Phobia Support Group

May I remind you David, this is a support site, seeking remuneration for your help is strictly frowned upon, albeit a testimonial.

disregard my last post, their post has been removed, so mine is out of context.

i have the same fears. i think mine started when i was in the 2nd grade,,i felt nauseous and told my teacher, but she wouldn't let me go see the nurse at first. when she finally did, i was really sick, with a fever too. my mom came to get me and as soon as i got into the house, i threw up.

i'm always afraid to leave my apartment because i'm so afraid of getting sick, or not making it to the restroom and having an accident.

if i start to feel the least bit sick, my mouth starts to water, i can't sit still, and i feel panicky.

((((((hugs))))) i hope we can both overcome this someday.

I am 46 and still have this phobia. It has basically controlled my life and I hate it. I live in fear of vomiting. I literally think about it every day and am always worried. I wish I knew a way out. I've tried therapy. I am considering trying something called "Emotional Freedom Therapy". I wish I had advice for you. I don't have any except that you are not alone and if you can get help do. What a waste of my life, right? This sucks.

Ashling and Athorne- thank you so much for your replies and honesty. i don't think i have ever met anyone who had the same phobia as me. people will tell me they hate vomiting (who doesn't???) but i don't think i've met anyone whose life is as controlled by this fear as mine.... until now :) i'm not sure where my fear started, but i have theories. i was sick as an infant and had to have stomach surgery. i also started having panic attacks at the age of 8, and i remember feeling like i was going to vomit and being very very afraid of that happening. it is such a difficult fear to explain to people, especially because it can manifest in so man different ways- fear of eating out or eating unfamiliar food.... fear of traveling.... fear of being at work or around other people.... i have tried therapy and it really hasn't helped me at all. i have thought about and attacked this phobia from every angle intellectually and logically, and none of that has helped either. my brain is wired to think that vomiting equals death, even though i know logically that that is unlikely. it feels like an unbearable situation. i'd love to hear more from you two!! anything you're willing to share! thank you.

Hi nowgirl,

It does help me to know there are others with this phobia out there. People think it is ridiculous and silly to have a phobia about vomiting. I try to explain it to my husband (who seems to throw up frequently which terrifies me) that the phobia is like someone who is afraid of heights being forced to stand on the ledge of the Empire State Building. I live with that fear constantly. I am afraid to use public restrooms, to eat out, to go to my daughter's school (in the event I might pick up a bug there), to watch tv and movies in the event they might show someone throwing up. It goes on and on. I didn't even want to have kids because I was so terrified of morning sickness. I found out I was pregnant at 40 and thankfully made it through the whole pregnancy without vomiting. I adore my daughter and can't imagine life before her so I am thankful I made it through. However, I am always worried she might throw up. Sometimes I feel insane and like I should be in an institution. I've had tons of therapy and tried all sorts of medications. I wish I knew what to do.

Anyway, sorry to sound so doom and gloom. I just wanted you to know you have company. I hope you find a way out of your phobia. I hate to think of anyone spending so much energy with this fear.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

I can relate to this! I have a specific list of foods that I can and can't eat before a car journey because my sister gets travel sickness from eating those foods.

I can still travel but when I do I'm obsessive about what I eat and drink and it sort of makes the holiday difficult.

The thing I struggle with the most is that when people are sick they mistake my fear for a lack of compassion but I'm just in too much of a state of panic to be able to think about anything else.

Hi there,

I am a parent to a 9 year old daughter who struggles with this fear (emetophobia). It is a very challenging fear to deal with and we struggle as a family trying our best to help her through this. She is in therapy and on meds (they help sometimes) but she thinks about and is fearful everyday of vomiting. It rules her life. She has difficulty going to school, going out to eat, playing with friends- it affects every aspect of her life. When she does get sick (as all children do) it takes months for her to settle back down and have some normalcy in her life again. So, thank you for sharing. I know that you still struggle with this and for that I am sorry to hear, but it also helps me to hear that despite this phobia, you have are able to function as a adult ( a mother and a social worker) as I am fearful of what the future holds for my daughter.