No one likes to be sick. The thinking of getting nauseous or vomiting is not a nice thought. But, when the idea of nausea becomes overwhelming enough to impose a person to modify their lifestyles and eating habits, the condition may be more than just a rational aversion of throwing up. Emetophobia is the strong fear of vomit and this irrational fear can lead to death in those who suffer from it.



Someone who fears vomit may fear the thought or actof vomiting themselves, the thought or actof others vomiting, or be afraid ofthe vomit itself. These patients experience extreme amounts of anxiety concerning vomit in general. The problem with a phobia of this nature is the precursor to vomiting, eating.

Many those who suffer from emetophobia are diagnosed with anorexia way before the fear of vomiting is found. The patients will stop at nothing to prevent themselves from vomiting and this includes the pause of eating.

They feel that if they do not eat food, there is no way they will be forced to vomit or get sick. Ironically, eating food can oftenmake the emetophobic person fell nauseous after a period of time without food and thus the fear is realized and the phobia grows stronger.

The anorexia connected with emetophobia is only one of its kind, in that it requires the treatment of the fear of vomiting before the anorexia can be treated. When hospitalized the emetophobic individual will often have to be fed through IV until they are healthy enough to undergo emotional treatment for the fear of vomit.

Some of the more familiar symptoms of emetophobia include:

Avoidance of social conditions.

Avoidance of restaurants, hospitals, and doctors offices.

An intense fear of getting sick.

Avoidance of food.

Anorexia.

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

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