No one likes to be nauseous. The concept of getting nauseous or unsettled stomach is not a nice idea. But, when the idea of vomiting becomes overwhelming enough to influence a person to change their lifestyles and eating habits, the situation may be more than just a normal 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 actionof vomiting themselves, the thought or actionof others vomiting, or be afraid ofthe vomit itself. These patients feel extreme amounts of anxiety regarding vomit in general. The trouble with a phobia of this nature is the precursor to vomiting, eating.

Lots of individuals who suffer from emetophobia are diagnosed with anorexia way sooner than the fear of vomiting is found. The patients will stop at nothing to prevent themselves from vomiting and this includes the termination 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 frequentlymake the emetophobic person fell nauseous after a some time with no food and thus the fear is realized and the phobia grows stronger.

The anorexia linked with emetophobia is distinctive, in that it requires the treatment of the fear of vomiting previous to the anorexia can be treated. When hospitalized the emetophobic person will often have to be fed through IV until they are healthy enough to undergo mental treatment for their fear of vomit.

Some of the more familiar symptoms of emetophobia include:

Avoidance of social conditions.

Avoidance of restaurants, hospitals, and doctors offices.

A strong fear of getting sick.

Avoidance of food.

Anorexia.

As it is common to hate vomit, it is not common to avoid food in order to prevent yourself from vomiting. The emetophobia person will go the excessive lengths to avoid getting sick or even seeing vomit. This phobia is one of the most difficult due to the link to anorexia which can cause death in a very short period of time. Anorexia is frequently diagnosed along side bulimia, but the emetophobic patient will never show signs of bulimia.

Emetophobia can be treated in much the same method as other types of phobia with anti-anxiety medication and psychotherapy. But, due to the nature of the fear itself, the psychotherapy frequently needs to be vast and the patients are frequently placed into an in patient treatment facility in order to be viewed personally during treatment. If the emetophobia patient has begun to avoid food, the treatment will also involve a higher calorie diet and additional therapy for anorexia.