Emetophobia (phobia of throwing up)

[Jessl]

Just wondering if anyone else here has emetophobia. I have suffered severly with it for 6 years. I have tried many medications and therepies. Anyone else experiancing this? Any recomended meds or therepies?

[swfl_guy]

I have this but never knew there was a name for it. I feel like if I throw up then something really bad is wrong with me and I'm going to die. Lucky for me I have only thrown up once in my life that I can remember. I do not know about meds but I'm sure some therapy would really help. throwing is normal and just tell yourself you are fine if you get sick and relax you will be fine.

[396SS]

Wow, I must have had every anxiety issue on this board.  Yeah, I was afraid of it for a couple years, then I threw up and it definitely is not fun in the moment, but I realized I wasn't going to die.  I HATE throwing up, don't get me wrong, but I have done it a few times since then and I haven't died yet!  It is normal, in fact, if you get a stomach virus/food poisoning and don't throw up, that is abnormal because it's your body's way of getting rid of toxins.  Honestly, I had a stomach virus (BAD) the first week of February and I felt the same way, "oh man, I am throwing up so hard I'm going to die."  But I just kept telling myself after that thought that "no, you won't die - it's normal, it sucks, but it's normal and I'm just going to open my mouth and let it come."  Yuck.  It is not pleasant, but I have just done it so much since my phobia of it, that I am over it.  It just became commonplace I guess because I had some stomach problems and a couple viruses so I had no choice.  If you get sick, just remember, everyone does it and just open your mouth and let it go!  It WILL be over in a second and you'll live:)

Take care!  

[holliexox]

Heyy no i dont have a fear of that but i can def relate to you. i always worry about brain tumors or other health issues. so i know what your going threw. dont worry your not alone!

[shooie]

Oh - that is one of my WORST fears!!  My poor daughter threw up for the first time last month at 11 years old and I was a WRECK.  I was sure I was next - I didn't eat for 3 days.  I HATE this fear with a passion.  Let me know if you find a way to deal with it.  I would love to let it go.

[debaser23]

YES.  I have a big fear of that.  I get sick to my stomach (atypical panic attacks, they say) and all I can fixate on is not throwing up.  It's more than just hating the thought of it...it's an overwhelming, petrifying fear.  And it only causes me to feel sicker because I worry about it so much.

And I don't know why I worry.  Here's my "vomit log" haha:

1. 10/06 - dry heaves.  sick from lexapro?  I think I was just nauseated but got so worked up I ended up in the floor.  It lasted less than an hour.

2. 01/01/05 - A real bad night.  Had gallbladder problems but didn't know what it was at the time.  Had eaten a lot that day and was throwing up for hours.

3. 06/15/04 - Happened while driving 70 mph through a construction zone on the freeway.  No way off.  I thought it was food poisoning at the time but it could've been the gallbladder.

4. ????? - Probably due to being drunk in college...mid to late 1990's



I bring all that up to illustrate that it's an irrational fear.  As you can see, I've only vomited once in 2 years (I don't know whether or not to count the lexapro incident), and only a couple times during the past DECADE.  The likely cause of both incidences was removed surgically and yet I STILL fear it like the wrath of God.  But once you get into the actual vomiting, it's not anywhere near as bad as the leading up to it.  It's something that, once it happens, you resign yourself to pretty quickly.  

[Jessl]

Yeah, thats exactly what is like. I have only thrown up maybe 4 times in my life that I can remember and im almost 20. One was hardly anything as it was caused by taking codine and I had a stomach ulser at the time, so it was nothing really. Once its over, you feel heaps better and think "that wasn't so bad." But none of that seems to really matter, the fear still rules my life. Making me basically agoraphobic.

I was interested to know if anyone else here had it. I didn't realise how common it was till I looked it up on the net and found that it is one of the top ten fears and even has a name! It was a relief not to feel alone.

[cho*]

I started having anxiey when I was in 2nd grade only it was of going to school. I think it was from my parents divorcing when I was 5. At about 9 years old it became of throwing up. truly i am only 13 right now but I have it really bad. I take 200 mg. of zoloft every day and when I have anxiety attacks I take a xanax. Even when my stomach hurts I get scared that I will throw up and it usually evolves to having an anxiety attack. I never new there was a name for it and I just starting having a little anxiety a while ago so I came to see if there was anything to read online that might help me. I am terrified of throwing up and even though I know it won't kill me I am still scared. I have usually 2-5 anxiety attacks a week. I go to a therapist but she doesn't do anything for me. My doctor says I will outgrow it when I am older and I hope that is true. Two of my really close friends are scared of throwing up but not nearly as bad as me. Even after I throw up I say "That wasn't so bad" but right when I start feeling bad I freak out again. I don't know what to do about it so if anyone (that isn't a child malester ) has any suggestions e-mail me at   ****@*****

[WadesLola]

oh yes, i recognize it... i was blessed with 13 phobias about 7 years ago and i worked through 11 by myself but that one really doesnt leave easily. i also have only thrown up twice since i was 11 (and im 29 now) so its a real irrational fear. the worst part about it must be the fact that most people that i know who have it all know that its irrational, now if it was a 'rational' fear, like if it happened a lot so to speak, then it would be easier to handle i think...

