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Is it Possible That You Suffer From Emetophobia? - The Facts

No one likes to be nauseous. The thought of getting sick or vomiting is not a pleasant thought. But, when the idea of vomiting becomes overwhelming enough to force a person to change their lifestyles and eating habits, the condition may be more than just a rational dislike of throwing up. Emetophobia is the intense fear of vomit and this phobia can lead to death in those who suffer from it.

A person who fears vomit may fear the thought or act of vomiting themselves, the thought or act of others vomiting, or the vomit itself. These patients feel intense amounts of anxiety regarding vomit in general. The trouble with a phobia of this nature is the precursor to vomiting, eating.

Many people who suffer from emetophobia are diagnosed with anorexia way before the fear of vomiting is found. The patients will stop at nothing to prevent themselves from vomiting and this includes the cessation of eating. They feel that if they do not eat food, there is no way they will be forced to vomit or get sick. Ironically, eating food can often make the emetophobic person fell nauseous after a period of time without food and thus the fear is realized and the phobia grows stronger.

The anorexia associated with emetophobia is unique, in that it requires the treatment of the fear of vomiting before the anorexia can be treated. When hospitalized the emetophobic person will often have to be fed through IV until they are well enough to undergo psychological treatment for the fear of vomit.

Some of the more common symptoms of emetophobia include:

Avoidance of social situations.

Avoidance of restaurants, hospitals, and doctors offices.

An intense fear of getting sick.

Avoidance of food.

Anorexia.

While it is common to dislike vomit, it is not common to avoid food in order to prevent yourself from vomiting. The emetophobia person will go the extreme lengths to avoid getting sick or even seeing vomit. This phobia is one of the most severe due to the link to anorexia which can cause death in a very short period of time. Anorexia is commonly diagnosed along side bulimia, but the emetophobic patient will never show signs of bulimia.

Emetophobia can be treated in much the same manner as other forms of phobia with anti-anxiety medication and therapy. But, due to the nature of the fear itself, the therapy often needs to be extensive and the patients are commonly placed into an in patient treatment facility in order to be watched closely throughout treatment. If the emetophobia patient has begun to avoid food, the treatment will also involve a higher calorie diet and additional therapy for anorexia.