I do not like to vomit. No one does, I guess. What scares me is that if I vomit, that means that I will be "back" where I was 13 years ago, after having my daughter. I had severe postpartum anxiety/depression/panic attacks...and could not keep food down or in. I threw up every day and lost lots of weight. I wish I was not afraid of it though. I guess it's not vomitting that I am afraid of..but where it may lead.
Why are you afraid to vomit? What is the ultimate fear for you?

I think my ultimate fear and why I can't vomit is a fear of choking, losing control, related to my fear of drowning.

I am absolutely terrified to throw up! Its been about 10 years since I have and I'm hoping to make that a much longer record! I can definately relate! Actually when I was like 9 I threw up at a party in front of everyone and I was an absolute nervous wreck for monthes. I was petrified of it happening again. My parents took me to see a therapist and he told me that I should focus on making the best of the situation. He said if I was in class at school I should try to sit next to whomever I disliked the most and then if I had to throw up, I could throw up on them. I know that that scenerio doesnt' exactly work now but I still try to use it :)

it's called emetephobia and it is more common than you think. I have it really bad as well. It's horrible, I know. But everything will be fine.

When I am sick and panicking about throwing up I listen to that Beatles song "Across the Universe" They lyrics that goes "Nothing's gonna change my world" seems to help me a lot.

Throwing up is a natural part of being sick. It's good for you. Better out than in.

I know that doesn't help much, but just keep it in mind.

((hug))

You can always talk to me if you feel that way.

I have it bad as well. And am currently dealing with it because my son who is 6 is home sick from school today. He mostly has a cold but he threw up on the school bus on the way home yesterday afternoon and again last night. I SO don't handle it well because I am afraid that it will make ME sick, either by having to be around him listening, seeing and smelling, or by catching it. I am so deathly afraid of throwing up................... Until last night I didn't even think there was such a thing as a vomit phobia. I just thought I was weird. My family knows how I react and they all say I should just get over it. I have kids, I can't avoid it. It is just so easy to say, get over it. My fiance is the only one who is being supportive of me and not telling me to get over it.

I looked up vomit phobia on the internet last night, not expecting anything to come up and low and behold something did. All the symptoms of vomit phobia, I have when I am faced with it. When someone close to me is sick and I have to be around it, or when my stomach isn't feeling well.

I honestly can't remember when the last time was that I threw up. I try so hard to avoid it. I know I was at least 8 years old the last time I threw up. Maybe even earlier. I just remember not liking it one bit. But anyway, I was THAT young and I am 32 now. I have been sick to my stomach since then but manage NOT to throw up. Luckily I don't catch the flu very easily but it petrifies me. I am afraid to be alone dealing with my son when he is sick. I am afraid to be alone when I feel sick to my stomach. It is debilitating and I hate it. I feel like such a useless mother when my son is sick like that, and I am afraid I would revert back to childishness if I ever threw up. It is hard to describe the fear exactly. Why I have it, I don't know. I have never met another person who deals with it like I do. I really did think I was alone in this. I feel better that I am not crazy but I FEEL crazy when I seem to be losing control of myself when faced with the situation. My fiance is at work today and I am sitting here shaking just THINKING about having to deal with it alone until supper. So far since last night, my son has only been coughing. He is very congested but each time he coughs I tense up thinking that he will throw up because he ends up swallowing so much crud that can upset his tummy. I am a wreck and I hate the feeling.

Leese, you are not alone. I thought I was weird too. People have told me to "get over it" and just puke if I need to, and that if I'm sick, puking will make me "feel better". AAAAAAAAGH!!! I can't even think about it! It is truly a phobia for me. I puked a lot as a child and it scared me, and I think that's where it comes from for me. I hope your son feels better soon and that you're OK too! I know how scary it is.

Oh yes! I have been told so much, "just let yourself. It's helps you feel better." Whatever! lol The last memory of throwing up I have is doing it over and over and wanting to stop. I didn't feel better.

I have something else to say.....
I just talked to my mom on the phone. She is aware that I "freak out" when it comes to anyone around me throwing up or the idea of myself throwing up which is why I hate it so much when others do. That I will end up doing it.

She and my family and others would tell me like SweetGirl11 said, "just let yourself throw up and you will feel better. No one likes to throw up. You need to get used to it."

