I would trade ANY other fear… fear of heights, fear of the water, fear of closed spaces etc, than have to live with this one. May 15th 1993 was the last date I threw up. Haven’t thrown up since. 30 years later, and I’m now almost 38, and the fear and anxiety is just as bad as it was 30 years ago. No amount of therapy has ever helped me shake the anxiety and absolute fear that’s caused by it. Just watching this story was enough to trigger my fear and emotions. As a man it’s soooo hard to have to explain this to my girlfriend and past girlfriends. Yet, every time my fear kicks in, I feel so helpless and stupid that I’m so deathly afraid of this. It is good and comforting to know there are many others like me in the world cause for most of my life I felt like I was the only one. My heart and prayers go out to all of you who also have this! ❤️
I’ve had this phobia since I was 5 years old , I found that after my kids all left home it has intensified 10 fold. I even see a therapist now because of how it has taken over my life . I related so much to this video and the rituals and the little care bag I carry with me everywhere I go , in this bag I have a thermometer, rolaides , pepto bismol, gravol, and hand sanitizer to say this has taken over my life is an understatement. There is no way in hell! I would ever do exposure therapy! The thought of that even sends me into a panic attack. I can remember every single instance that I’ve gotten sick or have seen someone else get sick and I know by watching this type of therapy would just add to that list. I’m trying to take control on my life , but always in the back of my mind I have that little nagging thought. I hate it! I to would rather die or get shot then get sick. I was very fortunate to of had 4 children and never got sick with any of them and was fortunate enough to have an amazing husband that deals with all the sickness so I don’t have to. The best therapy for me , is to have people in my life that support my feelings and don’t cater to it , but understand my phobia and let me deal with it the way I want u til I get it figured out , for now this is my life. You are not alone!
April 7th 1993 was the second last time I threw up, I am man with Emetophobia as well, and my wish is not to get over the fear, my wish is never to vomit again
My last date was April 2, 2005. Almost 20 years ago. My phobia is so deeply rooted in my brain that even when I tried to give in and induce vomiting when food poisoned, my body could not physically do it.
I am literally crying watching this video because it feels good to know that i am not alone. I have struggled with emetophobia all my life, it recently being much worse now that I have a toddler. I signed up for my first therapy session with a therapist who specializes in ERP therapy, it is in 3 days. I am so ready to put this phobia behind me. Wish me luck everyone, i am ready to live my life the way ive always wanted.
I am 24 year old (male) and I thought i was the only one with this too. Whenever im invited with family or friends to go eat i avoid over the fear of vomiting. The fear even gets worse at night as your trying to sleep and your a few feet away from the toliet or trashcan. Honestly one of the worse phobias to have
The part where she describes “I just want to make myself throw up” and she’s in the bathroom with the therapist to try and make it happen was the part that I resonated with the most. I’m more determined to face my fear, but instead of being frantic like I used to, I sit there while panicking and allow for the symptoms to exist. Yeah, I’m nauseous. Yeah, I wanna throw up but I can’t because I just can’t bring myself to. Yeah, I can’t breathe. I’m doing this mostly alone. I’ve been more open about it now that it’s started eating at me. I’m like many of you, I stopped eating, I take all the meds for no reason, can’t sleep, agoraphobic. I used to be so scared of just going into the bathroom I’d hold my piss in until the last moment. It is hellish and ugly. Now I’ve come to accept that fear cannot stop it from happening. Your body does just as its supposed to. If its gotta throw up, its gonna do it, and there’s nothing to worry about. Now I’m just waiting until it finally happens. I get frustrated. There have been times where I was so frustrated that I’d shove my fingers down my throat but I couldn’t do it to the point of vomiting. I felt defeated most days. I still do, but I’m not focusing in the “why me” or the “I must do it to get over it”. Its just acceptance now. My body has suffered a lot. My heart rate is so high. I feel like I’ll pass out a lot. My periods are godawful. Its hell, but its my hell. Here’s to getting better. Remember like the doctor in this vid said: you don’t actually have to throw up. Its about learning to deal with that anxiety. Its possible. Believe me, if I can do it, you can.
I chose not to go into the medical field because of this. The 1st time my toddler threw up, I stood there & couldn't do anything. I jump, I run, try to drown the noise. I don't understand it. I will stop in the middle of the road if someone says their stomach is hurting like they need to vomit.
I have the same problem and this is what my family always warns me about. “Overcome it otherwise one day you might not be able to help someone that needs you”. This will probably happen to me too. My family is right but I just can’t help it.
TW: mention of emetophobia and vomiting i have had this fear since i was four years old. it started when i went to the doctor with my mom and grandma because my mom was feeling sick, and suddenly when we got back to the car, my mom starting vomiting at her feet, and at my feet. i panicked and starting screaming and crying. after that, i had a huge fear of throwing up, and each time someone would vomit in my classroom at school, i would cover my ears, hyperventilate, cry, and then all of this would lead to panic attacks. then when i was in kindergarten, my mom had my baby brother, and as a baby, he threw up quite a few times. i would panic and i was unable to even be around him after he had gotten sick. at age eight, i was part of a group at my church in which we would practice and learn so that we could do our first communion. a week before the first communion, when we were rehearsing how we were going to walk down the aisle, sit, pray, and commit to God, a boy in my group starting vomiting everywhere. we had to get out of the way because it was all over the place. my friends had to literally calm me down and cover my eyes because i had a full on panic attack. each of these experiences have only worsened my phobia, and now i am trying hard to overcome it 🙏🏽.
I felt like I just read about myself. My mom had to have my desk moved because i was afraid someone would puke in class. I’m not afraid of myself throwing up, I’m afraid of others throwing up.
I also have it & has affected my life. To me there is nothing more terrifying than Nausea & vomiting, if there is a stomach bug going around I actually freak out!
