Lets be clear that Emetophobia is very different from just not liking being sick.
No one wants to get sick with vomiting; it does not feel good, it makes you uncomfortable, and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. This is normal and healthy to feel this way. However, if you seem to be really afraid of getting sick or vomiting, it may be something more. It is the fear of being sick or the fear of vomiting. If you have this phobia, it can be damaging to your everyday life and you may not know you have a problem.
Symptoms
There are many symptoms and they include and many situations you may avoid if you have the fear of vomiting:
* If you are a woman, you may fear getting pregnant for fear of the morning sickness.
* You may avoid traveling if you are prone to motion sickness or are afraid you may have motion sickness. This can include flying and driving.
* You may avoid certain foods that have a high cause of food poisoning when not properly cooked or handled. This can include chicken, which is the most common type of food that can be mishandled.
* You may also avoid going to restaurants because of fear of food poisoning due to improperly handled and cooked food.
* You may find yourself avoiding alcohol because if you drink in excess, you could vomit.
* You may avoid hospitals, doctors, and surgery for fear of hearing other people vomiting. You may also avoid them for fear of catching a virus yourself.
* You may avoid children. Children are known to carry many germs and be ill a lot. If you are afraid of hearing others vomit or are very afraid of getting sick, you may stay away from children because of this.
* You may obsess about cleanliness and constantly clean your home. You may avoid going to others’ homes for fear they are not ‘clean’ enough.
* You may avoid large crowds, such as amusement parks and other recreational areas because there is a better chance someone will be physically ill.
* If you live with others, whether family or roommates, you may find yourself panicking when someone else in the home is sick. This may be due to the fear of also catching the illness or hearing others be sick.
* You may also be avoiding reading because you may read an article or book where they describe someone being physically ill.
* You may avoid watching television and going to movie theaters. Many people with emetophobia can get physically ill by watching hospital shows and scary movies where there may be a lot of blood and gore. They may also be afraid to see or hear others retching or talking about being sick.
*Children with the condition may start to behave differently – take a look at the article Emetophobia in Children
This is not an all-inclusive list of symptoms. You may have other symptoms or find yourself avoiding other places not mentioned. However, the key is to pay attention to your body and your actions. If you find yourself avoiding areas for no apparent reason, or find yourself feeling panicky or scared a lot, you may want to talk to your doctor.
Your doctor may not be able to treat you personally, but he or she will be glad to help you find the right caregiver.
Generally, phobia treatments range in variety and success. This is because each person is different. A treatment that may work for one person may not work for you. However, the key is to keep trying to find the correct treatment.
Most phobias can be cured, but it is an ongoing process and it can take years in order to start showing signs of progress. The biggest problem is the lack of studies and research done on the disease. Because of the lack of research, there is no preferred treatment or cure. However, there are many treatments that are done, and it is possible to find one that will work for you.
Types of Treatment
Therapy:
Many phobias are not caused by a physical problem. They usually develop because of childhood experiences or memories. Because of this, therapy is the most common type of treatment. If you had a serious illness that included severe vomiting as a child, this may be the reason for your fear. Your body attaches negative feelings and emotions to vomiting, which makes you stay away from places and people that could make you sick.
Therapy helps pinpoint the reason for the phobia, which allows you and your therapist to start the process of changing your mind.
Medicine
Anti-anxiety medications can help those suffering from this disease. However, many that suffer refuse to take medications for fear of causing physical illness. Sometimes, medication can cause nausea or vomiting, and those with emetophobia will not risk taking such medications.
Hypnotherapy
This type of therapy is becoming very common for emetophobia treatment. This is usually tried after regular therapy has not worked. As with regular therapy, hypnotherapy tries to find the root of the problem: why you have the fear. In many instances, the fear is so deep in the subconscious, normal therapy will not help.
If you have emetophobia, you may know that the phobia is irrational, but many times this knowledge is not enough. Using hypnotherapy, you are hypnotized by a professional. The professional will help you delve deep into your subconscious mind to try and pinpoint why you have this fear of vomiting. Once it is pinpointed, you may be treated with regular therapies or continue with hypnosis.
The professional may choose to try and hypnotize you into not having the phobia any longer.
Emetophobia Does Not Have to Ruin your Life!
Natural Treatment
There are also, of course, natural therapies that can provide a safe and structured way of understanding your Emetophobia. These are often effective as they can be used in the comfort of your own home.
Confronting the associated deep fears and anxieties associated with this condition is clearly a challenge. Some will perceive getting outside help for their Emetophobia, together with an unfamiliar environment an added stress, which will work for some but clearly will not be for everybody.
Find out more about Natural Treatment.