therapy request
- Access to our helpline (available Monday-Friday, 9:30 am – 5:30 pm) staffed by volunteers with personal experience of anxiety
- Receipt of four issues of Anxious Times, our quarterly members” magazine
- Access to the members only section of our website, featuring regular support surgeries facilitated by anxiety experts
- Access to specialist helplines, including the psychiatric pharmacy helpline and the psychology information helpline
And many, many other benefits that will help you manage your anxiety long term. To become a member of Anxiety UK click here or ring 08444 775 774 today.
Want to know more?
The Anxiety UK site has information on a range of resources to provide more detailed information and help.
Recommended reading
Living with Emetophobia is available to purchase from the Anxiety UK online shop. To find out more please click here.
Emetophobia, the extreme fear of vomiting, can affect just about every aspect of sufferer’s life, from everyday considerations (‘what food will be “safe” for me to eat?’) to matters that involve making huge, potentially devastating decisions (‘I can’t have this baby, I can’t face morning sickness’). Nicolette Heaton-Harris has first-hand experience of the phobia and its effects. She suggests strategies for coping with the high levels of anxiety that are intrinsic to the phobia, as well as pre-empting and avoiding anxiety attacks.
Louise, Anxiety UK member
Anxiety UK published a fact sheet, CD and audio tape which deals with Emetophobia and is available by clicking here.
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Personal experience
Do you suffer from emetophobia and want to share your experience with other people? Post your personal experience in the comments box below where it will be sent to our moderator for approval. Many people find this part of the site very useful when trying to understand their disorder so your comments really do make a difference. Please note, all comments submitted to the Anxiety UK website may be used by Anxiety UK for (but not limited to) publicity and promotional material.
I am 16, and god knows how long i have suffered this, but recently i got really drunk, and the next day was violently ill.
After the experience i now am not worried by vomit at all! I think the reason i was emetaphobic was due to having asthma when i was younger and the hospital i was in overdosed me on the nebulizer causing violent sickness and havent been sick since and had forgotten what it was like.
Also after reading all the comments above i notice a lot of people being afraid of people being sick when you are out drinking, i found that when i was out drinking even when i was emetaphobic i would actually sit with people who were ill and even hold their hair and wipe their face etc.
I think my life has really changed now! :)
This is fantastic for you. However, I’ve had 2 bugs this year and they’ve made things so much worse. Congratulations on overcoming you’re fear, I just hope something helps me soon! x
I’m 19 and I’ve suffered with this phobia since I was 3. I’ve had a really bad week this week. Sometimes I find this fear so hard to cope with I actually really don’t see the point in even trying to stop it cos i’m not strong enough to beat it. I’m so scared of everything and I hate it. Does anyone know anything that gets rid of it? Nothing I’ve done has even made a dent in this stupid fear. I really hate it.
I have suffered with this phobia for many years, but have gained confidence to live with it because of yoghurt. In the early 1970′s, when yoghurt first became popular, a dairy owner told my father that yoghurt prevented stomach bugs. I of course latched on to this, and started to eat yoghurt regularly. I worked in an office for many years, where colleagues would catch various bugs and often come back to work too early; I use public transport, and I come into close contact with many people socially and through voluntary work, but I have not caught a bug or been sick since 1971. I do take other precautions – washing my hands before eating, and using an antiseptic gel if I can’t get to water and soap, but I do attribute my avoidance of illness to eating yoghurt. I have a bottle of Actimel every morning, and a yoghurt during the day. There is no scientific evidence that it works, I haven’t lost the phobia, but I can now live with it. Something else which I haven’t tried but have read about is pro-biotic tablets, which I have read as being recommended for people travelling to hot places abroad. I believe they are available at pharmacies, and might be worth exploring. I do hope that you find a solution – I know what a debilitating thing it can be.
I’m 21, and I feel like all of you.. And I feel so stupid and its ruining my life! Every time I eat out I check the food, constantly checking dates on food and drinks. I’d love to find a cure for it. Every time I feel sick I start to have panic attacks and just break down. Its awful. I’m constantly washing my hands too and always using the alcohol gel for hands. I cant be around anyone that has a bug or is sick to even see or smell it makes me feel sick.