TW: ED AND VOMITING Emetophobia has always been a struggle for me ever since I was young. I remember every time I heard that someone or sick or throwing up I would avoid them entirely. Usually it wasn’t a big deal but it became one. I remember one day that I had ate ice cream and tacos but later I wasn’t feeling to good and I threw up. Eventually I got better but I noticed that I had grown into a mindset that if I didn’t eat at all I wouldn’t become sick. This went on for months and it took me a while to warm up to food again. I’m still struggling with the phobia but I’m currently going through therapy to help. For anyone who’s struggling just know that you are not alone.
thats kinda why im glad in a bad way that i have emetophobia cause i just know if i didnt have it i would have a serious ed right now and thats so much worse than being sick
Her situation hits home for me. I have severe emetaphobia and I've had it for years. I've had on and off therapy (I could do better with keeping up with it) but it's super hard. It really does take over your life. I am 30 and recently married (my husband and I have been together a decade now) and I've had to be very transparent with him about my fears of becoming pregnant for the same reasons as this woman. Luckily he is very understanding but it's very difficult for both of us. I've suffered panic attacks and anxiety since I was 15 years old and it really is so hard. What many people consider a mild discomfort just completely controls you when you have anxiety and other disorders as a result. It was hard for me to even watch some of her exposure therapy. However, having said all that, it does help knowing you're not alone and that others have shown we have the ability to overcome this. I hope one day I get to that point and really appreciate this woman sharing her story.
I have this and I know throwing up is not bad and its gotten better way over the years. I can now hear someone else throwing up, I still get very uncomfortable and borderline anxious when I see someone else throw up, but when I feel like IM going to throw up then I go into full blown panic/psychotic mode
I have emetophobia. I have very traumatic experiences with vomiting. I think about it everyday- “someday I’ll probably get sick and vomit” is a thought that I can’t get out of my head… it gives me panic attacks and makes me not wanna live anymore. Out of every phobia I have, emetophobia is by FAR the worst one.
TW: talk of vomit i hate having this phobia it’s the most embarrassing and the most stressful thing ever. i’ve dealt with this most of my life ever since my sister vomited all over me when i was 4, i couldn’t really remember it but my mom does and ever since then i’ve been terrified of others even mention their stomach hurts, they’re gonna vomit, or if they have vomited and makes me terrified to even be around them. it’s gotten so bad i can’t even enjoy anything, like amusement parks, airplanes, camping, hospitals, etc. literally yesterday my boyfriend was really sick and was having a bad hangover and threw up before he picked me up and he said he was still feeling nauseous and the whole time we were driving i was just freaking out instead of comforting him and it started making him even more anxious. i freaking hate it so much cuz all i wanna do when he’s sick like that is just comfort him and not have him literally walk to the bathroom to puke it’s just so embarrassing and awful. i just wish i could take it all away cuz it’s literally controlling my life. i also went on vacation last year and we had a 6 hour flight and the whole time i was just freaking out thinking someone was gonna throw up any second i freaking hate this so much i just wish i could be normal and not be anxious literally 24/7 and the sucky thing too is that people make fun of me and think i’m weird cuz of it, no one understands the amount of time this fear takes over in peoples lives, it freaking sucks so much ….
You perfectly described everything I’ve experienced in life with regard to this fear. For years at school I couldn’t even make it a full day without my mind completely shutting down. Anytime I’m in a car or in an enclosed space with someone who is about to or is sick, my mind freaks out and id literally rather jump out of a moving car rather than be around it. One time leaving from Vegas a friend of mine threw up in a bag while he was sitting in the backseat. Then the next four hour drive back to LA I had an anxiety attack the entire way home out of fear he was going to throw up again. This has been 30 years of my life! You are not alone at all! Continue to be open with your boyfriend about this fear. It also may help to have a psychologist talk to you and him about how serious the fear is. May help validate your condition and the symptoms that transpire from it, so he can help you through it. I ALWAYS feel embarrassed and I refuse to tell anyone about it. Only my parents, sister, girlfriend, and maybe a few close friends know, only because they’ve gotten sick in front of me and seen my reaction. I wish you the absolute best and hope things get better. All we can do is take things one day at a time!
My husband had a procedure done at the hospital and I was his ride to come home and he told me to pull over because he felt sick , I pulled over , plugged my ears and la la la’d to myself so I couldn’t hear him and had to call for an ambulance because I couldn’t deal with him being sick or comforting him or anything. I felt horrible! I’m sure the paramedics were like wtf lady! :( terrible phobia to have , I relate with all these posts!
Therapist here. We treat this very effectively in our Orland Park and Oak Lawn location. Sometimes we use hypnosis and often we use exposure response prevention. Please do not delay getting treatment. We are remarkably effective and eliminating this from your life.
Just know it's only a fear! I've had it for years.. Didn't know what it was and thought I was the only one. I've overcome it because I exposured myself to look at photos and videos and to actually be able to clean vomit. Now I work in kindergarten. Life is so good without this fear and you can really overcome it! Throwing up is a normal body reaction and really not that worse!
Not too long ago. My brother was in the pool with me, and he was still learning how to swim and he started sounding, so I swam over to get him and he started gagging so I swam away screaming and my mom ran in with her clothes on to get him I regret my decisions, and because of this I almost killed my brother now I am determined to get over this fear and I know I will never forgive myself for my actions but I’m still going to get over this fear.
I think you were in a flight or fight response situation. Which is an involuntary, reflexive threat response. However, you had the presence of mind to scream for help. Is that what actually saved your brothers life?
if i see someone vomit i freak out and i want to run away. it’s the sound and seeing it, if not i don’t know what else. if someone burps or coughs a lot i get scared and panic.
