Social Anxiety and Vomitting

[aggbobcat]

I suffer from anticipatory/social anxiety. In my case I feel extremely nauseous before a social event in which I'm unsure of how it will go. For instance, I'm less nervous if I've been in the social setting before, but if it's a new setting I feel sick and often vomit before going to the event or on the date. I hadn't experienced the vomiting in a while until I started dating a woman a few months ago. Everything was fine, I was comfortable eating in front of her and my anxiety level was very low. But after about a month her work forced her to be out of town off and on for about 4 weeks straight. I saw her only sporatically and started to feel like I didn't know her anymore. We started to drift apart and then when we would see each other I'd be so nervous before and even during dates that I wouldn't be able to eat. I would say that I was sick, but that got old. I would be relatively fine until I started eating or was around food... then I would feel sick to my stomach. Sometimes even thinking of her when I was eating would make me feel sick. It got to the point where I would avoid taking her out to eat and wouldn't eat anything before our dates. But then I would be hungry and I would lose weight. We broke up about a month ago, but we've stayed in contact. I started eating normally again and felt fine. Lately we've seen more of each other and my anxiety has started to increase. Tonight she is coming over to see my new apartment and the thought of her coming over made me vomit after eating lunch at home. In every case of the anxiety-related vomitting I feel completely better after I throw up. The anxiety is usually gone once I get the food out of my stomach. I've never seen a doctor about this. Like many people I keep thinking it's not a big deal and I can handle it. But this latest episode scared me because the anxiety came out of nowhere and made me vomit. Any advice or similar experiences would help.

Thanks.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

There is no simple remedy for this.  The best way to master this issue is to understand the conflict underlying the symptom.  From what you said here, the conflict has as much to do with what you are thinking about her as it does about what she is thinking about you.  Seeing a therapist is recommended. If you want to explore this before seeing a therapist, go to www.masteringstress.com and take the free stress quiz.

Your other alternative approach is anti-anxiety medication, like xanax, that can be taken right before the anticipated event, on a sporadic, and as needed, basis.

[whyme]

I used to have a similar problem where I would get sick if I have a presentation to give or simply meeting new people, so I started taken Xanax before the event and it seems to work just fine.

[lilmac]

I had the same problem years ago.  I would recommend Xanax as well.  You probably don't need it all the time, just right before an event that causes you anxiety.