I’m also glad to know I’m not the only one.
I have read all the comments left above and wanted to say that I understand as I have been an emetophobe now for going on 14 years. I understand how debilitating this phobia can be and how it can take over you life. At the beginning of this year I decided enough was enough and that I needed to get some help. I am now on my 3rd month of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and it is working wonders!
I know many people do not want to get help as it means confronting their worst fears and I used to feel this way. In my first couple of sessions all we did was talk about my problems and my behaviours. After a while we started to write down some associated words and stick drawings and we have just gone from there!
I am much more confident and I no longer suffer from acis reflux which is amazing. The mind is a powerful thing, but you are stronger. Please please do not let this horrible phobia take over your life. There is help out there and people who understand. Find a therapy that works for you (as everyone is different), It may be a little expensive but it is worth giving up some luxuries. Research your therapist/therapy and make sure they do NOT use flooding (high anxiety technique). Go slow and steady and you can get there. Dont give up hope and dont think that you cant do something about it. There are recovering emetophobes out there and someday soon (I dont care how long it takes) I am going to be one aswell.
Hi! Im 24 and i find this phobia very hard to deal with at times! I wouldnt wish this phobia on anybody but reading all ur comments makes me feel better! Knowing im not the only one goin through this is such a relief! I often feel very alone and silly at times just cos of the way this phobia makes me feel! I would like to get to know people who understand my phobia cos i think talking about it will really help! x
Hi, I’m not sure if this message will work, this page is confusing me! I’m 21 and I’ve had this phobia as long as I can remember. I get so isolated sometimes because of it, and it restricts my life so much. I have always found that talking helps, but most people don’t understand and just give me platitudes. I’d love to have someone to talk to who really knows where I’m coming from.
Hi all, I’m also suffering with this. I’ve missed so many days off work because of sickness but I’m sure most of the time it’s the anxiety and fear of getting sick at work that makes me feel unwell and then I miss work. Today I was at work and heard that someone I had been in a meeting with yesterday had called in sick with a sickness diahoreah bug today, and immediately I started panicking that I would get it and that I didn’t feel very well. I ended up coming home, kept feeling like I would throw up, had a slight bout of diahoreah but after a couple of hours I started to feel ok again – was this just me getting myself into a state? Could that really cause me to have an upset stomach and feel like I could almost be sick?
This illness is taking over my life, I feel awful and hate to put my partner through it all. Please can anyone advise? I’ve had CBT and hypnotherapy in the past for anxiety and health phobias and neither was helpful – is it worth trying a different hypnotherapist?? I never seem to find it very helpful :-(
Hi, I understand all of your problems I am exactly the same and I now how scary i really is! I wake up everyday in fear that I am going to vomit and avoid foods that are not safe! I seriously dont know what to do? is there actually a cure? because we all need it so badly. when it actually does to come to me feeling sick i rub my belly, make sure im sat with someone, and drink alot of water incase something comes up! and suck on a int to get the taste out but none of it helps. i never used to have this phobia until i had a stomach bug at the age of 7 and after that i was paranoid and afraid EVERYDAY! I am going to portugal in july and i am very excited but also very afraid, of the foods, travelling, bugs germs.. please everyone feel free to leave comments i love reading about them to know im not the only one and if anyone does find a cure, please tell!!!!!
I’m an emetophobe too.
I have lived with the condition for over 10 years; I am a man of 20 and should be living my life as I acknowledge how short it is in the grand scheme of things – but all I can think about is catching some kind of infection that will make me sick. My phobia lay dormant until two months ago when I caught a bug which made me violently ill; the bug spread throughout my house and my parents got it too. Ever since I have had problems with stomach acid which makes me nauseous and have to take omeprazole every day to keep it in check.
The doctors don’t know about my anxiety and I’m terrified to tell them because I want to serve in the military or the police force and if they see anti-depressants or something like that on my medical record I’ll have no chance. I, like so many of you here am constantly plagued by overwhelming fear of catching that horrible infection again or something else that might cause sickness, every single day I’m thinking about it. I’ve lost a lot of weight through not being able to eat properly and I can’t concentrate on my job because of this.