I am recovered from Emetophobia, however it has cost me in a massive way. Childhood trauma and emotional abuse. Emetophobia and OCD sincea young child. I became a recluse but finally did marry and get through pregnancy. When I finally had my daughter my behaviour was that extreme and the efforts to keep it secret. My husband knew a fraction of it but it ended with me leaving my family for fear my girl would learn by seeing my anxiety and become like me. I became an addict and alcoholic which sounds ludicrous but drugs that lowered my inhibitions enabled me to be in situations that would have made me want to die. I felt a sense of relief and for that short time not so scared. I have had an awful time with addiction , self medicating, would I wish for my life back the way it was? No but this is hell also. in and out of recovery. I know however that my phobias are gone. Exposure does work but I had to be wasted to do those things. Even today my daughter knows nothing really of the full story as to why I could not be the Mum she deserved. At the time though, I would sooner my family think me a waste of space junkie than a freak. Thats how embarassed and shameful I felt my fear was. I hope this short glimpse into my journey someone may feel identifiation and know they are not alone
This fear has controlled my life for as long as I can remember. Shoot me, throw me in a pit of snakes & spiders, throw me out of a plane, anything but vomiting. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think I’m going to and have a full blown panic attack & want to crawl out of my skin. I’ve unintentionally lost wait, missed so many events / opportunities, carry a pharmacy in my purse. It’s just crazy. I could never make myself throw up like this either. Strong woman. It makes me feel better than I’m not the only one, but I hope we all find a way to brave through this and not let it control us anymore.
You literally just described me. The carrying around a pharmacy made me lol because I know exactly what you mean! I take mine everywhere! We were going out of town and got about 20 miles away and had to turn around because I panicked. It’s a terrible phobia to have and I always tell people that you have to have a phobia to understand a phobia. I always ask people if they are scared of something and they always come back with the obvious you know snaked, spiders etc and then I ask “but do you think of them 24/7 and it’s always no. My family used to laugh at me and how silly it sounded , but now they are my support system since I’ve opened up and told them how much I struggle with this. I’m hoping therapy will help. We will see , I’ll really do anything except exposer therapy lol
The most ridiculous thing is that I was almost diagnosed with bulimia but I’m still terrified of vomiting. But I’m only scared if I can get sick not if others are sick and it isn’t contagious
@@Hannah-id9mi i’m pretty sure you can, i’m not diagnosed with either, and i’m not a licensed anything so i can’t really answer you (but mental health is complicated so i’m pretty sure you can)
I’m autistic and have horrible panic attacks about throwing up for the past 3 years, when someone even feels a tiny bit sick, I quickly leave, I sit down and try to distract myself on TH-cam, I feelt pathetic, I don’t know why I would be terrified of something so little. I go to mum and ask her if I look pale or sick, when ever I don’t feel hungry, I spiral into a panic, I want to cry, lay down and sleep, to not feel it anymore… I relate with this so much…. I just came here when my friend said she’s sick, I went away, I want to try to stop this…
Omg me too, it’s terrifying. Thankfully It doesn’t stop me from flying. But if my son throws up, I run away. I also avoided pregnancy; my son was a surprise.
If someone tells me they do not feel well i will stay away from them at all cost. I always check my food bc i dont want to throw up and whenever i feel sick especially as im going to sleep, i will start crying and having panic attacks and i will have a break down. Even though i eat half the amount i used to, i feel ill 3-4 nights a week and i just cant deal with it
What bothers me here is the man being offended. You are not the one growing the child you selfish prick. Adopt, foster, surrogacy. Pregnancy sucks for a lot of people and can be dangerous, she's scared! Wish they made this about her, not the marriage.
You are not alone, thank you for sharing. I too struggle with this. The fear is in my mind and body more than the actual act of it. I too unable to have a child due to this fear. I looked into surrogacy but it’s $100K+❤
I feel like this would traumatize me even more. I remember every single instance someone has gotten sick around me or myself getting sick. My therapist is going in the same route but more of the researching it and talking about it and things that could help keep my mind busy when it’s not. I find my phobia intensifies when night time comes because in my life I always woke up in the middle of the night and got sick. I have a full time job so my mind is kept busy during the day but still have that nagging thought in the back of my mind. Anxiety medication is helping a lot to. I’m 53 years old and feel I will have to deal with this until the end of my life and it’s sad :(
I can tell you, this was written 9 months ago and the difference from the way I feel now is insane!!! I am so much better, and exposure therapy was the reason. So yes I STRONGLY recommend you doing it, by 4 months I was already so much better its hard to understand but it worked so well even if it was hard to do!! I recommend you do it because it will help you. I'm rooting for you!!!!
Another thing about us, we don’t just wanna stop worrying, we want a cure to vomiting. We’re not worried about the fact that our lives are being controlled by our fear, we’re worried about vomiting.
“I would rather get shot than vomit” is something I’d avoid saying. All it does is feed the enemy in your head more power to convince you that vomiting is the end of the world, or worse than that. I understand you have to speak truthfully to describe your fear, but I advise for anyone like me who suffers from emetophobia to NOT tell themselves that their anxiety is telling the truth, because it simply isn’t. I’m no expert, in fact, everyday I tell myself “just don’t think about it” but considering that won’t decrease the chances of me getting sick, or change the way it feels to vomit, I continue to worry, which isn’t smart at all, considering worrying doesn’t decrease my chances either. The best thing to do is to try not think about it by distracting yourself. I bet that if we didn’t worry every single day, are anxiety would slowly fade away. Could you imagine- “why were we afraid of _that_ of all things?”
I remember being 11 and just getting disnosed and thinking I was so alone and so weird and then I saw this on tv. It did scare me about therapy (I was not ready for exposure) but I remember how much I cried knowing I’m not alone
I had this phobia and my brother always got carsick. It was scary for me. I got the help that I needed and personally throwing up makes me feel so much better.