[tck<33]

For the past two months i have been getting really sick. i especially get sick when i am in big crowds. i feel a lump in my throat and feel like i am bout 2 get really sick and puke!!! but i am so terrified that  i am going to throw up cause i hate it so much.. it is getting really bad right now. i even noticing that when i go somewhere i will look to see a good place to go run to puke where no one will see.. one of the reasons i think i do this is cause last spring me and my mother where walking around in the mall when i felt very sick so i headed for a bathroom but unfortunatley i didn't make it i throw up about 3 to 4 times on the way to the bathroom and i was totally embarassed bout the whole thing and the fact i hate throwing up period!!! and now i am still feeling really sick but never throwing up it is to the point i will be setting at home alone and feel sick like i am going to puke and i am terrified of puking...it is now starting to interfear with my schoolwork and everyday activites i am so sick and tired of putting up with it and i think it is all in my head but i am still cant get it out... please tell me what  u think i shoud do and if i have this phobia...
thanks
tayler!!!

[AmandaBelle]

I know exactly how you feel.  I have been this way for most of my life.  The thought that there is a stomache flu going around, almost house ridens me.  A friend of mine passed away when I was in grade 6, she went to throw up and stucked in back into her lungs, which caused her to drowned.  I know that its a 1 out of a 10000000000 chance that it would ever happen to me. But the odds are still there.  Having this fear has actually brought on more than I have ever excepted.  I now have  problems going to crowded place, being someplace that I dont feel comfortable, anorexia, and severe and consistant panic attacks.  I have gone to doctors and they want me to go on a million different pills, which i dont feel comfortable taking.  So I try to deal with it on my own.  I hide alot of how I feel which bothers some ppl in my life because they truely honestly dont understand why i feel this way.  So it is easier for me to keep it in, and not let it affect anyones life around me.  But it is deblitating.  I understand exactly how you feel!!  

Thanks
Amanda

[burnsc05]

I have had anxiety since i was 5.  I was scared of death, throwing up, diseases, or just felt anxious for no reason.  The biggest fear I had in high school was the fear that i was having a heart attack due to the heart palpitations i was having from the panic attacks.  Anxiety is extremely hard to deal with because half the time you feel like you are going crazy or that you are psycho... and you don't want to tell anyone about it because you don't want them to think you're psycho.  I'm a junior in college now and my only fear now is throwing up in public.  I hate eating at restaurant with anyone but my family because i'm scared that I will puke at the table or where everyone will see me.  It is the most irrational fear but i'm still petrified and feel anxious whenever I think about it.  I have had a boyfriend now for 8 months, and I don't want to tell him about my phobia in fear that he will think that i'm psycho... I know that if for some reason I did throw up when we're out to eat or in public or anywhere in public that he would be more concerned that I was ok  as opposed to thinking i'm crazy... but the fear still lingers in my mind constantly.... I dont know how to get rid of this phobia.... I'm also just feelin anxious all the time for no reason... like i'm going to lose control or something which is affecting my grades and normal day activities... i just want to feel normal

[piety]

Hi all of you pukers!!!        I just had to say that...    No, really, you just HAVE to laugh at some things. Just want to let you know it could be worse.  My problem is that I am a pooper!  I have a fear that I will have to poop and there won't be anywhere to go.  I know, it's stupid ( and quite funny ).  What has helped me is to put a porta potty in my car, so anywhere I go, if I have to go, I feel reassured that I have a place to poop!  So, maybe you guys can carry around a bag, so if you feel like you have to puke, you will have a place to puke.  I think what it really boils down to is that we don't want to be embarassed in public and feel less than "normal".  But what is normal anyway?  Do you know anyone who is really normal? And even if everyone in the whole world WAS normal, and you are the only abnormal one, wouldn't you expect the people who really care about you, the ones you call friends, to overlook and not care if you threw up every now and then?  I try to just stop caring about what strangers think about me and just accept myself just as I am, with all of my "abnormalities".  Hope this helps!

[caybaby]

I know I would rather be stabbed than to throw up. I too, didn't know anyone else felt this way. And since I have read the article about the kid dying from the throw up going in the lungs I think I feela panic attack coming on, thinking about that might happen to me the next time I have to throw up. Yes, I'm a hypochondriac with GA, and panic attack with agoraphobia. Maybe I don't need to read about these experiences, cause I think there happening to me!!

[surnamex]

i'm a 21/f and i've self-diagnosed myself as being emetophobia. i am currently suffering though depression. i think about death and life's inevitable overall direction towards it, all the time. i worry about my family's health, my own health, and i regret most everything in my life. my biggest fear is emetophobia so combining this with incurable diseases is freaking me out. for example, cancer. 1 in 8 women get cancer (or something similar to that). how the hell am i supposed to enjoy life when i'm just waiting to get cancer? then there's the medications and drugs that cause nausea and vomitting during cancer treatment. i would rather die that throw up. is anyone out there as terrified as me?

[janey129]

I haven't thrown up since I was 8 years old.  I will do everything and anything, psych myself out mentally.  