I told my mother about 20 minutes ago about the phobia and her immediate response was, "there is a phobia for everything. No one likes to throw up." I told her this is BEYOND, not liking it! I read her the symptoms and told her which ones I deal with. She still seems to shrug it off. Like I am overreacting and looking for an excuse to not face it. What do you do when your own family doesn't even think what you are dealing with is a real problem that you can't just get over? My fiance is SO understanding in this. He is the only one that gets it even though he has no phobias. He knows I can't just get used to it. I don't know why my family can't. They make me feel worse about it. Again, like I am being silly about the whole thing. I hate it!

Leese.... I've gone through the same thing. I know what people mean when they say "you'll feel better" because when you're sick to your stomach, sometimes it's better to get rid of whatever is making you sick. However, we have a terrifying phobia that makes us unable to do this. I've had people tell me the same thing - "nobody LIKES to throw up". It's WAY more than that for us!!! This is complete TERROR at the thought of vomiting. I have Pepto-Bismol with me at all times. I love those PB tablets - portable and easy to take. There is a bottle of PB liquid in the medicine cabinet. I always have Tums on me also. I avoid people who are sick with stomach sicknesses. That's why I feel so bad for you. You can't avoid your son! A few years ago, I was living with my friend, and his kids came over for the weekend, and one of them had a stomach virus. I was PETRIFIED the entire weekend that I was going to catch it. Fortunately, I did NOT get it. I don't really know what we can do about our phobia. I guess we'll always have to Pepto-Bismol around! :)

I don't carry pepto around with me but I ALWAYS have hand sanitizer with me. If I have to use a public restroom and the door has to be pulled from the inside I use paper towel or my sleeve to open the door. I sanitize my hands after getting off the city bus, or after using a shopping cart.... I insist that the kids wash their hands when they get home from school since they were just on the school bus.... I am anal about making sure the meat I am eating is cooked all the way through. If I see a little pink in it I am always afraid I will get food poisoning. I originally wanted to home school my son so that he wouldn't have to be exposed to all the illnesses in public school. Then I got divorced and homeschooling, which I would have done, didn't happen. I don't worry so much about my family or me picking up the flu bug the rest of the year, but during the winter, when cold/flu season is at it's strongest, I worry more. I definitely try and avoid people more just in case. I don't even feel comfortable when my son is playing too closely with other kids but I don't want to be THAT neurotic so I let him and hope for the best. This thing really does effect your whole life and it is very frustrating not knowing how to change it.

My son seems to be doing well today. He is coughing a lot and congested but he hasn't thrown up and he says his stomach is ok. He ate a couple of pieces of dry toast. I want him to take it easy. As he seems to be doing well, I ease up a little. All he has to do is mention a sore tummy and I tense up.

I did read a website last night that had some treatments that are available. I am seriously considering looking into a couple of them.

I haven't vomited in about 15 Years it also terrifies me to do it. I think because I get real pale and feel like I'm going to pass out keeps me from vomiting.

I just had to say that your baby is PRECIOUS! :-) Yeah I lost count how long it's been for me. Maybe 24 years? I don't recall how old I was in my last memory of throwing up. I was younger than 9.

When my mind is clear, I think I can do this. I can handle it when I run into it with a family member and when it's me, I just have to get it over with, no big deal. It all makes perfect sense to me then. Not so bad. But all logic and reason flies the coop when I am faced with it. Even if I just fear the possibility of facing it if my son played with his friend all day yesterday and the next day his friend is sick. I worry and worry and get all tense until I am sure that my son isn't going to come down with it.

Or like today. With my son being home sick. He hasn't thrown up since 8:10pm last night but woke up today saying his tummy hurt. My fear and my emotions fly into overdrive just thinking about if and when it DOES happen again. Last night I was in tears because I knew I would have to be home alone with him. My son, whom I love to death! I hate feeling like I've lost control of my senses. My fiance was so understanding last night. I was crying, I was shaking..... and he was calm and supportive and helping me when I needed it. I wish more people were like that rather than, "just get used to it".

I just joined the Phobia support group here, and I've already found numerous postings on emetophobia (vomit phobia). We are NOT alone!

I just joined this forum today and since last night have found a lot on emetophobia. It is nice to know the extreme reactions I have are not uncommon.