I’ve had 2 anxiety attacks in which I think I’m going to be sick and get terrible stomach cramps and I panic and take domperidone even for the slightest twinge. I worried I’ll get addicted to them.
Although it saddens me to see so many of you suffering like I am, I am comforted to know I’m not alone with this. I just don’t know how I’m going to get over the anxiety without the help of the doctor.
I also suffer from this phobia. It’s awful.
Because of this phobia, I’ve developed Agoraphobia. Since throwing up in the town on my way to a job interview, I’ve not been out since.
Apart from short trips down the road.
But whenever I do go out, I’m petrified that I’ll be sick in public.
It’s ruined my life.
My friends don’t come see me anymore.
I get worried when they do come over incase I’m sick infront of them.
I can’t be around anyone who says they feel sick. I can’t watch it on tv.
I’m 21, I should be working and enjoying my life.
Instead my dad has to take care of me. Whenever I go out, I panic in fear I’m going to throw up.
I’m going to try hypnotherapy. But if that doesn’t work, then I don’t know what I’m going to do.
I wish I could afford proper help.
I know how you feel. Because of vomit phobia I have become agoraphobic aswell and haven’t left the house in 7 months.
I’m 20 and have lost my friends and my life because of this phobia. I can’t work, eating is a nightmare as is life in general because of the constant fear that I or someone around me will be sick.
I hope the hynotherapy works, let me know how it goes. Good luck.
I feel exactly the same. Sometimes it takes over my life so much and I just wish I had someone to talk to who understands. My boyfriend pretends he does as long as it doesn’t affect his life, but when I have to ask him not to get drunk around me or do things that I associate with getting sick he’s often not willing to compromise. I don’t want to let this thing rule my life but I’m not strong enough to deal with it by myself and noone else understands. They just think I’m making a fuss and tell me that noone likes sick, but for me its not like that. I’ve had the phobia for as long as I can remember, and it takes over my life and I hate it.
i wish there was a cure for it, i hate being this way and i’m sure everyone else does its so difficult x
Having lived with an emetophobia sufferer for a long time. I have seen first hand how devastating this phobia can be to live with. To a non sufferer of emetophobia, who knows nothing of this phobia, I have seen they cannot usually relate or understand what the emetophobic person is going through. Simply because the emetophobia sufferer will often show symptoms of their phobia, even when there is no possible threat of themselves or anyone else vomiting. This is why you will often here people who do not understand this phobia say things like \get a grip of yourself\ or \pull yourself together, there’s nothing wrong with you\. Which obviously does not help the emetophobic person.
As there is little research to date on this phobia. Websites like this, plus forums dealing with emetophobia, can only help in bringing awareness to this very common phobia.
- Paul
I have a very vivid memory of an occasion when I was at infant school when I was sick. I still have flash backs from this. And can describe the event in minute detail! I want to say that day was the day that I first developed my phobia. Since then it is something I think about on a daily basis. I avoid anything that is associated with sick, or which I think will make me sick. I avoid alcohol, fair ground rides, food that is past its sell by date, and I never eat chicken in a restaurant. I hate sitting in the back of cars, just in case I feel sick, and I avoid people if I know they have a stomach bug. Going to a club or bar, also raises my anxiety levels, as I know that other people may be so drunk they will be sick. I had to miss a close friend’s 21st birthday party, as they were all travelling up in a limo, and I was scared that one of them would be so drunk they would be sick on the way back. I haven’t physically been sick since that day in infant school, and I think that may also be a reason why I can’t cope with it. This phobia affects me daily. I had an incident recently, where my reaction to sick left me feeling totally ashamed, and distraught. My 3 year old cousin was unexpectedly sick in my bedroom. My first reaction was to leave the room. Looking back on the situation I was more concerned about myself than my cousin, who should have been the priority. I now am anxious about seeing him again, for fear of a repeat performance. I can’t live my life being afraid of even seeing my family! Another incident recently was when my 80 year old grandmother was choking at the dinner table. Again due to my fear that she was going to be sick, I left the room. Luckily my family were there. What if they hadn’t been? Would I just