I threw up as a child from school pizza and then twice after eating Pizza Hut once several years ago and then like 3 months ago I woke up in the middle of the night and threw up. Needless to say I'm not eating pizza again ever. I'm terrified of throwing up and actually prescribed Zofran. I don't think I'd rather be shot in the leg but I can't overcome this fear and I worry about it so much especially on the days I do feel nauseous with acid reflux.
I had the same issue my whole life. If my brother was throwing up I would refuse to even be in my house. One time my cousin slept over and was throwing up the next morning and my dad almost had to take me to the er because I was struggling to breath when I heard her throwing up
*MY STORY AND SOME HELPFUL TIPS:* (I apologize that this is VERY long😅But it’s worth the read.😌) I’m 25 and I’ve had Emetephobia since I was a child. It’s consumed my life and I’m in a panic and on edge anytime someone chokes, coughs, gags, throws up or spits up. (For me it’s not so much myself throwing up or coughing it’s other people) I get a terrified/petrified feeling over someone coughing, gagging, throwing up or spitting up. For me, I live with the family member that threw up on me. They cough 24/7 due to their disability. so I’m in a constant state of anxiety on edge. I’d rather die than keep living with this fear. That maybe dramatic but it’s that bad. (Im suck here until I have money to move out. But in the 2024 economy? Yeah I’m not moving out anytime soon…) *MY STORY:* **TW: MENTION THROW UP** When I was around 5-6 I was with my family at the beach. We had just finished eating dinner. We were walking on the board walk. I was sitting on this family members lap as they were riding in their wheelchair and we all started laughing. The family member got choked so they started coughing. Their hand got caught on the joystick that controls their wheelchair. All of a sudden we’re spinning and then next thing I know there’s throw up on me. After that I got off of their lap and I said: “I would rather be hit by a 18 wheeler truck than be thrown up on!” It was at the moment that my brain did a flip and I had emetephobia. I remember being in school and anytime a child would throw up I would start to shake and I would start almost having a panic attack. When someone in public or around me coughs, gags or throws up I start shaking, I can barely breath and almost have a panic attack. I never knew what it was called or why I would feel a terrified/petrified feeling over coughing or throwing up or spitting up until I was in my early 20’s when I figured out the name of it. Coughing is a HUGE trigger for me. I start getting VERY HIGH anxiety. Depending on the cough, I can almost start having a panic attack. When someone throws up I start hyperventilating and I start shaking and almost start crying. *SOME HELPFUL TIPS:* I started therapy at age 24 because I’m so tired of having this fear on a daily basis. 1.) Please don’t be afraid to ask for help if your emetephobia getting hard to deal with. It’s okay to ask for help. 2.) If you go to therapist and they say: “I’m sorry I can’t help you.” That’s not true. There is someone out there that can help you. I promise. (Speaking from experience. I found an amazing therapist who has help me tremendously!) 3.) Here are some coping things that I have learned that could help some of you: (Please note: I’m not mental health specialist. Please get help if you need it. These are just some tips I have learned that have helped me some with coping.) -Remind yourself that this person is NOT going to throw up. -If they do throw up, the world is NOT going to end. You will be okay. -Do breathing exercising. -Walk away for a second and come back when you’re no longer triggered. -Download mental health app and journal. (I love the CALM app.You can A TON of different stuff) -MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC. Music helps me drown out the coughing. It helps me focus on something else rather than the coughing or throwing up. -Do something to distract yourself. That could be painting or drawing, playing games on your phone, music, TH-cam videos, it could be anything to distract yourself from your triggers. Again do not be afraid to ask for help. I know for me personally, my therapist helped me a ton. I’m able to handle myself a lot better. Now I do still feel triggered daily. But I’m able to handle it a lot better At times. It does get better. I promise.❤️
I just found out I’m pregnant a few weeks ago and the morning sickness is starting to kick in it is SO MF HARD to eat or even think of vomiting. Last time I threw up was like 8 years ago and I threw up so much one night that I’ve just been afraid to after that. Part of me is like it’s fiiiiine you ate way too much and got sick but the thought of throwing up is so scary
I am so sorry for Jessica. I know these are snap shots, but from what I viewed, this is NOT graduated exposure therapy. This is torment. No wonder exposure therapy gets a bad name. This therapy is atrocious. 5 months ? I was allocated around 8 sessions. I was an NHS high intensity therapist before retirement, following a certain NHS approved protocol. This CBT exposure therapy works with both the cognitions, negative fixed beliefs, and maladaptive assumptions. A restructuring process is completed before behavioural exposure. If I observed this patients emotionality, I would have incorporated stress reduction techniques before and during exposure. In my opinion, this is an awful example, and likley to exacerbate problems. Poor lady.
I would trade ANY other fear… fear of heights, fear of the water, fear of closed spaces etc, than have to live with this one.
May 15th 1993 was the last date I threw up. Haven’t thrown up since. 30 years later, and I’m now almost 38, and the fear and anxiety is just as bad as it was 30 years ago.
No amount of therapy has ever helped me shake the anxiety and absolute fear that’s caused by it. Just watching this story was enough to trigger my fear and emotions.
As a man it’s soooo hard to have to explain this to my girlfriend and past girlfriends. Yet, every time my fear kicks in, I feel so helpless and stupid that I’m so deathly afraid of this.
It is good and comforting to know there are many others like me in the world cause for most of my life I felt like I was the only one. My heart and prayers go out to all of you who also have this! ❤️
I’ve had this phobia since I was 5 years old , I found that after my kids all left home it has intensified 10 fold. I even see a therapist now because of how it has taken over my life . I related so much to this video and the rituals and the little care bag I carry with me everywhere I go , in this bag I have a thermometer, rolaides , pepto bismol, gravol, and hand sanitizer to say this has taken over my life is an understatement. There is no way in hell! I would ever do exposure therapy! The thought of that even sends me into a panic attack. I can remember every single instance that I’ve gotten sick or have seen someone else get sick and I know by watching this type of therapy would just add to that list. I’m trying to take control on my life , but always in the back of my mind I have that little nagging thought. I hate it! I to would rather die or get shot then get sick. I was very fortunate to of had 4 children and never got sick with any of them and was fortunate enough to have an amazing husband that deals with all the sickness so I don’t have to. The best therapy for me , is to have people in my life that support my feelings and don’t cater to it , but understand my phobia and let me deal with it the way I want u til I get it figured out , for now this is my life. You are not alone!