[CrushinBabii0x]

I have always suffered from emetophobia, ever since I can remember. But just in this last year, all of a sudden, it has taken over my life. I mean, I was terrified of throw up/throwing up but it didn't interfere so much with my daily life. I was always on the go.. school, working and hanging out with my friends. I was never one to just sit at home, doing nothing. But now all that has changed. I can't do ANYTHING (driving,working,shopping,etc.) without having panic attacks and just completely freaking out. It's ridiculous and I don't understand what is wrong with me! It's like my brain takes over and i have absolutely NO control of it! Anyways, around this time last year I just started feeling sick..a sick feeling that never went away, and it's still here. For the first week or two I just thought oh well, it'll get better.. probably what most people would think. But when it didn't get better I finally decided to go to the doctor and I just tried as well as I could to explain to him that my stomach always hurt. He wanted me to have an Endoscopy test done to see in my stomach if I had a hernia or ulcer.. well, being emetopobia the first thing I thought of was someone putting something down my throat and throwing up so that was the LAST thing I wanted to do. So, he put me on Protonix for acid reflux to see if that helped.. ( because we didn't know at that time If it was an ulcer or hernia ). After taking it for almost 3 months I was seeing no difference in the way I felt. By that time I have already had tons of blood tests and everything came back fine.. so the only thing left was an Endoscopy and I was hopeless. I finally got the courage to just get it done because I wanted my life back! They found nothing. I mean don't get me wrong, this was good news, but at least if it was something they could have seen I would have known why i was feeling this way and took steps to fix the problem. So i gave up for awhile and just dealt with the suffering.. I didn't know what else to tell my doctor and I didn't know how to explain what I was feeling! He finally brought up Anxiety.. and he told me that he thinks that's what I could possibly have. I've heard of anxiety before but I just didn't understand how one day everything can be fine and I can be going places, RIDING ROLLER CAOSTERS, and feeling great to feeling horrible and never wanting to ever ride a roller coaster again or even leave the house! So, I didn't believe that was the problem. Then I started reading about it... and the more and more I read the more it related to what I was feeling. Does anyone have any advice on any medications that will help? Like 5 years ago I took Lexapro for depression.. and i still have a month's supply left so I think I'm going to just go ahread and try it..I guess it can't hurt andI hope to god it may help. If anyone knows anything that I can do to help.. I'm definitely ready to hear it! I still don't understand how this can just hit you all of a sudden... so if anyone can somewhat explain it to me that would be great. Thanks for reading about me ATTEMPTING to explain this.. it's just so hard to put it into words!

[MrGreen]

This is a bit like finding the Holy Grail. I have suffered from this for years now. Have diary entries talking about when I was approx 11-yrs-old and what I used to go through. I am now 38 and still the same. No need for me to write out all the things I go through. Just have to read every post above and it is like reading my life story. No matter who I went to over the years they never ever had any name for the condition at all. Hence I was delighted to finally find a name after all these years. It would make you wonder really. The professionals of all sorts of medicine can't tell you a name for the condition, how much they study up on their own profession.
What I am just wondering is about weight and food. I know I am under-weight for my age. Big time. How do other people manage with the weight side of things? Assuming that food can seem to be a bad thing to have in the system at times. Especially when feeling so bad. And also has anybody ever heard of any 100% certain type of help that would work? Fair to say it has ruined my life. I am an indoors person. But even in here I can feel just as bad. This web page / forum was the first ever naming of the condition which was a great help for peace of mind in a way. Fair play to everybody who has written up their own stories.

[ashley7686]

I am 21 and just got married this past September. My anxiety started in February and i have no clue why. I thought maybe since i got engaged December 2006 and the thought of settling down hit me hard and this was the reason why i was feeling terrible. I had blood tests done and i was even hospitalized to try to see that the problem was. When the anxiety started getting worse i didn't want to leave the house at all. I use to be the happy go lucky person who was always fun and could go out even after working a twelve hour day. Nothing bothered me at all! I thought maybe after the wedding and all the stress of planning had went away, all my feeling would go away. I was wrong. We went to Captiva Island for our honeymoon (south of Fort Myers) which was completely empty due to the time of year. If anyone has been there, you would understand. I felt like i was in some kind of no-mans-land. This scared the heck out of me. My husband proceeded to tell me that there was only one volunteer firestation on the entire island!!! I went crazy the entire honeymoon constantly asking myself..what happens if i get sick?? who's going to help me?? We left a day early and came back home because i went into an anxiety meltdown. I just wanted to go home. The fear since then is still with me. I am able to get out of the house to go to work and my parents house. It's extremely hard for me to go out to dinner at restaurants from the fear of throwing up. I don't go to clubs or bars because i am terrified of the thought of throwing up. This has taken over my life. It's the most terrible feeling. I honestly would rather have a booger up my nose and have someone tell me then to have to deal with this. It's nice to know there are others out there besides me. I've tried Lexapro...doean't work...just mellows you out for a while but doesn't take away the phobia. The only thing i can think that will help this is talking to a professional who can work with people like me.Like i said before i don't know where this came from but i am hoping it goes away soon.

