Emetophobia

I get anxiety every single time I have a stomach ache and you know how often I have a stomach ache every single day I get anxiety every single day about the same things and even more things but it’s not just that so much things trigger it and I feel so misunderstood like people think oh you have a fear of throwing up well no one like throwing up or get over it but it’s not that simple I’m traumatized like I’d rather do something I absolutely hate than throw up. I literally avoid everything I can’t eat this can do that can’t share. i have to take vitamin c everyday to improve my immune system I don’t like travel because I’m scared of motion sickness I get scared on rides thinking someone will Throw up on me I cant drink even though I’m underage and alcohol is disgusting but still I can’t be around little kids because they have too many germs. I always think I have a fever and I’m constantly checking my temp. I’m constantly feeling my head and my cheeks to make sure they’re not hot. I get scared to go to my cousins house because they are always sick I can’t eat at certain restaurant i have to check dates on food. I can’t wear certain clothes. i have dreams of myself throwing up. When I get intrusive thoughts/ images about me getting sick or someone else. I Literally can not function on certain days from the past I got sick there is so much more how will this ever stop how will I ever be able to function I avoid so much and I literally miss out on so much things because of this like I literally want to shut down in my room and never come out that’s how bad it is. I have this extreme fear of getting sick/ vomiting and OCD has latched onto that fear ever since I was little and I have to do all these compulsions and this is just a list of some of the things I have to do. Anyone else relate?

Username: Erin PErin P

Date posted: 1y ago

I can relate to being afraid of foods because of my OCD. I was so afraid that certain foods would upset my stomach and make my restroom trips worse (bathroom use contamination OCD) that I got down to only eating/drinking 11 things for a long time. I ended up severely underweight and was hospitalized. Since then I have worked on my ARFID disorder and eat tons of different foods without fear. I found out that the reason I had so many stomach problems was my anxiety level not what I was eating. I was afraid of cold germs for a long time but also worked through that in treatment. A friend had clothing limitations from her OCD but no longer does due to ERP. I felt so awful before treatment. I still have OCD and it’s severe but I don’t feel terrible except when I’m in the restroom. ERP really helped. I was bad enough to need residential care but it made a huge difference. I was doing really well pre-pandemic. So I have hope for you. Have you already tried ERP?

Username: Anonymouss Anonymouss

Date posted: 1y ago

@Erin P Yes I’ve done ERP 2 different times it definitely did help in some ways. Like how I could never watch a movie that had a vomit scene and I did that as an exposure and now it doesn’t cause me anxiety. And how I can say vomit and puke and before I couldn’t. My therapist now is train in ocd and specific phobias so I think she’s trying to help me with my emetophobia, And going exposures around that.

Username: Erin PErin P

Date posted: 1y ago

@Anonymous1616 Wonderful. You can do it.

Username: Danielle CarterDanielle Carter

User type: Member advocate

Date posted: 1y ago

Hi! Im so sorry to hear that you are suffering with this. @Anonymous1616. I'm wishing you all the best as you continue to fight to overcome this condition. We are rooting for you!

Username: Katie BellKatie Bell

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

I completely relate! Vomiting is my worst fear and I became agoraphobic and stopped leaving my house because I was so scared of becoming contaminated with a stomach virus. However, with ERP through NOCD, I’m slowly facing my fears and becoming more comfortable saying/writing trigger words and phrases and I’ve also slowly started exposing myself to the outdoors again. I don’t think I’ll ever be completely free from emetophobia, but with time and therapy it’s possible to get your life back. I believe in you!!

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

Hi just coming on here to say I have the same symptoms as you and you are not alone. I’ve been doing similar ERP as others and it has helped a lot. I feel your pain but there is hope!

Username: claire

Date posted: 5y ago

hello ocd community! my obsessions and fear of throwing up and compulsions of praying about it cause me to have physical anxiety and my stomach hurts almost every night before i sleep. this triggers my ocd because i am deathly afraid of throwing up which causes me to act on obsessions when i start to feel sick. the anxiety and stomach aches can trigger each other, and when one happens, it is a vicious cycle and they make each other worse. i have a hard time getting out of this headspace or relaxing without taking xanax or drinking alcohol, and if i don’t, i will stay paralyzed in fear for 1-2 hours. any suggestions for healthy coping strategies? anybody have similar fears?

Contamination OCD

Username: Shamrocks22

Date posted: 3y ago

Anyone else have emetophobia? I’m trying to not google too much, I’ve dealt with having this fear for many many years but something I just read said it’s hard to treat. And this is my first shot of trying to treat it (it goes along with OCD) and I’m just worried I won’t get over this and I so badly want this to be a thing of the past for me. I moreso just want to know if anyone else can relate.

Username: norahgs

Date posted: 48w ago

Emetophobia

Its currently 6:53am, woke up around 6:00am in a panic from a nightmare and I can’t fall back asleep. I have contamination ocd and emetophobia. At night i have a hard time falling asleep because every time ive gotten sick its been in the middle of the night while im sleeping. Before bed i usually get bad anxiety its going to happen again, even if theres no reason for it to happen. This obviously can trigger dreams about it, which then make me feel worse. Through out the day Ill overly manage my eating habits (no chicken certain days etc), take certain routes home to avoid getting sick, wash my hands when i can *feel* the germs on them, do certain tasks so it doesn’t make me sick etc. Its really getting to a point where i feel like its consuming me , and I need help but I am so scared to get it.

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Emetophobia

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