There are three known versions of emetophobia:
They are often combined and the most common combination is fear of both vomiting yourself and being near others doing it. Also, the grade of severity seems to be different for us as well as vary all through life.
Some of us are mild sufferers and manage to go through life not having to let others know about our embarrassing condition, living just like anybody else. Others are middle or over the top severe sufferers. Most of those who suffer from emetophobia often depend on prescribed medication to make it through each and every day, medication that sometimes does not work properly or, even worse, has sickness as a side effect.
The result is often devastating and the lack of knowlegde still seems to be immense. Emetophobics are often misdiagnosed with eating disorders, which is only one of all the possible outcomes of having this phobia, and that also has a completely different cause and problem. Our problem is that we are afraid of being sick, and should be treated that way.
OCD and social phobia are also outcomes of emetophobia. Severe sufferers can become completely disabled in everyday life, not managing to work or go to school. Many of us have had it as long as we can remember, for seemingly no reason at all and with loving backgrounds, which means that children can also be emetophobics. Some report that they were as young as only two or three years old when they had their first memories of this fear. The most concerning part of this is that many young emetophobics report that they have noone to trust their already embarrassing torment, not even their own family that really are the ones that should support them. As we all know, at a vulnerable age, this can lead to self destructive behaviour.
Raising a family can be a nightmare for adult emetophobics. The shame of not being able to take care of vomiting kids is unbearable. A simple stomach flu, that really everyone catches once in a while, is literary mayhem for us. Then imagine having that in your own home, the only safe place you have, with the people you love the most in life. But even many in close relationships report that they lack understanding from their partners or family members. They are being completely misunderstood as selfish or only feeling sorry for themselves — a tough doom when you hate your fear more than anything and would do anything to get rid of it.
If your child or family member lets you know that they have emetophobia listen and support them. It’s not your fault, or anyones fault. It’s a severe clinical condition and there are possibly hundreds of millions suffering from it. We do not want you to feel sorry for us, we just want your support.
One form of emetephobia treatment is to understand the psychology of fear. Fear is our most basic and primitive survival instinct, having a fight or flight behaviour kicking in, which means that emetophobics somehow associate vomiting with dying. Ironically most of us would rather die than to vomit. And that’s the downward spiral, that sometimes is so difficult to avoid. The threat that we want to escape from exists inside of us, and even worse, it’s increased by our own anxiety.
Even more ironically, most of us rarely come in real contact with our fear; we just escape into panic instead. Become a scientist. When you experience even the least anxiety, take control. For example, when you read about others having a stomach flu on Facebook, take a minute, sit back and listen to your body reactions. How do they feel? Does your heart pound? Feel it. You are perfectly safe where you are right now. The threat isn’t real. It’s just a body reaction produced by chemicals in your brain.
You can use everyday situations like this for emetophobia treatment and training in coming in contact with your fear. Somehow, coming in contact with the fear creates a distance to it. But make sure you are the one in control. Remember that vomiting is extremely traumatic to us. Be proud of any babysteps, whether you are in a professional help program or not.
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