[JSLmanagement]

i am a 21 yo male athIetic, geunine person and also as it seems like everyone on this board has an intense phobia of throwing up as intense as it comes ( example- the last time i got sick i was in a 3 month anxiety, panic attack). I have had it since i can remember. and i think about it EVERYDAY at some point. I can honestly say that this phobia has created boundaries in my life that i know hold me back more than i will ever maybe know. I have tried everything and anything spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on getting rid of anxiety and my phobia most of all. and what i think i have come to realize is you cant avoid this phobia it is unlike any other phobia, which is why we are scared of it, we can not control it for the most part. Getting sick is an inevitable fact of life for most people. I still have my phobia and i am now trying to rid my phobia through positive thought . I think maybe if i can just change my negative thoughts about it to the positive aspects maybe it will help. But i fear even if i do get some grasp on it, i feel it is safe to say i will have some lingering fear for the rest of my days. Who knows? everyday is a new day and the posibilities are limitless as to what you can conquer. i felt alone with this phobia for years and now know i def am not alone. it helps a little.

[MrGreen]

You are far from alone. And I am starting to think the only real answer is to face up to the condition and just let it happen. Or else it does become a danger. If it kicks in strong you can avoid food for fear of having a full stomach to throw up. That's a big problem. Think I have tried most everything I know over the past few months and it has got no better or easier. Even wearing ' Sea Bands ' on both wrists. Not sure if people are aware of them. They are meant for travel sickness and pregnant women wear them too for all that morning sickness lark. Simple wrist bands. Nothing medical about them at all. But I have to cop on quickly as the weight is falling off of my body. Guess I just let it take over. I do eat. Breakfast time and maybe a small bit lunch and a small bit at dinner time too. But far from enough to maintain any sort of healthy weight. Think I am finding out that whether I eat or not the feelings are still there. Just a case of wanting the food in the stomach now. Think the stomach has also got used to a certain amount of food intake. What you feed it becomes the norm. Can leave you feeling bloated / stuffed. After that the fight with your mind begins. Just a case of sorting it out in my own mind. Whatever will be, will be.

[urdacrazy1]

I have to say that I never knew there was a name for IT! And you are not alone. I've had the fear of throwing up since I was a little girl. Still have it and, unfortunately, passed it on to my 8 year old daughter. Poor thing goes into Severe Panic when she thinks she's gonna throw up. She even panics when SOMEBODY ELSE throws up. Poor thing. I was like that too, but it has gotten a little better. I dont freak out when somebody else does it but if I feel like I'm going to, I fight it as long as i can.
I dont get people that do it VOLUNTARILY!! "Oh I was nausous so i just stuck my fingers down my throat. Now I feel better" and then they just go on with their lives like nothing. Weirdos!!

[urdacrazy1]

I have to say that I never knew there was a name for IT! And you are not alone. I've had the fear of throwing up since I was a little girl. Still have it and, unfortunately, passed it on to my 8 year old daughter. Poor thing goes into Severe Panic when she thinks she's gonna throw up. She even panics when SOMEBODY ELSE throws up. Poor thing. I was like that too, but it has gotten a little better. I dont freak out when somebody else does it but if I feel like I'm going to, I fight it as long as i can.
I dont get people that do it VOLUNTARILY!! "Oh I was nausous so i just stuck my fingers down my throat. Now I feel better" and then they just go on with their lives like nothing. Weirdos!!

[heart2heart2]

I too used to be afraid of throwing up, but several years ago my migraines came back with a vengence. Not just mind numbing throbbing head pain with an occassional queazy stomach. No, these were head in the toilet gut wrenching episodes that left you totally limp like a dishrag afterwards.  After a few of these episodes you lose your vomiting phobia. If you can survive one of these migraines you can survive any vomiting episode.

[hbaby]

Im only 10 years old and im not afraid of anything the normal 10 year old girl is but yet im terrified of throwing up!! Id gone through a tonsle removele and i threw up every day for hours from the meds since then if had a mentle disorder and now have a disese (disease) called Acid reflex. A couple of years ago that was exsteremly rare in younger children now i know seval babys withit they cant have whole foods or they can get sick.Id rather die for a day than throw up!Have you ever shook wile cold well i shake soooooo much i cant stay still. I dont even care how much a flu shot hurts ill take it!! I hope to recove soon! I Know im not alone!!

[Laura_C]

I have had the phobia for as long as I can remember. It affects my daily life, it is definitely my biggest fear. I would rather break both of my legs than throw up. Recently it's gotten even worse and if I decide I feel sick I have a severe panic attack. Im only 20 years old, and it's so hard to talk to anyone about it. I keep gravol with me at all times. I am going for my first psych appointment next week and hopefully can get over this. Its ruining my life!!

[MrGreen]

The best of luck to you and I hope you manage to sort things out Laura.

