My Emetophobia Journey: What is Emetophobia and What Symptoms Does it Cause?

Hi Readers,

I have been having a think about things that I could talk about which might help people, like myself, suffering from Emetophobia. Two of the things which particularly frustrated and frightened me were the lack of people, medical professionals included, who actually knew what Emetophobia was and secondly, I was very frightened that I was the only person experiencing certain symptoms. I therefore decided I would first of all define Emetophobia for those that read my blog without the condition and to raise awareness among those outside the Emetophobic community. I will then move onto some of the symptoms that I personally experience with Emetophobia. I would love for people to comment and tell me what symptoms they personally suffer from in the hope that when people read this, they won’t feel so alone or like they are going mad, as they will see lots of people experiencing the same things as they are,

What is Emetophobia?

Emetophobia is an intense but irrational fear of v********, however, some sufferers may also be afraid of other people v********. Emetophobia is completely different from ‘not liking’ v******** as we all know it is something that no-one enjoys. An Emetophobe will take drastic measures to avoid anything to do with v**** and will most likely carry out rituals which they believe will decrease the chance of them being ill. Speaking for myself, I find it slightly irritating when I tell somebody that I have Emetophobia and they say ‘oh, I have that, I don’t like being s***.’ It is very frustrating for me, when Emetophobia has such a drastic impact on my life to hear someone say the above.

What Symptoms and Effects does Emetophobia Cause Me Personally?

As there is quite a few of these I will bullet point some of the symptoms that Emetophobia gives me:

  • Constant nausea- Although I know in times where I am rational that this is caused by my anxiety when I feel panicked I am convinced that I have a SV or bug.
  • Anxiety- I feel constantly anxious and on edge that I am going to v**** or catch a SV which will make me v****.
  • Inability to Take ANY Medication- I find it nearly impossible to take any form of medication, even anti-emetics due to an intense fear that they will make me v****. FACT: When I dislocated my wrist totally out of place, I had it re-manipulated back into place with no pain relief whatsoever!
  • Panic attacks and a feeling of sheer terror-If I feel even slightly s***, I get a heavy feeling of terror in my heart, palpitations and then panic attacks.
  • I HAVE to know where the toilet is- I cannot go into a place where there is no toilet as I worry I may v**** in public.
  • Cannot drink alcohol- Those of you who know me will know that I do not drink and this is because I am terrified that the alcohol will make me v****. 
  • Being Around S*** People- This one is a tricky one for me in particular. I can deal with v**** in front of others if I know the reason behind it, for example, anesthetic and although I will look calm on the outside, I will be panicking on the inside. FACT: In September I will be a Student Nurse!
  • I constantly think of the possibility of V*******- This rules my life, if the risk is too big, I do not do it.
  • Cibophobia- I am frightened of food due to my Emetophobia and can restrict eating due to this.
  • I cannot travel on Public Transport- I am too frightened that I or someone else will be travel s*** and v**** plus I am worried I could catch something.
  • I cannot eat out- This is mainly because of my allergies, but I am frightened the food won’t be hygienically prepared and also concerned I will v**** in public. FACT: This weekend I will be going out for a meal to challenge myself this weekend.
  • I find it difficult to go out and socialize- I fear v******** in public, especially, in front of friends.
  • I overcook ALL food- Especially meat where there is a chance of food poisoning.
  • I obsess over food being in date- Especially with meat, I will not eat it if it’s even close to the date and will smell and check it to make sure it isn’t off! 
  • I have to sit at the end of a row- I must be able to get out quickly.

There are many more of course, but these are just SOME of the ones that I personally suffer with most days. Do you suffer any of these symptoms? What symptoms does your Emetophobia give you? Comment below, as I would love to hear from people and see what problems Emetophobia causes for others. Also, it may help for those with Emetophobia to not feel so alone, silly and isolated if they know others with the same symptoms which they are experiencing. 

COMMENT BELOW YOUR SYMPTOMS: Lets get together a list so that Emetophobes feel less alone and know there are people in the same boat, experiencing all these thing which they are feeling.