have left her to choke?? I’d like to say I would have been brave enough to stay, but I know this isn’t the case. I am currently a Primary School Teacher, and my phobia has started to affect my job. If a child is coughing in my class my anxiety level rises, and I immediately think they may be sick. If a child looks like they are about to be sick my body reacts before my brain. I can hot, sticky, my heart beats quickens, and I get shaky. I then leave. The reaction to move is instantaneous, my body just wants to get away from the situation. To get to the staff toilets you have to pass the medical room, where children sit outside with a bucket if they are feeling sick. I once had to stay in the toilets as there was a child being sick in the corridor. How can I call myself a responsible teacher if I can’t deal with an ill child? I fear assemblies, due to the large amount of children in a small space. And I always make sure that I am near a door so that I can escape. That is something else that I do. Whenever I am in a room with lots of people, like a cinema or theatre, I always make sure I know where the exits are so that I can escape. I hate siting in the middle of a line because I know I won’t be able to get out of the row easily. If I feel that I wouldn’t be able to escape my anxiety level rises, sometimes to the point of near black out. I have had CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) to help deal with my phobia. Although I feel this has actually made me even more aware of my phobia. The therapist made me understand how I should be dealing with it. But I still can’t. My phobia takes over me, and I don’t think. I am fed up of living in fear.
I am so glad I found this website……I had no idea my phobia of sick and being sick had an actual name or anything. I am 20 and I have had vomit phobia for as long as I can remember. It has gradually got worse as I have got older and now I am completely agoraphobic. I can’t go outside because I’m afraid of being sick away from my home or that I will see someone else be sick. I can’t even listen to people cough as I think that they may be sick and just cover my ears really tightly. It’s made me fearful of what I eat and I worry 24/7 about being sick or feeling sick. I’m really paranoid about germs and catching bugs and stuff and totally freak out if there’s some sort of epidemic like the E.Coli outbreak for example. If I ever see someone being sick or I am sick the images stay with me and continue to affect me for years after. I just don’t know how I’m going to get over this as It’s consumed me for so long.
like you im also afraid of being sick and have been ever since i can remember, it got to a stage in my life where i felt like i couldnt even belch as i thought i would be sick which stopped me going out in public. i felt like my life was coming to an end as i couldnt be in public, travel o transport or have a normal teenage life and go out with my friends, in the end i ended up getting a cognitive behavioural therapist as i wanted to go on holiday but realised i needed help before i could. since then ive managed to be in public and around people in busy places, (i even work in a late opening pub, which gets really busy) my therapist got her friend to pretend to be sick which at the time i didnt realise she was pretending, she used pot noodle and made gipping sounds, at that point in time i realised other people being sick isnt so bad, although when i think about others being sick and myself a surge of panic still runs through me, i ill probarly have the phobia for life but its jus the way we deal with it.
Hi i am 17 years old and have recently just started having a fear of being sick and its really affecting me badly because i love my food and now i can hardly eat every mouthful i take i just start to feel sick and worry that i might choke if it comes back up but funny enough i haven’t been sick and i am using hand sanitizer to make sure my hands are clean at all times i can hardly sleep also i do not want to wake up when i finally sleep because i know that i have to go through this every single day and i am struggling to cope i need help so much and i don’t no what to do because my mum doesn’t understand what i am going through, i am shocked to see how many people are going through the same thing and it would be great to chat to other people about this for support.
Hey Fiona,
It is the most horrible thing to have to deal with everyday, i’m the same. Eating is a nightmare and i’m the same I hate waking up knowing I have to go through the day with this intense fear. But you are not alone and there is a way through this somehow. I’m still searching for the answer but i’m not giving up. I’m on the waiting list for psychotherapy so hopefully it’ll help when I do get it.
The best thing to do is to go to your doctor and start from there. If you need to chat or whatever then feel free.