[magic316]

i am 20  years old. I got married about 3 months ago, and moved out of my house and am living with relatives. I had a bad episode  where i thought i was sick all the time and this just happened one day. i just woke up and all i could think about was that i was feeling sick. At first it didnt really bother me too bad because i had been sick in the past and never got too anxious about it, well this was alot different, it didnt go away and i finally made an appointment with my docter and it was hard to explain my fear of vomiting because i did not know that it was common. so i told him i was uneasy about getting sick and i had anxity attacks that left me feeling sick. He put me on meds- paxil and xanax for bad attacks. I was scared to take the xanax at first because of all the horror stories that i read online. i finnally took it one day because it was so bad and i felt that if it helped then it would be ok to take, it did help, the paxil so far has really done nothing for me, its really hard to live with this fear because i worry every time that i go somewhere that im going to get sick. Alot of the time i get really bad bloating that turns into bad gas and im not sure if thats associated with anxity or not but it makes things worse because my stomach feels full then. i have a hard time eating alot because if am going to get sick i dont want it to be alot. It affects my marriage alot because my wife doesnt understand and likes to go out alot and i just feel more comfortable sitting at home. if anyone has any advise for me i would greatly appreciate it, thank you!!

[sue3708]

WOW, i have this fear too...being a nurse i have a collection of meds "just in case".  I also have a medical condution that causes me to feel as though i need to puke.  its called gastroparesis.  I take reglan for this as needed.  I try to only take the meds when REALLY needed.  I am currently going through a rough stomach patch so it is hard.

[poohbear2026]

I never knew there was a name for it.  I've had it since I was very young. I have been afraid of throwing up or being around any one who does.  I actually fainted in a dr's office one time when my little sister was throwing up. Now I have had a esophageal stricture stretched twice and I haven't thrown up since.  I am so afraid that if I throw up I will rupture my esophagus.  When I get nauseous I will do anything to keep from throwing up.  When my husband or son gets sick, I will go several days without hardly eating.

[afary]

i have this phobia since the third grade.
havent thrown up since the second grade.
when i feel like i'm about to throw up i..
feel nauseous,
panick,
spit until my mouth is dry(its weird, but it kinda helps me),
dig my nail into my skin, and
bite my nails..
when i get that feeling and start to panick,
i chew minty gum or breathe in some minty scent, because it calms me down a bit and helps me breathe normally.
most of the time, all i need to do is just burp and i feel SOO MUCH better.

[onacki1987]

I saw that someone was on Paxil and I was on that for a while until one day I woke up went to bathroom and as I was walking back to my room I blacked out and fell in a coffee table I woke up in shock and called 911 they said it was normal because Paxil lowers or speeds up your heart rate so when you get up be extra careful to get up slowly. I have also had an intense fear of throwing up since i was younger. Since I was like 8 I can remember watching a movie or TV and if someone gets sick I get really sick to my stomach look away and go AAHhH my heart drops my hands start sweating but my body starts shivering I start swalling a lot thinking I'm going to as well. Now that I'm in college Its hard because everyone drinks and I use to drink with my friends and be fine I never threw up. Then one day I just woke up with a pit in my stomach like everyday i felt like I was going to get sick. I swallow a lot and to calm myself down I've been chewing gum alot because then you have a reason to swallow a lot. This has helped me. But i can't drink anymore because as soon as i smell it or taste it I have a panic attack. my boyfriend can't drink and hang out with me because then I'm nervous he's going to get sick or if I kiss him I can smell the alcohol and I have a panic attack. Its gotten to the point where I just turned 21 but I dont even go to the bars Ive been once because the fear that someone is going to throw up just petrifies me. I've been on Zoloft, Paxil and now Wellbutrin and it helps a little bit but theres still an intense fear that is not going away. I am also prescribe to Ativan/Lorazapam which I guess is kind of like Xanex which helps but I pretty much have to take one everynight. Its taking over my life. I avoid bars/parties/friends that drink/amusement parks. If I hear or see someone throwing up I freak out and have a panic attack. if i think I'm going to I have a panic attack. Even if I just know that someone is getting sick I have a panic attack! And the weirdest part is that the last time I got threw up was when I was probably 11 years old!!  I dont know what to do anymore!!

[KT562]

im beginning to think that there is no hope! im 25, ive had this fear my entire life.. i have anxiety pains in my stomach everyday because i think thsi may be the day i throw up. cant go the rest ofmy life without ever doing it. im almost sure ill will never have kids, fearing the morning sickness, i will never ride on a roller coaster which i dream about, i done eat fast food or restraunt food for fear of food poisoning, ive never drank alcohol in my life, fear of throwing it up..i so scared to take medications.. i use to hyperventalate (sp?) when someone would metion the word! i had acid reflux but got over it, i have IBS so whenever that acts up i think its thr0w up.. im afraid to go intot he bthroom when my stomach hurts because that is the place where people go to throw up. i will never be able to live along because i need someone there everynight i case it actually does happen. I DO chew lots of gun ppl with this phobia always seem to, and i eat nilla wafers or other crackers because people say bread and crackers soak up throw up in your stomach.... that  is the only thing i can do right now.. i hope there is someone who can relate whos life is so limited like mine.