I understand you😭💔😞 it’s so hard explaining to my family and my boyfriend. It’s such a dreadful phobia
April 7th 1993 was the second last time I threw up, I am man with Emetophobia as well, and my wish is not to get over the fear, my wish is never to vomit again
@@romans52345-cy3tq I believe in you. I know how hard it is but I’m slowly getting better. I pray that everyone does ❤️🙏
My last date was April 2, 2005. Almost 20 years ago. My phobia is so deeply rooted in my brain that even when I tried to give in and induce vomiting when food poisoned, my body could not physically do it.
I am literally crying watching this video because it feels good to know that i am not alone. I have struggled with emetophobia all my life, it recently being much worse now that I have a toddler. I signed up for my first therapy session with a therapist who specializes in ERP therapy, it is in 3 days. I am so ready to put this phobia behind me. Wish me luck everyone, i am ready to live my life the way ive always wanted.
hey! how did it go?
How is it going? ❤
I am 15 and I have emetophobia, the last time I puked was when I was 11, I have not puked ever since.
@@GinaGachaLifeLoveGirl413 omg same I'm 15 too and I haven't yk since 11
@@Hannah-id9mi omg we're like twins
I am 24 year old (male) and I thought i was the only one with this too. Whenever im invited with family or friends to go eat i avoid over the fear of vomiting. The fear even gets worse at night as your trying to sleep and your a few feet away from the toliet or trashcan. Honestly one of the worse phobias to have
The part where she describes “I just want to make myself throw up” and she’s in the bathroom with the therapist to try and make it happen was the part that I resonated with the most.
I’m more determined to face my fear, but instead of being frantic like I used to, I sit there while panicking and allow for the symptoms to exist. Yeah, I’m nauseous. Yeah, I wanna throw up but I can’t because I just can’t bring myself to. Yeah, I can’t breathe.
I’m doing this mostly alone. I’ve been more open about it now that it’s started eating at me. I’m like many of you, I stopped eating, I take all the meds for no reason, can’t sleep, agoraphobic. I used to be so scared of just going into the bathroom I’d hold my piss in until the last moment. It is hellish and ugly.
Now I’ve come to accept that fear cannot stop it from happening. Your body does just as its supposed to. If its gotta throw up, its gonna do it, and there’s nothing to worry about. Now I’m just waiting until it finally happens.
I get frustrated. There have been times where I was so frustrated that I’d shove my fingers down my throat but I couldn’t do it to the point of vomiting. I felt defeated most days. I still do, but I’m not focusing in the “why me” or the “I must do it to get over it”. Its just acceptance now.
My body has suffered a lot. My heart rate is so high. I feel like I’ll pass out a lot. My periods are godawful. Its hell, but its my hell.
Here’s to getting better. Remember like the doctor in this vid said: you don’t actually have to throw up. Its about learning to deal with that anxiety. Its possible. Believe me, if I can do it, you can.
I chose not to go into the medical field because of this. The 1st time my toddler threw up, I stood there & couldn't do anything. I jump, I run, try to drown the noise. I don't understand it. I will stop in the middle of the road if someone says their stomach is hurting like they need to vomit.
me too its a horrible phobia
Do you know how to end this phobia by any means?
Can relate to this 100%
This is how I feel i am terrified i run away as fast as I can
I have the same problem and this is what my family always warns me about. “Overcome it otherwise one day you might not be able to help someone that needs you”. This will probably happen to me too. My family is right but I just can’t help it.
When she said she felt crazy because she thought she was the only one that hit home. I felt the exact same way
TW: mention of emetophobia and vomiting
i have had this fear since i was four years old. it started when i went to the doctor with my mom and grandma because my mom was feeling sick, and suddenly when we got back to the car, my mom starting vomiting at her feet, and at my feet. i panicked and starting screaming and crying. after that, i had a huge fear of throwing up, and each time someone would vomit in my classroom at school, i would cover my ears, hyperventilate, cry, and then all of this would lead to panic attacks. then when i was in kindergarten, my mom had my baby brother, and as a baby, he threw up quite a few times. i would panic and i was unable to even be around him after he had gotten sick. at age eight, i was part of a group at my church in which we would practice and learn so that we could do our first communion. a week before the first communion, when we were rehearsing how we were going to walk down the aisle, sit, pray, and commit to God, a boy in my group starting vomiting everywhere. we had to get out of the way because it was all over the place. my friends had to literally calm me down and cover my eyes because i had a full on panic attack. each of these experiences have only worsened my phobia, and now i am trying hard to overcome it 🙏🏽.
I felt like I just read about myself. My mom had to have my desk moved because i was afraid someone would puke in class. I’m not afraid of myself throwing up, I’m afraid of others throwing up.
@@belladonnared I feel the exact same way.
@@belladonnared That is so me
@@belladonnaredI have both
You’re not alone! Cecilia. I know that feel.. I never knew other people suffered from this. To be honest I thought I was the only one
I also have it & has affected my life. To me there is nothing more terrifying than Nausea & vomiting, if there is a stomach bug going around I actually freak out!
