What is the Fear of Vomiting (Emetophobia)?
It is normal to dislike the thought of vomiting, but for someone with emetophobia, the thought of vomiting is so terrifying that it can end up controlling a person’s life. The person may: • Avoid going out, due to fear of vomiting • Avoid eating in public places (such as restaurants), or with other people • Avoid any place or situation where there is the slightest possibility that the person (or others) may vomit • Become upset even at the mere mention of the word ‘vomit,’ or synonyms like ‘throw up’, ‘barf,’ ‘puke,’ etc. • In some cases, individuals will severely restrict their eating out of fear of vomiting There are two types of emetophobia: • Those who are mainly afraid of vomiting themselves • Those who are mainly afraid of others vomiting Furthermore, people with emetophobia may be: • Type 1 (anxiety-based), which refers to individuals who have an underlying anxiety condition. The anxiety leads to nausea, which then leads to more anxiety. • Type 2 (nausea-based), which refers to