[JustMe1976]

I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only person like this. I'm in tears over it. I've dealt with this for so long and finally told my husband a couple of years ago about it and why I don't do certain things...eat in restauants with no cars in the parking lot for fear of the food sitting around and then getting food poisoning, roller coasters, flying, drinking with my friends. I have 4 children and absolutely freak out when I find out anyone they've been in contact with has been throwing up. Today a friend called to tell me that her daughter was throwing up all night. I'm completely out of my mind because my entire family was there over the weekend. I can't handle when they get sick...I'll think I'll immediately get whatever it is they have. I chew gum non stop and freak when I don't have any in the house. I have no idea how to deal with this. It is ruining my life. At least once a day I think about throwing up. If I go somewhere, I make sure that if I'm not feeling well, I know where I can go if I need to get sick. Of course it never happens, but it's the fear. I am so terrified of throwing up and can't stand it anymore. When it actually happens to me, it's never as bad as I thought it was, but I think it's more of the lead up to it and the anxiety that comes with it. I need help. Does anyone have answers??? I can't live like this anymore. I want to be able to travel, have more than 1/2 glass of wine, maybe a roller coaster. I sleep in my living room with the tv on all night....just in case I don't feel well. I haven't slept in my bed with my husband in months and blame it on the fact that he snores. I don't think he understands how bad this is affecting me. He's a great guy and helps a little, but he has no clue HOW bad it is for me. He got sick from drinking one night and made me pull the car over so he could get sick (thank God he's got greta aim) and the whole time I turn up the radio and plug my ears so I can't hear it. Please someone help.

[MJolly1980]

Wow! I truly never thought anyone else felt the same way I do. I have a severe phobia of "throwing up". I have had it since I was in 3rd grade, however since having kids it has gotten so much worse. I have dreaded my daughter going to school b/c I'm so worried she's going to get a stomach virus. I ALSO freak out if someone we've hung out w/gets a virus and instantly think me or my girls will get it. I think about it so much. I fear every night that they will wake up vomiting, so I put towels on their beds. It's so ridiculous and I KNOW it...but I can't help it. I make them wash their hands like crazy. My hands are so dry b/c I wash mine probably 100 times a day. This phobia controls my mind constantly. I hate it:(

[MansonsGirl]

I'm not sure if there is a cure for this. I am 20 years old and I have it. It used to be worse living at my parents house I don't know why. now I was kind of made to live alone, but will still call up my mom like twice a week cause I think I will throw up. I take so many hot baths because I'm scared and it's supposed to sooth your stomach. I'm also anorexic, so my stomach is not used to alot of food now after 8 years of starving it. Now I'm starting to eat more, but then I feel like I'll throw up. BUT I've found that I won't and that it's just gas and air in my stomach so burping helps. But still, it does take over my life. I'm always constantly worried. My boyfriend and I were having an intense conversation yesterday about this. He doesn't see a problem with throwing up. I'm so jealous of him, he says if he feels like he needs to, he will just do it. I get so paranoid sometimes that when he's in the bathroom for a long time, with the faucet running, I think he's throwing up and muffling the sound. I know he makes himself throw up, but only after he's been drinking alot or done too much cocaine. But the main point of the coversation was trying to find a way out of my trapped mind. He's a strong believer in hullucinagenic drugs like Mushrooms. He wants me to try them, even just a little bit because he thinks it might help me out of this cage that I've built for myself. I hate my cage, but at the same time, it's my home. But it might be a home that I've stayed in too long and I need to move. I desperatly need to move. I want to be able to go out and eat. I want to be able to actually go into the kitchen in my dorm and not be scared of entering and people seeing me carrying food. I want to not have panic attacks at random times when nothing is happening. AND I WANT MY SEX DRIVE BACK FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. I used to think I'd throw up during sex. I will say that living alone for a little bit now has helped me get better a little, because I really need to take care of myself. but I'm also scared of not being afraid of throwing up. I imagine it's very liberating. but what if I like it so much that I start throwing up everything? I wish to god I wasn't scared anymore. It makes going in cars very difficult as well. I live off of dramamine. Anyway, I might just do mushrooms because I see no other way out. and maybe this is it.

[voguegirl]

I am so glad I found this thread.  It helps so much to know that I'm not alone.  I have had this fear since I was 6 years old (I'm 29 now) and it has taken over my life at times.  Over the years, I developed OCD trying anything possible to keep from throwing up, was agoraphobic and had to go home "sick" regularly from school because the fear itself would give me a stomach ache and it would start the vicious cycle of fear of throwing up.  I slept on the bathroom floor countless times as a kid because I thought I was going to throw up at night.  I can't even imagine how my mom felt waking me up for school when I was sleeping in the bathroom...

Has anyone found things that help with this?

I started taking fast acting anti-anxiety meds (valium) when I was getting really freaked out.  It has helped a ton.  I still keep myself from throwing up unless I am so sick it's out of my control.  Right now, a few of my friends called and told me about a stomach virus they have and it's all coming back, but in general I have gotten better day to day.  

Best wishes to everyone.  It's nice to know that I'm not alone.