Thank-you very much for reading,

Chlo x

20 Comments

  2. constant nausea and stomach aches, constant worry and anxiety, always on edge, almost constant gagging feeling in my throat, acid reflux due to the anxiety, weight loss due to never wanting to eat for fear i’ll v*, horrible, constant thoughts, constant worry over v*, not wanting to go somewhere public without bathrooms, always carrying water or pop with me in case I feel sick, always carrying anti emetics with me, washing my hands obsessively, every time I feel sick I think back to the past 2 days and see if I ate or did anything that could possibly make me v* or have a SV, the list goes on! I hope this list helps some of you wondering what the average emetophobic goes through on a daily basis. Basically our lives suck! 😦

  3. Hi! Just wanted to let you know what I experience because of my emetophobia.
    1) I too, experience constant nausea. It is far worse in the mornings. I can begin to feel nauseous at a fleeting thought of it and work myself into a full blown panic attack in less than 15 minutes.
    2) I have never had a general anesthetic (thank God!!!) but I FEAR a time that I may need surgery one day because it is very common for general anesthetics to cause nausea/vomiting. I honestly think I’d rather die than have a surgery under general anesthetic.
    3) I fear getting cancer simply for the fact that I don’t want to ever endure chemo. I feel (not having had cancer) I would rather die of cancer than throw up from chemo. Maybe if I was actually faced with it, I may feel differently, but that is how I feel right now.
    4) I had agoraphobia so badly two years ago that I didn’t even leave my bathroom for hours and when I did leave it, it was only to go to my bedroom or the kitchen occasionally. That lasted for weeks and weeks.
    5) I take cabs everywhere because busses often make me feel nauseous and I cannot afford to drive my own car at the moment. I miss out on a lot because I cannot afford many cabs.
    6) I fear starting new prescriptions because almost all scripts list nausea/vomiting as possible side effects. I have never refused to take a med…YET, but it sometimes takes me a week to be brave enough to start taking it.
    7) Surprisingly, I don’t avoid foods if I’m hungry. I’ll eat when I want to without much issue. If I am feeling nauseous, however, I ONLY eat plain potato chips, hard ginger candy, ginger ale and dark green granny smith apples. Sometimes McDonald fries and coke help too. Until I feel completely better, I’ll eat nothing else!
    8) I carry the usual anti nausea “supplies” everywhere I go. They include mint gum, bottle of cold water, Vicks Vapo Rub (the smell soothes me-no idea why!?), dark green granny smith apple. If I don’t have these in my purse I am EXTREMELY anxious and cannot think about anything else.
    9) I rush home from wherever I am if I start to feel nauseous when I am out somewhere. I have left church, grocery stores, restaurants because I feel “safer” at home.
    10) The weirdest thing I have done because of my fear????? I have actually lit a match and let it burn out between my finger and thumb so that the sharp pain will “shock” me out of my panic. I have also put a match out on my stomach for that same immediate halt of my panic.
    If I thin of any more to add to this list, I’ll let you know. Thanks a lot for listening! 🙂

    • Thank-you, that was very interesting to read, I appreciate the time you have taken to write this. I found the General Anesthetic part very interesting, I actually refused surgery on my wrist due to the fear that I may v**** after surgery. Luckily, due to knocking it again, it slid back into place and actually stayed there 🙂 I also very much understand the thing about Cancer, I find that really frightening. I am noticing some decrease in symptoms since I started CBT, have you tried that?

      • I’ve been doing CBT for almost two years now. I have an amazing doctor and a wonderful social worker who I see on a weekly or biweekly basis. I do find that CBT has helped me but I also think that the passing of time has helped me get better. I have been to a PTSD group therapy once a month for a few months now. I am so BLESSED to live in Canada where my health care is paid for. Between my meds, my doctor, my social worker and group therapy, I feel days of HOPE again! Like I WILL be able to accomplish much more in my life, whether or not I have this irritating phobia. 🙂

    • I could have written this post… My purse sounds like a rattle from the various stomach related medication. I also have a tremendous fear of starting medication due to the side effect of nausea. I must always have Zofran filled and with me if I am on a trip, which i rarely do, otherwise I panic.