TW: ED AND VOMITING
Emetophobia has always been a struggle for me ever since I was young. I remember every time I heard that someone or sick or throwing up I would avoid them entirely. Usually it wasn’t a big deal but it became one. I remember one day that I had ate ice cream and tacos but later I wasn’t feeling to good and I threw up. Eventually I got better but I noticed that I had grown into a mindset that if I didn’t eat at all I wouldn’t become sick. This went on for months and it took me a while to warm up to food again. I’m still struggling with the phobia but I’m currently going through therapy to help. For anyone who’s struggling just know that you are not alone.
literally same
thats kinda why im glad in a bad way that i have emetophobia cause i just know if i didnt have it i would have a serious ed right now and thats so much worse than being sick
Her situation hits home for me. I have severe emetaphobia and I've had it for years. I've had on and off therapy (I could do better with keeping up with it) but it's super hard. It really does take over your life. I am 30 and recently married (my husband and I have been together a decade now) and I've had to be very transparent with him about my fears of becoming pregnant for the same reasons as this woman. Luckily he is very understanding but it's very difficult for both of us. I've suffered panic attacks and anxiety since I was 15 years old and it really is so hard. What many people consider a mild discomfort just completely controls you when you have anxiety and other disorders as a result. It was hard for me to even watch some of her exposure therapy. However, having said all that, it does help knowing you're not alone and that others have shown we have the ability to overcome this. I hope one day I get to that point and really appreciate this woman sharing her story.
Have you experienced unwanted thoughts?? Exposure therapy messed me up more, I couldn't get the image or sounds out of my head afterwards
i have emetophobia and it ruined my whole life. it is such a scary phobia like every single thing you do evolves around throwing up
I have this and I know throwing up is not bad and its gotten better way over the years. I can now hear someone else throwing up, I still get very uncomfortable and borderline anxious when I see someone else throw up, but when I feel like IM going to throw up then I go into full blown panic/psychotic mode
How is it?
I have emetophobia. I have very traumatic experiences with vomiting. I think about it everyday- “someday I’ll probably get sick and vomit” is a thought that I can’t get out of my head… it gives me panic attacks and makes me not wanna live anymore. Out of every phobia I have, emetophobia is by FAR the worst one.
This phobia sucks so much. I’ve always had it and once the panic starts, you can’t stop hyperventilating until your stomach feels fine again
TW: talk of vomit
i hate having this phobia it’s the most embarrassing and the most stressful thing ever. i’ve dealt with this most of my life ever since my sister vomited all over me when i was 4, i couldn’t really remember it but my mom does and ever since then i’ve been terrified of others even mention their stomach hurts, they’re gonna vomit, or if they have vomited and makes me terrified to even be around them. it’s gotten so bad i can’t even enjoy anything, like amusement parks, airplanes, camping, hospitals, etc. literally yesterday my boyfriend was really sick and was having a bad hangover and threw up before he picked me up and he said he was still feeling nauseous and the whole time we were driving i was just freaking out instead of comforting him and it started making him even more anxious. i freaking hate it so much cuz all i wanna do when he’s sick like that is just comfort him and not have him literally walk to the bathroom to puke it’s just so embarrassing and awful. i just wish i could take it all away cuz it’s literally controlling my life. i also went on vacation last year and we had a 6 hour flight and the whole time i was just freaking out thinking someone was gonna throw up any second i freaking hate this so much i just wish i could be normal and not be anxious literally 24/7 and the sucky thing too is that people make fun of me and think i’m weird cuz of it, no one understands the amount of time this fear takes over in peoples lives, it freaking sucks so much ….
You perfectly described everything I’ve experienced in life with regard to this fear. For years at school I couldn’t even make it a full day without my mind completely shutting down. Anytime I’m in a car or in an enclosed space with someone who is about to or is sick, my mind freaks out and id literally rather jump out of a moving car rather than be around it. One time leaving from Vegas a friend of mine threw up in a bag while he was sitting in the backseat. Then the next four hour drive back to LA I had an anxiety attack the entire way home out of fear he was going to throw up again. This has been 30 years of my life! You are not alone at all! Continue to be open with your boyfriend about this fear. It also may help to have a psychologist talk to you and him about how serious the fear is. May help validate your condition and the symptoms that transpire from it, so he can help you through it. I ALWAYS feel embarrassed and I refuse to tell anyone about it. Only my parents, sister, girlfriend, and maybe a few close friends know, only because they’ve gotten sick in front of me and seen my reaction. I wish you the absolute best and hope things get better. All we can do is take things one day at a time!
My husband had a procedure done at the hospital and I was his ride to come home and he told me to pull over because he felt sick , I pulled over , plugged my ears and la la la’d to myself so I couldn’t hear him and had to call for an ambulance because I couldn’t deal with him being sick or comforting him or anything. I felt horrible! I’m sure the paramedics were like wtf lady! :( terrible phobia to have , I relate with all these posts!
Therapist here. We treat this very effectively in our Orland Park and Oak Lawn location. Sometimes we use hypnosis and often we use exposure response prevention. Please do not delay getting treatment. We are remarkably effective and eliminating this from your life.
What do you do for exposure?
Just know it's only a fear! I've had it for years.. Didn't know what it was and thought I was the only one. I've overcome it because I exposured myself to look at photos and videos and to actually be able to clean vomit. Now I work in kindergarten. Life is so good without this fear and you can really overcome it! Throwing up is a normal body reaction and really not that worse!
Not too long ago. My brother was in the pool with me, and he was still learning how to swim and he started sounding, so I swam over to get him and he started gagging so I swam away screaming and my mom ran in with her clothes on to get him I regret my decisions, and because of this I almost killed my brother now I am determined to get over this fear and I know I will never forgive myself for my actions but I’m still going to get over this fear.
If you want to get over it become a CNA and work in the hospital. That’s what I did it worked.
I think you were in a flight or fight response situation. Which is an involuntary, reflexive threat response. However, you had the presence of mind to scream for help. Is that what actually saved your brothers life?
if i see someone vomit i freak out and i want to run away. it’s the sound and seeing it, if not i don’t know what else. if someone burps or coughs a lot i get scared and panic.