[brittney2888]

I am 20 years old and i have been scared of throwing up for as long as i can remember.  I haven't thrown up since kindergarten and i used to have panic attacks when i was younger.  I used to brush my teeth 20 times a day to try and make myself less stressed.  I also have safe foods, that i can only eat when i feel nervous about throwing up (pretzels and cheez its - kinda random).  I consistently chew gum or have mints in my mouth because having a bad taste in my mouth reminds me of throwing up.  I can’t sleep in my bed a lot because when i was younger i threw up in my room and it brings back bad memories, so i have to sleep on the couch.  When i am really stressed i dread going into a bathroom and don’t let myself sleep until i feel better.  I will stay up all night if i have to and am sleep deprived a lot because of it.  I also use chapstick compulsively because it helps calms me down.  I get scared of GETTING scared, sounds kinda nuts.  I don’t know what I can do to help myself get over this phobia.  It does help knowing I am not alone.

[xdracoxfanx1]

I am 20 yrs old. I had this fear a few years ago. I couldn't go out to eat, shopping, anywhere really. The only exception was to play sports, I could do that but it was so hard becuase I constantly felt like a "frog in my throat." I somehow got over it without any medications or doctors. I kept reading WebMD boards and self help techniques. Well that was fine and dandy until recently when it came back 10 times worse than before. Now I have the hardest time going anywhere, and unfortunately I have thrown up twice in the past 3 months. I'm talking to a councilor, and am now on Xanex. Xanex really helps, but m most recent incident (which was today) I threw up even with it in my system. You would think that after throwing up and realizing I'm okay, that no one is laughing at me or anything that I would be okay, but I'm not..Its really nice to see that I have people that are just like me though.. I have been feeling so isolated lately. Good luck everyone :/

[4kg4]

wow i didnt know so many other people out there had the same problem as me or close to it anyways. I am not afraid of me throwing up. i am afraid of other people throwing up. i am 13 so i went to this fair with my friends and only my best friend knows i had this issue and so my other friends we playing a prank on my other friend and they ate food and pretended to throw up but i saw it and i ran away i dont know why i just did i couldnt help it and next thing i new i was on the otherside of the carnival and i was shaking. That is when i relize i might not just be scared of it i think i have a phobia.

[GigiLove]

I have had this fear since I was 6 and I am 28 now.  I can't believe I never thought to "google" it until now and see how many people out there can understand what I go through daily.  I feel glad to know I'm not alone, and part of me feels like crying too....because I have never talked to anyone who completely understood where I was coming from.

My fear of throwing up began in kindergarten when I saw a classmate get sick.  My fear was really bad in the few years after that.  I had extreme anxiety about going to school in 1st grade since my teacher pretty much didn't know what to do with me (I always said that my stomach hurt....she would get mad rather than comfort me, which of course mad e it worse).  2nd grade was awesome b/c my teacher was a comfort to me.  3rd grade, my grandmother passed away...i changed schools....and my teacher was nasty to me, so all in all - that was a rough year and the worst of my anxiety to date.

After that year, the anxiety stuck with me but it wasn't as extreme.  Still definitely affected my life though.  I was able to function normally through school, etc.. and went to college...did all the partying.  I definitely drank my share of alcohol but didn't throw up once,w hich people find to be amazing.  I just wouldn't allow myself to drink THAT much since I was/am so scared of getting sick.  Again, like for so many of you, it is SUCH an irrational fear for me, I haven't thrown up since I was 8. (knock on wood!)

I have to say though.....I have noticed that when life gets stressful, my anxiety gets worse. Make sense of course.  I dated a guy who made my life very stressful and it actually made my anxiety worse...it extending into another part of my life....going out to eat.  One day I just couldn't eat my food in a restaurant when I was out w/ my parents.  I felt like I was going to gag, it was odd.  This continued sporadically for months until after I broke up with my ex and realized how much he was affecting me.  I put myself in counseling, which helped, but I still have my "off" days when I go out to eat.  My therapist just told me to keep doing it, even if it's hard, and it will get easier.   At this point though, I feel like I've plateaued.

Still, to this day, if I feel like I could be sick I will start to panic and when I panic I star tto shake uncontrollably.  Sometimes I can stop it quicker than others.  It is ALL MENTAL and I am strong-minded, so I make myself stop.  I chew mint gum, like some else mentioned on here, and just try to relax.  I also started to go outside when I feel sick, something about not being confined helps.  

This is such an interesting phobia to me.  I didn't realize so many people had it.  I definitely feel like it hinders me in some ways, but I am determined not to let it stop me from living my life.  I encourage you to seek counseling if you haven't already.....when I started going my therapist told me that 2 other people she was seeing had the same anxiety as me about throwing up in public.  You are not alone and there is help out there.

I hope & pray that we can all fiind freedom from our anxieties....

*Please also be wary of any doctor whose first suggestion is medication!  Always get a second opinion.

God bless!!!

[MrGreen]

Well Gigi, welcome to the club. As you can see many people have it. To me it should be treated as an eating disorder. At some point in our lives we stop eating for periods of time. Empty stomach = nothing to throw up.

[penguin777]

I have a specific type of emetophobia. I'm not afraid of throwing up in general, just afraid of throwing up in public. Sometimes I feel as if I would feel considerably better if I did just throw up. But I can't, no matter how bad I'm feeling.