Good luck.
its getting really bad now i can’t sleep in the same bed as anyone because i am scared that i am going to throw up but the thing is i never throw up since ive had this fear but my mind cannot seem to register the fact that i wont throw up, i am going to see my doctor soon because i need help its really depressing me now, i’ve lost loads of weight to and its not good because my weight started off as 7st 5 now its 6st 12….i hope your dealing with the problem better than i am x
Hi Fiona,
Have you tried your GP for access to IAPT services on the NHS? They are supposed to be very quick access and could provide you with the support you need. It must be really difficult if you feel you are struggling on your own with this all the time.
Best wishes
Cat (Anxiety UK)
I recently have lost 95 pounds and all of the sudden since a friend of mine has gotten sick with vomiting it triggered a fear in me. I once three years ago had a bad experience with vomiting but now that I am a lot healthier I worry that I won’t make it through the day without some sort of stomach problems. It’s a pain. I try to visualize and try self talk but I have a constant fear. I hadn’t even given this a thought until this friend kept texting me every time he threw up. Now it’s my biggest fear!!!.
Help.
I have been suffering from this for nearly 3 years and it started from a family member having the sickness bug and me thinking i also had it. I have not been sick for many years and have always being scared of it. At the beginning, I didn’t go to the cinema, out for meals or anything like that due to the fear of being sick whilst out. Over the years i have forced myself to do alot of things, i have just recently returned from London for my birthday and only had one let down which was minor. I used to feel worse on the train going to University, but i forced myself everyday to get on it, sometimes with the help of my friend. I made my close friends at uni aware of my situation and all my lecturers so they knew if i left the room for whatever reason. My phobia hasn’t completely disappeared, it is still there niggling at the back of my mind constantly, but somehow i have started to “keep them quiet”. I can’t remember what it was like to feel ‘normal’, but have just started Computer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, so hopefully, i will be able to overcome. It doesn’t happen over night and you have to be determined to push yourself past your normal boundaries.
Lauren
I have just gotten out of bed now because i am so scared of being sick after i have eaten something it’s getting so bad i feel like crying, i am only 17 i shouldn’t be suffering with this. it has totally ruined my life, my eating has suffered also my weight has gone down, i am terrified of getting a stomach bug so i don’t have personal contact with anyone, i won’t even go near my 2year old niece and i hate it, also my family does not understand it at all i really need help but i cannot afford these therapy classes, i could honestly cry right now.
Hi Fiona , I am so very sorry you’re suffering so much. It is a dreadful phobia to deal with. I used to quite bad with it too. I now only really suffer when i feel unwell in case it happens. I am now really more agoraphobic than emetophobic. I hate the nausea and definately don’t want to throw .I don’t throw up i have a cast iron stomach. I realized that i have had a lot of pain which is what made me feel sick and believe it or not this has had a positive effect .This i learned by having the pain and feeling like being sick but not actually doing so has made me feel better about it. I still don’t want to though. I am waiting for treatment for the agoraphobia and the emetophobia.
I can honestly say that this phobia is not only embarrassing but totally demoralizing. You’re right people don’t understand . They just say ‘no one likes being sick’! Hope you are feeling a bit better.x
hi, after reading these comments, its made me feel alot better. i thought i was the only person who worried about being sick. i fear going out incase i do catch a bug, i really hate gong to places like the doctors and hospitals. it started when i was 12 and i caught a stomach bug, since then i have not dared eat spaggetti bolagnese because i associate it with being sick. i won’t eat anything from bbq’s, i wont eat chicken and im wary about other meats. its ruling my life, ive always been thin but because of my fear ive lost over a stone. im not so bad about other people being sick, just me. im only 16 and im doing hairdressing which means being n contact with alot of different people, im dreading starting my course incase i do catch something. 1 of my friends got pregnant and suffered with really bad morning sickness, ever since then it has played on my mind that if i get pregnant, im going to be the same .i just wish there was something that could help me get over it.
katy x
Hi fiona, I understan what your going through because I am only 15 and you right it is horrible..i can never sleep because of this! and oh im gonna have to be honest here but if you go to a doctor they will not cure your emetophobia all they will tell you is to relax next time you feel sick and give you anti-depresant tablets. I searched all over the internet but all I can find is hypnotheraphy, but to be honest i dont see how that can work! me and you are only young girls we should out enjoying life not living in fear every single day:/..x
hey fellow phobics.iv suffered with this phobia ever since havin my son.it takes over my life n i dnt think anybody understands it unless their goin thru it themselves.it consumes my every hour of every day.i want sumbody 2 invent a tablet that makes it dissappear so i can start enjoyin my sons childhood instead of missin it all thru my own stupid fear.