My phobia is so severe I want to end my life but I'm terrified of being sick in the process 😭
I am recovered from Emetophobia, however it has cost me in a massive way. Childhood trauma and emotional abuse. Emetophobia and OCD sincea young child. I became a recluse but finally did marry and get through pregnancy. When I finally had my daughter my behaviour was that extreme and the efforts to keep it secret. My husband knew a fraction of it but it ended with me leaving my family for fear my girl would learn by seeing my anxiety and become like me. I became an addict and alcoholic which sounds ludicrous but drugs that lowered my inhibitions enabled me to be in situations that would have made me want to die. I felt a sense of relief and for that short time not so scared. I have had an awful time with addiction , self medicating, would I wish for my life back the way it was? No but this is hell also. in and out of recovery. I know however that my phobias are gone. Exposure does work but I had to be wasted to do those things. Even today my daughter knows nothing really of the full story as to why I could not be the Mum she deserved. At the time though, I would sooner my family think me a waste of space junkie than a freak. Thats how embarassed and shameful I felt my fear was. I hope this short glimpse into my journey someone may feel identifiation and know they are not alone
How did you go through withdrawals and recover with this disorder was that a hard aspect of it?
This fear has controlled my life for as long as I can remember. Shoot me, throw me in a pit of snakes & spiders, throw me out of a plane, anything but vomiting. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think I’m going to and have a full blown panic attack & want to crawl out of my skin. I’ve unintentionally lost wait, missed so many events / opportunities, carry a pharmacy in my purse. It’s just crazy. I could never make myself throw up like this either. Strong woman. It makes me feel better than I’m not the only one, but I hope we all find a way to brave through this and not let it control us anymore.
You literally just described me. The carrying around a pharmacy made me lol because I know exactly what you mean! I take mine everywhere! We were going out of town and got about 20 miles away and had to turn around because I panicked. It’s a terrible phobia to have and I always tell people that you have to have a phobia to understand a phobia. I always ask people if they are scared of something and they always come back with the obvious you know snaked, spiders etc and then I ask “but do you think of them 24/7 and it’s always no. My family used to laugh at me and how silly it sounded , but now they are my support system since I’ve opened up and told them how much I struggle with this. I’m hoping therapy will help. We will see , I’ll really do anything except exposer therapy lol
The most ridiculous thing is that I was almost diagnosed with bulimia but I’m still terrified of vomiting. But I’m only scared if I can get sick not if others are sick and it isn’t contagious
Can you be bullimic and have emetophobia?
@@Hannah-id9mi i’m pretty sure you can, i’m not diagnosed with either, and i’m not a licensed anything so i can’t really answer you (but mental health is complicated so i’m pretty sure you can)
I’m autistic and have horrible panic attacks about throwing up for the past 3 years, when someone even feels a tiny bit sick, I quickly leave, I sit down and try to distract myself on TH-cam, I feelt pathetic, I don’t know why I would be terrified of something so little. I go to mum and ask her if I look pale or sick, when ever I don’t feel hungry, I spiral into a panic, I want to cry, lay down and sleep, to not feel it anymore… I relate with this so much…. I just came here when my friend said she’s sick, I went away, I want to try to stop this…
Omg me too, it’s terrifying. Thankfully It doesn’t stop me from flying. But if my son throws up, I run away. I also avoided pregnancy; my son was a surprise.
If someone tells me they do not feel well i will stay away from them at all cost. I always check my food bc i dont want to throw up and whenever i feel sick especially as im going to sleep, i will start crying and having panic attacks and i will have a break down. Even though i eat half the amount i used to, i feel ill 3-4 nights a week and i just cant deal with it
What bothers me here is the man being offended. You are not the one growing the child you selfish prick. Adopt, foster, surrogacy. Pregnancy sucks for a lot of people and can be dangerous, she's scared! Wish they made this about her, not the marriage.
You are not alone, thank you for sharing. I too struggle with this. The fear is in my mind and body more than the actual act of it.
I too unable to have a child due to this fear. I looked into surrogacy but it’s $100K+❤
I’m trying to do exposure therapy for this. It feels so relieving that other people experience the same.
Mine is so much better and I’m so happy, it was pure hell
I feel like this would traumatize me even more. I remember every single instance someone has gotten sick around me or myself getting sick. My therapist is going in the same route but more of the researching it and talking about it and things that could help keep my mind busy when it’s not. I find my phobia intensifies when night time comes because in my life I always woke up in the middle of the night and got sick. I have a full time job so my mind is kept busy during the day but still have that nagging thought in the back of my mind. Anxiety medication is helping a lot to. I’m 53 years old and feel I will have to deal with this until the end of my life and it’s sad :(
Is exposure therapy the only solution to this? It’s the reason why I’m scared to go to therapy
I can tell you, this was written 9 months ago and the difference from the way I feel now is insane!!! I am so much better, and exposure therapy was the reason. So yes I STRONGLY recommend you doing it, by 4 months I was already so much better its hard to understand but it worked so well even if it was hard to do!! I recommend you do it because it will help you. I'm rooting for you!!!!
Is exposure therapy the only thing that helps?
Another thing about us, we don’t just wanna stop worrying, we want a cure to vomiting. We’re not worried about the fact that our lives are being controlled by our fear, we’re worried about vomiting.
Dude used to be triggered by hearing water hitting a surface because it reminded me of the sound of pyook hitting a surface -
SAME oh my god if I heard trash bags rustling my heart would nearly burst out of my chest
@@harptastic SO REALL
“I would rather get shot than vomit” is something I’d avoid saying. All it does is feed the enemy in your head more power to convince you that vomiting is the end of the world, or worse than that. I understand you have to speak truthfully to describe your fear, but I advise for anyone like me who suffers from emetophobia to NOT tell themselves that their anxiety is telling the truth, because it simply isn’t. I’m no expert, in fact, everyday I tell myself “just don’t think about it” but considering that won’t decrease the chances of me getting sick, or change the way it feels to vomit, I continue to worry, which isn’t smart at all, considering worrying doesn’t decrease my chances either. The best thing to do is to try not think about it by distracting yourself. I bet that if we didn’t worry every single day, are anxiety would slowly fade away. Could you imagine- “why were we afraid of _that_ of all things?”
