- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
I know of someone who had emetophobia when I was a patient at OCDi Jr. Here were some of their exposures: - eating then running around - looking at pictures of throw-up and writing stories about it - watching videos of people doing eating challenges and throwing up I know this person made so much progress doing these exposures!!! Though I know that different exposures work better for different people and that some people’s OCD responds better to treatment than others. I hope that maybe these are some ideas that might work for you!
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you so much! I have taken these down and may implement myself
- Date posted
- 3y
I had it when I was younger.
- Date posted
- 3y
How did you get over it?
- Date posted
- 3y
@Anonymous I honestly don't know. Time and medication. Know as I'm older it is other things...but getting sick is like nothing now. I think being drunk and having to get sick one time was a way of getting over it. It just doesn't matter anymore.
- Date posted
- 3y
@waynoworlater I've had the opposite experience. This started for me in elementary school. The older I got the worse it got. I'm 45 and its still really severe. I've also had OCD since I 8. Didnt know or realize it until last month.
- Date posted
- 3y
@Lms526 Often times we only realize we had ocd looking back bc it’s under-diagnosed but I understand @waynoworlater with their experience being really therapeutic and if I had thrown up from drinking, maybe I would have been done with this but I had somewhat avoidant behaviors. I did throw up once last year but it didn’t seem to stop me from fearing it happening again. Hoping to get to the root of this.
- Date posted
- 3y
Me! I have have it for many years. I am focusing on my harm suicide OCD right now. But that one is next on my hit list.
- Date posted
- 3y
I also have that! It's those 2 are my biggest obstacles but right now emetophobia has taken over for various reasons!
- Date posted
- 3y
To be clear, I got over the being sick obsession, but recently had a reoccurrence of OCD behavior and lead into harm ocd and suicidal ocd thoughts. I think just stress and anxiety obviously triggered it again. I almost wish I had the being sick obsession back, but the symptoms were just as similar. The avoidance, etc. I'm just an adult now and have to keep a job and that makes it way harder than just missing school like when I was a kid.
- Date posted
- 3y
I totally understand. I also have the suicidal ocd and for whatever reason, that one is not bothering me right now but when it is, I of course wish it was the sick obsession instead and vice versa. I also have had to take some time off work to maintain my health and I was nervous about it but glad that I did it. Being that I work from home has helped some with the anxiety and not being in public but I also think part of not having to be in public is why I’m getting anxious more bc it’s less exposure.
- Date posted
- 3y
Yes. Being isolated definitely doesn't help me. I just have to find a balance.
- Date posted
- 3y
Yeah I don’t love it either, I’m a social person which is why when I fear getting sick it really turns things around bc I get scared of it happening in a social setting and will want to avoid or leave the situation. I just have a bit of safety being at home that I likely won’t get sick in public at work. I hope you can feel better soon. Suicidal OCD is rough and I’m here to talk about it if you want!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 25w
Recently, I’ve been struggling a ton with what I eat/put into my body? I’m a first year college student with a few different health issues (including IBS), and lately it’s been hard for me to find food on campus that doesn’t upset my stomach. I also have pretty severe emetophobia, and feel extremely anxious when I feel sick. The ironic thing is that being anxious makes me feel even worse, so I end up sticking myself in an impossible loophole. My OCD has taken hold of these fears over the past few months, and it’s been such a struggle. Especially since people have been getting food poisoning from various dining halls on my campus lately. My OCD has gotten so bad that sometimes I’m too afraid to eat food other than what I buy myself. I feel so trapped. I don’t want my OCD to affect my physical health or prevent me from eating, bc I love eating!! It’s the fear of getting sick that’s the problem. And it’s even harder when everything is so unfamiliar. Just wondering if anyone could relate. Advice is appreciated!
- Date posted
- 20w
This has recently developed into something much bigger than it originally was. When this past winter season started, i noticed more people were getting the stomach bug than usual. I was fine at first, until I was noticing almost one person in every class was saying they recently had it. I researched about it, and I found what I was looking for unfortunately. Norovirus cases were surging across the U.S because of a new strain of NoV that recently had been spreading. This immediately altered my way of thinking. Everywhere I went, I would be overly cautious of what’s around me and whose around me. The first obsessive compulsive problem I had was that I couldn’t eat at lunch anymore unless I washed my hands. One time, I didn’t have an option to wash my hands, so I didn’t eat lunch. That’s when I knew it was interfering with my daily life, and it was becoming a serious issue. There was another time where some guy threw up near me in the hallway trash can. My mind was spiraling. all. day. long. It felt like it was consuming me alive. Not a minute would go by where I wouldn’t think about it, and the high possibility of me catching this virus. There’s been so many other scenarios where I feel myself losing it. I’m not the best of explaining in detail how my mind feels when it spirals, but the best thing I could say is that I could feel myself slowly losing my mind. It takes over my life. I HAVE to act on my compulsive acts, if not, i’ll have these obsessive thoughts until it consumes me whole. I’ve had nervous breakdowns, panic attacks, anxiety attacks, insomnia, and it almost feels like it’s causing me to have an eating disorder. Most recently, I went to use the bathroom and saw what looked like puke on the toilet seat. I was already using it, so I just finished my buisness and rushed out there asap. I figured, if I fasted for two days, what’s there to puke if I do catch NoV? So, I did. I missed school because on the second day of fasting, I became very dehydrated. I was weak, and couldn’t move. I realized what this all rooted back to. That’s when I knew I needed help.
- Date posted
- 15w
This is my first time posting - I have a fear of throw up and I’ve been told it is cause from my OCD (repetitive thoughts) which makes sense because if someone gets sick it replays over and over again and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s gotten a lot worse in the past maybe two years. I’m always on edge that someone is going to get sick around me. I’ve heard the “best or most common” way to help with this is exposure therapy and OBVIOUSLY I don’t want to do that. Anyone have any tips or anything for this (or maybe have done the exposure therapy)?
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