  4. So glad you are bringing more attention to this. It is more than just not liking to v which I hear all the time…”who likes to V? ” I try to explain it’s not about not liking it, it is about the anxiety, the fear, the anticipation as I know, especially if it is a virus,, I will wind up in the hospital, passing out and uncontrollable panic attacks. This makes life with two school aged children difficult as when there is a virus going around the school I live in constant fear. I make them change their clothes when coming home from school, bleaching everything since lysol does not kill all the viruses. Then if I feel a slight twinge in my stomach I panic. It’s controlled me and most people just do not take it seriously. Even doctors shrug it off. I have tried therapy, medication and nothing works. 😦

    • Hello Alex, you do very well to manage children, you should be proud. It is very frustrating when people say such things or when people have no comprehension or the struggles emetophobes face on a day to day basis. I also find, ‘Oh, it’s not that bad a phobia because it only effects you when you are s*** doesn’t it?’ NO it really effects all parts of my life daily. Hopefully you will find something to help you!

  5. Hi Chlo, Thank you for following my blog, twentyonewordsblog.wordpress.com. As you may have guessed, I too have emetophobia. I chose not to have kids partly because of my fear of morning sickness, and I’m just as afraid of medication, general anaesthetic and chemotherapy as your readers above. I have been told that taking an SSRI medication like Prozac would help my anxiety but when I tried it, it made me so nauseous that even though I was told the nausea would go away if I stuck it out for a couple of weeks, I couldn’t deal with the sickness even for a day. I’ve tried CBT but it hasn’t been much help to me. Mostly, I try to live my life with dignity and grace, and still to find joy in my life, however restrictive it may sometimes feel. I do also push myself to do things I’m afraid of sometimes, just to make sure I don’t become totally trapped, but I’ve found the symptoms have got worse as I get older, so it’s a bit of a vicious cycle. Congratulations on pursuing your nursing career, and take care xo

    • Hi,
      Lovely to hear from you, I haven’t actually dared take anything for anxiety so you’ve done well to try it. Good on you for pushing yourself, it’s quite a hard thing to do. I am trying to push myself at the moment and see what I can achieve. Hopefully CBT will work for me! Have you tried other therapy forms?
      Take Care,
      Chlo x

      • I am a lot older than you — 43 — and yes, I have tried many other therapy forms over the years, including hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, behavioural therapy and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) — not to mention yoga, meditation, and so on. Nothing has worked long-term. I would encourage you to try to get over your phobia (if it’s possible to do so, which for some people it isn’t) while you’re young, because I have found that my phobia has got steadily worse as I’ve grown older. I still hold down a job and live a full life, and I have come to terms with the fact I will never get over the phobia. As I said before I try, now, to live with my fear and co-exist with it. Life’s never perfect: you make do with what you’ve been given, I think, and try to find joy in it no matter what. That’s what gets me through. I don’t know if this helps?

  6. It is funny how similar all these symptoms are from person to person yet we all at one time felt we were the only person in the world that dealt with these fears. I live in a very rural area and took a stab at finding CBT help for this, but it quickly became clear that the doc wasn’t equipped to handle it. I am not even sure he had heard the word emetophobia before we met me. I haven’t posted to my blog in over a year, but here is a link to a post I wrote in August 2012 detailing its impact on my life after i discovered it actually had a name. http://tiptoeingaroundtheabyss.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/it-has-a-name/

  7. I have to have phenergan on hand. I become anxious when I have diarrhea or abdominal cramps, because it might mean a stomach virus or food poisoning. If I have to be around someone with a stomach virus, my heart races nonstop. I have to plug my ears so I don’t hear them throwing up, and I wear a medical mask over my nose and mouth (failing that, I tie a scarf around the lower part of my face), and I compulsive use hand sanitizer. If I think I might throw up, I sometimes prefer to force it, because a big part of my phobia is the fear of not being in control of my body. If I am sick with a chest cold, I become anxious during coughing, because it might make me gag. I have trouble flossing for the same reason. If I see someone in a movie or real life throw up, I unwillingly obsess over the sounds and images in my head for days. When I was younger, my phobia was worse, and I had a panic attack every time I ate solid food, and I would repeatedly ask my mom when the food would have passed out of my stomach, when I thought I’d be in the “safe zone” after eating.

  8. I struggle with nearly all of the above (not panic attacks). I always want to sit on the outside of the row, I eat out, but mostly salads in fear of food poisoning and i started to see a specialist because when my brother was sick I wouldn’t touch him or anything he touched and my mom was mad a me because I was being “mean”. Thanks for sharing

Leave a comment