Hi everyone, I have not ever received a treatment that has worked in all the time i have been emetophobic.I was 16 when i became phobic.I’m now 45! It has been really hard to deal with and especially when no one seems to understand . I feel i have come along way (no thanks to therapy!) but i still have not cracked it completely. I can’t work because of it and also the agoraphobic side of it. I study with the Open University because going to Uni would be a nightmare!
As mentioned in my other post iam awaiting treatment and i don’t really know why i keep trying when all they do is offer CBT and teach you how to relax! I can rationalize this fear but it doesn’t go away ! I get the feeling most of these people don’t really know what to do with emetophobia and don’t listen! Sorry it’s not much help!
I am 62 years old and have had this phobia since I was 6 when a child in my class was violently sick near me. I have tried very hard to control the feelings and am so very grateful to my husband who has helped and supported me throughout our married life. It was him that always looked after our children if they were ill. Now it looks as though my grand daughter of 10 has developed the same phobia and it is so very sad to think she will have to go through what I have, especially as her parents don’t have the same sympathy as I received from my family. I only wish there was some way of curing this very debilitating problem.
Hey i’m starting to feel better everyday and even eating more and the only thing i have been doing is ignoring feeling sick because it might feel so bad but when i start doing something else it goes away and its really working for me it took awhile to convince my mind to ignore the feeling but here i am now feeling good
Glad your feeling a bit better. You seem to be on the right track. I must admit that i had to start by drinking complan when i felt really terrible with the pain and felt like being sick.I found it does help to do this as it gives your stomach something to work on and therefore makes you feel better. Well , that’s what i did ! It’s not easy at first is it? You keep going and hopefully you will get there and feel like your old self again. Good luck .Well done so far.x
i am a 12 year old girl and i think i’ve got mild emetophobia,
i feel uneasy and i feel sick when an other person is sick, and i really hate and avoid being sick.
is this just normal or is it emetophobia?
Hi Olivia , it’s really hard to say exactly if you have mild emetophobia . Are you frightened when other people are sick or avoid them? A lot of people hate being sick and seeing others being sick and they’re not emetophobic. No one i know likes being sick and generally don’t wish to do so but with emetophobia we will do all we can to avoid it – great extremes sometimes ! There is the fear and / or panic which can develop because of it . Do you have any kinds of anxiety / panicky feelings when you feel sick and absolutely dread it ? If you do then yes , emetophobia is there . If so , talk to someone about it .I know that’s hard and you might feel embarrassed but in the long run it could save you years of suffering. Can you talk to a parent ? Would it be possible to see your GP and hopefully get some help asap .You are very young and therefore i think it’s important to get help before it gets worse.
Hope i have been some help to you! All the best to you.x
Hi Everyone, I’ve been suffering with this for probably 8 or 9 years now, although it’s only recently that I realised that I’m emetophobic. It started with constant indigestion which I had every test under the sun for and the end result was..yup stress, and was subscribed anti depressants (which I didn’t take as they made me too drowsy to work) I spent the last 6 or so years taking gaviscon and bisodol which I still do to this day. Unfortunately this gave me a false sense of security as subconsciously I thought it was stopping me from being sick, which I wasn’t until 3 years ago when I got food poisoning in Portugal. Ever since I have struggled to travel till the point I can barely go 10 miles down the road, and I insist on driving.My poor wife tries to understand but it’s really starting to frustrate her the lack of travel/holidays. This damned thing is controlling my life and I’m just so sick and tired of it all. I had some counselling when I saw my GP and all she did was try to discover a ‘root’ to the problem but never offered any practical help. Sorry to rant on but it’s nice to get it off my chest! Glad I’m not alone :-)