Being around my niece makes me feel sick?

[pigsquiggle]

I've always had problems with children. They've always made me feel so grim and itchy, especially toddlers. This didn't bother me much until my sister had a baby. At first it was fine, no problems, thought she was the cutest baby ever. Now she is 1 and a half and she's always round my house because my sister works at my house. I can't eat because of this baby. If in the morning, I come down stairs and she's in there or has been, I gag and retch. It completely puts me off my appetite. I thought about a possible gall bladder issue but I doubt this (unlike me lol) since it doesn't happen when she is not there. It's become so bad and I get frustrated and snap at my family because of this anxiety. I'm not sure if it is a relationship with food or not as anything slightly icky, any weird smell can make me gag too. It's just especially when my niece is around. A few weeks ago she came up to me, and I was eating breakfast, she came up to me and she had a kinda peeling film on her face. Couldn't eat my sandwich after that.

I hate it, I don't want my family to hate me because I can't bare to be around her. I want to be involved in her life when she is growing up.

I think I might mention that I used to scrub and steam clean my house after any baby entered, so they didn't leave any traces of contamination in my room. I've also obsessed countless amounts of time that I was a paedophile, but I think it was POCD. I could never dream of harming a child, thoughts of child abuse make me sick.

Why am I feeling so icky and what can I do to stop this?

[Anne1221]

It will get better as she gets a little older but try your best to separate yourself from her when you're eating. See if you can find something she likes to do that you like too, such as read her a book, watch a show together, but don't worry, once she can talk a little and become a 'little person' it will be better.

[The Intolerable Kid]

Children interact with other children at school, during play dates, etc. They are covered in pathogens. I make sure to avoid all contact with my brother's kids during Xmas (the only time of year I see them). Don't feel bad about it, many people find kids infectious, revolting and irritating.

[Nowuccas]

Hey pigsquiggle,

A previous post follows:

MYSOPHOBIA - GERMOPHOBIA: An effective form of "talk therapy" such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy will get you to challenge the way that you have been thinking, which is, to some extent, erroneous. Tests have shown (and confirmed on Mythbusters) that fecal coliforms are on most surfaces, far from toilets, carried on tiny water droplets created in flushing (put the lid down, to minimise it). High sources of microbial contamination, often overlooked, are:
(1.) Supermarket trolley handles.
(2.) ATM keypads.
(3.) Computer keys.
Highest levels of bacteria are usually in the kitchen sink. View: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/02/26/how-to-keep-your-home-clean-naturally.aspx Exposure therapy, or immersion therapy may be even more effective.

Books: The Fear of Contamination: Assessment and Treatment (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Science and Practice) by Stanley Rachman, & If Germs Could Talk - The Other Side of the Story - Don't let your fear of germs ruin your life. Eye opening info like never before! (Kindle) by Dr. Cory Altabet, & Confronting the Bully of OCD: Winning Back Our Freedom One Day at a Time by Linda Maran, & Anxiety, Phobias, & Panic: A Step-by-Step Program for Regaining Control of Your Life by Reneau Z. Peurifoy, & The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Fourth Edition by Edmund J. Bourne, & *The Tapping Cure: A Revolutionary System for Rapid Relief from Phobias, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and More by Roberta Temes Ph.D., & Triumph Over Fear: A Book of Help and Hope for People with Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Phobias by Jerilyn Ross, from your bookstore, Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com. Check out: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=germ+phobia for media specifically about mysphobia/germophobia.

Practise a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-stress.html or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody/a/Meditation.htm or http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate or the Yoga Nidra, (a series of easy mental exercises, only; no flexibility required) at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34171-Questions-relating-to-troubles-with-meditation&p=224951#post224951
Employ the acupressure technique; EFT* (there is also a version for use in public) for which you can reasonably claim that you have a headache, as you employ the acupressure massage/tapping on your temples, but it may be advisable to restrict yourself to subvocalising (saying it to yourself, in your mind; not aloud). "Even though I suffer from mysophobia/germophobia, I deeply and completely accept myself". Free from: http://www.mercola.com searchbar: "EFT", & "EFT therapists", or www.emofree.com - http://www.emofree.com/freevideos.aspx has one for phobias, or www.tapping.com or www.eftuniverse.com or YouTube EFT. Professionally instructed EFT is probably best.

Phobia is addressed at: http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/v.html and view pages 1, and i, about anxiety. 85% of people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either preferably seek professional hypnotherapy, or, if not an option hypnotictapes.com has one about overcoming fear of germs, or asktheinternettherapist.com has a CD on overcoming fears and phobias. Join a support group, such as www.dailystrength.org and Google other/ newer ones. Avoid antibacterial chemicals; they actually breed supergerms, which evolve resistance through natural selection. If you want to boost your immune system, (which is a far more efficient approach than trying to avoid germs) see: http://alternative-health.weebly.com/homemade-antiviral-antibacterial--antifungal-product.html

[pigsquiggle]

Thankyou everyone for your suggestions.