What does having emetophobia entail?

The fear of throwing up. It’s different for every single person but for the most part it’s being scared you’re going to throw up or someone around you will.

Do you know what caused it?

Childhood trauma. Being exposed to it in a very bad way and emotions being high at such a young age. I was personally 6 or 7.

What symptoms do you experience?

Nausea, anxiety, panic, sadness, depression

When did you first start experiencing symptoms?

When i was around 7. It’s gotten worse recently, trying to seek treatment now somehow.

Before you knew of the term “emetophobia”, how did you feel about the symptoms you experienced?

Scared and unsure if i was normal since no one else really cared about it.

When did you realize that you had emetophobia? How did you feel knowing that there was a word for what you had?

I realized in High School that I had it. I did a lot of research and got excited that there was a word for it because that meant other people could relate and i no longer felt alone.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much impact does emetophobia have on your life?

10

How does emetophobia affect your day-to-day life?

Panic attacks, anxiety attacks, feeling like my loved ones are annoyed for experiencing these panic moments around me.

Do you tell people you have emetophobia or is that something that you hope would remain more of a secret?

Both kinda. It feels embarrassing to admit that I have this issue so I just tend to try and ignore people if I get anxious now in public.

What is your general outlook on your condition?

I would rather die then do it

Have there been instances where people disregarded or didn’t take your phobia seriously? Did that take a toll on you? How did/do you deal with it?

Yes, my friends and family thought i was being dramatic about being scared until I ended up having a panic attack in front of them. My friend actually told me last night that no one tells me if they don’t feel well because that means that they would end up having to take care of me. It hit me hard, not in a good way but i mean she’s not wrong.

Have you had any treatment to help? How effective are they?

I can’t seem to swallow a pill that would make me better. I have therapy once a week but I definitely need something else.

Do you have/plan to have kids? If you have kids, how does that influence your experience with emetophobia? If you don’t have kids or plan to, are your reasons related to your emetophobia?

NO CHILDREN.

Have you lost opportunities due to having emetophobia?

Yes, I won’t go out to bars or clubs, i’m too scared to do things in public and or try new foods.

Is there anything that having emetophobia has prevented you from doing that you really wish you could do?

Riding rollercoasters, getting drunk with friends or my boyfriend, eating a meal in a restaurant without looking at reviews.

Does emetophobia affect your mental health?

100%. I think it’s honestly going to cause me to fall into a depression if i don’t do something about it soon.

How did/does emetophobia affect your education?

It doesn’t, I don’t like going to the school I go to out of fear of this happening in public but I go anyways because i have to.

How does emetophobia affect your love life?

My bf is probably really tired of me crying about it and wanting to get better but being too scared to try anything out

How does emetophobia affect other aspects of your life?

It affects almost every aspect of my life.

What are misconceptions about emetophobia?

“No one likes to do it” is what people say but the thing is, we would rather die than do it. Some people bite the bullet and just do it but we can’t.

What do you find is the biggest challenge of living with emetophobia?

Everyday I convince myself i’m sick

What are some “silly” things that your emetophobia has made you do, or some situations you have been in due to your emetophobia?

Ginger chews, overusing dramamine and nauzene, always having ginger tea, smelling peppermint every night, checking expiration dates, looking at reviews online, checking for an exit anywhere, carrying water, the usual

What are things to NOT say or do to people who have emetophobia?

“What’s the worst thing that could happen”

What would you like to say to people who have emetophobia?

I understand and you’re not alone

What would you like to say to parents of people who have emetophobia?

Please don’t ignore them, it’s worse