I remember being 11 and just getting disnosed and thinking I was so alone and so weird and then I saw this on tv. It did scare me about therapy (I was not ready for exposure) but I remember how much I cried knowing I’m not alone
I had this phobia and my brother always got carsick. It was scary for me. I got the help that I needed and personally throwing up makes me feel so much better.
this is how i am when it comes to blood
I threw up as a child from school pizza and then twice after eating Pizza Hut once several years ago and then like 3 months ago I woke up in the middle of the night and threw up. Needless to say I'm not eating pizza again ever. I'm terrified of throwing up and actually prescribed Zofran. I don't think I'd rather be shot in the leg but I can't overcome this fear and I worry about it so much especially on the days I do feel nauseous with acid reflux.
I had the same issue my whole life. If my brother was throwing up I would refuse to even be in my house. One time my cousin slept over and was throwing up the next morning and my dad almost had to take me to the er because I was struggling to breath when I heard her throwing up
*MY STORY AND SOME HELPFUL TIPS:*
(I apologize that this is VERY long😅But it’s worth the read.😌)
I’m 25 and I’ve had Emetephobia since I was a child. It’s consumed my life and I’m in a panic and on edge anytime someone chokes, coughs, gags, throws up or spits up. (For me it’s not so much myself throwing up or coughing it’s other people) I get a terrified/petrified feeling over someone coughing, gagging, throwing up or spitting up.
For me, I live with the family member that threw up on me. They cough 24/7 due to their disability. so I’m in a constant state of anxiety on edge. I’d rather die than keep living with this fear. That maybe dramatic but it’s that bad. (Im suck here until I have money to move out. But in the 2024 economy? Yeah I’m not moving out anytime soon…)
*MY STORY:*
**TW: MENTION THROW UP**
When I was around 5-6 I was with my family at the beach. We had just finished eating dinner. We were walking on the board walk. I was sitting on this family members lap as they were riding in their wheelchair and we all started laughing. The family member got choked so they started coughing. Their hand got caught on the joystick that controls their wheelchair. All of a sudden we’re spinning and then next thing I know there’s throw up on me. After that I got off of their lap and I said: “I would rather be hit by a 18 wheeler truck than be thrown up on!” It was at the moment that my brain did a flip and I had emetephobia.
I remember being in school and anytime a child would throw up I would start to shake and I would start almost having a panic attack.
When someone in public or around me coughs, gags or throws up I start shaking, I can barely breath and almost have a panic attack.
I never knew what it was called or why I would feel a terrified/petrified feeling over coughing or throwing up or spitting up until I was in my early 20’s when I figured out the name of it.
Coughing is a HUGE trigger for me. I start getting VERY HIGH anxiety. Depending on the cough, I can almost start having a panic attack.
When someone throws up I start hyperventilating and I start shaking and almost start crying.
*SOME HELPFUL TIPS:*
I started therapy at age 24 because I’m so tired of having this fear on a daily basis.
1.) Please don’t be afraid to ask for help if your emetephobia getting hard to deal with. It’s okay to ask for help.
2.) If you go to therapist and they say: “I’m sorry I can’t help you.” That’s not true. There is someone out there that can help you. I promise. (Speaking from experience. I found an amazing therapist who has help me tremendously!)
3.) Here are some coping things that I have learned that could help some of you:
(Please note: I’m not mental health specialist. Please get help if you need it. These are just some tips I have learned that have helped me some with coping.)
-Remind yourself that this person is NOT going to throw up.
-If they do throw up, the world is NOT going to end. You will be okay.
-Do breathing exercising.
-Walk away for a second and come back when you’re no longer triggered.
-Download mental health app and journal. (I love the CALM app.You can A TON of different stuff)
-MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC. Music helps me drown out the coughing. It helps me focus on something else rather than the coughing or throwing up.
-Do something to distract yourself. That could be painting or drawing, playing games on your phone, music, TH-cam videos, it could be anything to distract yourself from your triggers.
Again do not be afraid to ask for help. I know for me personally, my therapist helped me a ton. I’m able to handle myself a lot better. Now I do still feel triggered daily. But I’m able to handle it a lot better At times.
It does get better. I promise.❤️
I even gwt scared of hard coughong or burping
I just found out I’m pregnant a few weeks ago and the morning sickness is starting to kick in it is SO MF HARD to eat or even think of vomiting. Last time I threw up was like 8 years ago and I threw up so much one night that I’ve just been afraid to after that. Part of me is like it’s fiiiiine you ate way too much and got sick but the thought of throwing up is so scary
I have it to I hate the noise cause being around people that do it 😢
I used to have this disorder. Until someone puked in my lap on a plane. My emetophobia went away
Update?
Exposure therapy will not help it will make it worse 😊
Exactly omg
Why would the doctor make her make herself puke?! That’s way too far
I am so sorry for Jessica. I know these are snap shots, but from what I viewed, this is NOT graduated exposure therapy. This is torment. No wonder exposure therapy gets a bad name. This therapy is atrocious. 5 months ? I was allocated around 8 sessions. I was an NHS high intensity therapist before retirement, following a certain NHS approved protocol. This CBT exposure therapy works with both the cognitions, negative fixed beliefs, and maladaptive assumptions. A restructuring process is completed before behavioural exposure. If I observed this patients emotionality, I would have incorporated stress reduction techniques before and during exposure. In my opinion, this is an awful example, and likley to exacerbate problems. Poor lady.
I'm a man who is Emetophobic