Emetophobia

Hi, I’m Megan, and I have Emetophobia. It’s a sort of odd cycle. I get anxious because I’m afraid of vomiting, and then the anxiety causes me to vomit. It makes me afraid to eat, or leave my house. I stay home from school a lot, especially when I’ve heard that the stomach flu is going around. It sucks. Can anybody else relate?

[Hidden]

Hello Megan, I can kind of relate, but in a different way. My anxiety causes me to want to throw up in fear(say I have to present a project). Basically, try to change your way you think about it. How old are you btw? I'm sure you'll benefit from this

beyondocd.org/expert-perspe...

Vomit Phobia - Fear of Vomiting (Emetophobia) - Beyond OCD

[Hidden]

Hi there Hidden , I know I responded to you in a post I wrote about Emetophobia which I had suffered with when I was younger, I then had a period of quite a few years when I was absolutely fine and this was down to Hypnotherapy that I had, that worked really well and being around tummy bugs etc didn't bother me at all.

I actually had a tummy bug in December 2016, before the phobia came back, and wasn't bothered by it at all. Yes I felt awful but it was over in a few hours and I was as bright as a button a day later.

Fast forward a few years and to 2017 where I was bullied by the person I worked for and the Emetophobia came flying back. I was in an awful state and couldn't stop worrying about catching a tummy bug then of course Winter came and my phobia was at its worse because of course that's known as the vomiting season. I started CBT back in October and didn't think it was working. I got food poisoning on 22 November last year (I had a ready prepared veg pot for lunch) and was doubled over in pain that very same day but put it down to a severe case of IBS. What I didn't realise was that the pot had rice in it but it wasn't until my doctor asked if it had rice in it did I actually look at the pot. I'm still not completely over it and had a Colonoscopy on Tuesday which was clear; I have an Ultrasound on 19 March.

During the time I've been poorly I've had a lot of nausea and funnily enough it's not really bothering me anymore and I've realised that my fear is going. Where before I was thinking of sickness most of my waking hours, I rarely think of it now. A test for me this week was that a colleague sat next to me and said she felt sick; I asked if her coffee was caffeinated and she said yes, I said it was probably the coffee - caffeine makes me nauseous. A few months back I would have almost run a mile; I would certainly have tried to get away from her but I didn't even think about doing that.

I don't know if you've thought of CBT before but it's certainly working for me.

Here is a list from the link that Hidden has kindly provided and I have emboldened the ones that relate to the what I was doing:

Symptoms of Vomit Phobia

Avoidance of foods or smells associated with past vomiting episodes.

Avoidance of germs, hospitals, and sick people.

Holding one’s breath when around other people.

Refusing to shake hands with others.

Avoidance of garbage and other foul-smelling or dirty things.

Excessive handwashing or bathing.

Excessive use of vitamins.

Excessive cleaning of foods.

Excessive cleaning of food prep surfaces.

Avoidance of non-packaged foods.

Throwing away food before it has reached its expiration date.

Checking other people for signs of illness.

Excessive smelling and checking of food.

Overcooking food to kill potential pathogens.

Avoidance of eating new foods (or extreme anxiety when eating new foods).

Eating the same (limited) foods over and over again to avoid stomach upset.

Avoidance of foods that look “weird.”

Anorexia, i.e., the complete avoidance of eating or severe restrictions in eating.

Preemptive use of antacids. In my case travel sick tablets

Avoidance of eating foods when away from home.

Checking for the locations of bathrooms (when away from home).

Restricting travel away from home (staying at home, avoiding social activities).

School avoidance or work avoidance.

Taking one’s temperature excessively or monitoring one’s body for other signs of illness (e.g., checking lymph nodes).

Superstitious rituals designed to avoid getting sick.

Only eating foods after other people have already eaten them.

When eating in public, monitoring other people’s reactions to their food.

Excessive concern about non-documented food allergies.

Avoidance of public speaking responsibilities or other situations in which one is the center of attention.

Avoidance of meetings or other situations in which one might feel trapped, or situations in which one could not easily escape if they became ill.

Avoidance of planes, cars, and/or public transportation in order to avoid feeling trapped.

What I have found out since starting CBT is actually changing your thought process, easier said that done I know but you can do it by working at it.

All the very best and you will overcome this, I know you will.