The fear started a few weeks after I had a stomach bug. When I had the bug, I was riding home from school on a Friday afternoon (I'm a high school student), and I threw up all over the bus. The thing is, it didn't affect me psychologically at all. I was better the next Monday, and I rode the bus to school.

A few weeks later, I was playing at our spring band concert, and I started feeling sick. About half-way through it, I had to run out because I felt like I was going to throw up. However, I never did. Ever since then, (It's been a day shy of 3 months now), I've had this constant fear of throwing up in public. Any time I go out, I have to bring a plastic bag with me. I'm afraid of driving and not being able to get out and throw up. Any time I leave the house, I'm scared out of my mind. It's even gotten bad enough to where it's affecting me when i'm at home.

School starts next week, and I'm in the marching band, so I'll have to play at football games, and that's worse, because I can't carry a plastic bag when I'm wearing my uniform. I'm scared to death of something I'm usually really excited about. It's completely taken over my life the past few months. I can't go over to friends houses, go out to eat, or anything.

If anybody has any tops or stress reliving tricks, or anything, please let me know.

[lo88]

I have had this fear ever since I can remember. I'm in College now and it is starting to really get worse. Last year after I had a little bit too much to drink, I threw up. It was the first time since I could even remember. But ever since then, I associate throwing up with alcohol! I can't have one glass of wine without thinking that I am going to get sick. When I start to think about it, I get really nervous and end up making my self feel sick.

I can usually handle myself feeling sick, but i live with three girls that love to party and don't care if they throw up. I HATE IT! I start to get anxious and I don't want to even be in the room for fear of them coming back and throwing up. It's not like I'm going to catch what they have, but I can't help but get scared. It's gotten so bad that I am considering moving out because I can't handle it!

WHAT SHOULD I DO???

[remyzero]

Hey
Yeh Im 18 years old and have Emeptophobia. With me, I feel really silly with it..I think because I cant really imagine many guys my age having this?...
It's really good that I can relate to people in similar situation
Im always really carefull and sometimes it just gets to the the point where I cant enjoy a social situation. (E.g Dinner)But Im just trying to look at it as a part of nature and what happens happens and it honestly isnt as bad as you think. Fair enough this is easy to say but isnt always easy to have this as your mindset. especially when you're a bit anxious. There certain things that help calm me down or put my mind of thinking about the fear.
These are- listeing to melanchonic music (Iron and Wine- Upwards over the mountain) thinking of a fun past memory or doing something creative (like for me writing a song or lyrics to a song for my band)
breathing slowly and (prehaps corny) But believing in yourself that you ARE a STRONG person and everything will be fine..
Hope this helps.
Donald

[Persianprincess13]

I'm less than a month to my 20th birthday and I have been feeling this way since I was about 10. My parents had another kid, I did not like it at all because to me at the time, babies were dirty and spit up too much and **** themselves! It was gross, so I would always stay far away from my baby sister. When I was forced to babysit her, she used to cry for hours, and I would put her in her crib. And for attention she used to put her fingers down her throat and make herself throw up. Then after a while, she used to do it every single time I was near her. Then once when I was about 14 she got a 24 hour virus and threw up in my hair while I was taking a nap. It was horrible. Of course I caught the virus. Ever since, I have been thinking almost constantly that I am going to throw up. It stops me from sleeping. I'm scared I wont wake up in time to run to the bathroom if I needed to. So I am an insomniac now. I don't eat like I used to. I love food, but it makes me nervous looking at food. I wouldn't say that I was anorexic because I still eat. Everyday, at least 3 meals a day. Just not as much and not most dairy products because my stomach usually can't handle it or greasy foods. Yes I know some of these things are bad anyway, but I'm 20 years old. I should be able to eat a cheeseburger once in a while. It *****. Its starting to affect my relationship, I'm always complaining to my boyfriend that I'm anxious and we have to leave a party or a friends house. I can't even sit through a movie in a theater. I get anxious all the time now. And the only thing that calms me down is a pack of marb reds (which is ******* horrible) and driving (only in a stick shift car) around downtown listening to music and singing to it. Thats pretty much the only thing that has ever worked. Ive tried meditating, meds, yoga, healthier diet, drinking lots of water, seriously I've tried everything I could think of. Also, its stopping me from actually working. I get so nervous at work that I can't sit there and feel comfortable. Even when I'm getting paid as well as I am. But I can't even handle it because I always feel like I'm going to puke. I carry a bottle of Tums around with me at all times just in case I start feeling uneasy. ITS RIDICULOUS! I need it to stop ASAP I'm sick and tired of my body just being drained by this disease. I want to find a way to just filter it out of my head. I know its all mental. There has to be a way to mentally rid of it.

[justmeonline]

I had the intense vomitting fear when I was a kid and used to think I'd vomit at any time without warning. But that isn't the case, when you're going to throw up you KNOW it and it's not a nervous stomach or anxiety. I have gotten over it completely and actually haven't thrown up since I was 7---I am 32. If I had to, it would suck, but I'd deal. And you will too, it's ok. Good luck