All day every day I worry about throwing up and make sure everything I eat is “ok” or making sure I don’t get to close to people in case someone is sick. Anyone else struggle with this intrusive fear? I feel nauseous almost every day and I’m exhausted.
I get scared I’ll throw up every time after eating. But so what? What if I do? It won’t be the end of the world. We have to learn to lean into the uncertainty. Maybe we will get sick maybe not. Just think you are making yourself “sick” by worrying you will get sick. What you are trying to avoid is already happening if that makes sense.
I’m sorry you are having such a bad time. I had a similar fear of eating many foods - mine was related to fearing longer or worse restroom trips because of my restroom contamination OCD. I was exhausted and lost. And because of avoiding so many foods for so many years I started having issues with properly digesting foods. I ended up in the hospital at 89.2 lbs (I’m 5’5”) from my OCD based avoidance / restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). But with ERP treatment for my OCD and ARFID I now eat tons of foods, am a health weight, and have most of my OCD under control. The same can happen for you with ERP therapy (just make sure they also deal with ARFID as many OCD providers aren’t familiar with this - it looks like NOCD has people who are). Sending strength and self compassion.
I have emetophobia as part of OCD. I started erp therepy here a year ago. Honestly when I'm triggered now I feel anxious still, but maybe half the amount I did before I started therapy. The anxiety comes down a lot quicker. I have the skills now. Although it's still very hard to live with, and some triggers are bigger than others and are harder to deal with - honestly erp therapy is the answer! Don't let emetophobia and OCD win. Try and gain your life back, I promise it's worth it 💗
This is my OCD. I've been dealing with it since I was in middle- school (~11 years). I do both of the compulsions you described and then some. I even became vegan so I don't have to worry about contaminated and undercooked meat products. I know exactly what you're describing. This time of year is always the most anxious for me and I struggle to get out of bed from October until May due to the fear. I can't handle a job because of my OCD and immense fear of getting something that causes emesis. As I've gotten older I've noticed myself getting more physical symptoms-- like as you mentioned-- nausea. Its hard to live this way and even more disheartening to know that I'm only in my 20s and have many more years like this. But on the other hand, what choice do I have but to keep going? It helps me a lot to know there are other people out here like me and it also helps doing therapy, so in the same vein as being disheartened about all of it, I still have strength within me. Sometimes that's how you got to look at things. Keep up with your therapy, we're all here rooting for you.
This sounds hard and exhausting, I’m sorry you’re dealing with it! Are you in therapy for OCD?
I have had emetophobia practically my entire life. It has been absolutely debilitating in my periods of my life, including right now and the last three years. It’s pure hell because it feels inescapable. I do the same compulsions + others. I wish I knew why we have this fear. I started ERP to address this and other OCD compulsions. Have you considered doing ERP?
I am sorry that you are going through this. It can be so exhausting to live in a constant state of fear. Please know that there are lots of people with this same fear- you are in an amazing community where so many have experienced similar fears. Check out this resource:https://youtu.be/fkPx4_amIl4
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?
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.
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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