Emetophobia is the fear of nausea and vomiting. Vomiting in particular causes great panic. Especially when they find themselves in a situation where they cannot immediately leave to vomit, there is the greatest fear. This phobia often arises from childhood or childhood. It is often difficult to diagnose and administer treatment because emetophobia is often not yet recognized. Emetophobia often occurs in combination with fear of contamination or fear of the street. This doesn’t make life easy.
Fear of nausea and vomiting
Emetophobia is the nice name for a phobia of vomiting. A phobia is a psychological condition centered on great fear. This fear is not realistic and often there is fear of something that is not life threatening. Of course we all know about spider phobia (arachnophobia). More than half of all women and 1 in 10 men suffer from a spider phobia. Emetophobia is a much lesser known phobia. In the Netherlands, between 50,000 and 60,000 people suffer from this anxiety disorder. It is often difficult to determine exact figures because many people are ashamed of it. More than 90 percent of patients are women.
Cause
Often the cause of emetophobia lies somewhere in childhood. The child has vomited at least once and found this very unpleasant. This can cause a fear of vomiting to develop. A phobia also occurs more often during puberty and early adulthood. In principle, anyone can develop emetophobia. The cause is not always clearly identifiable. However, an unpleasant experience with vomiting or nausea is more common.
Recognizing emetophobia
People with emetophobia are afraid of vomiting. As a result, they only eat food that they know is not subject to spoilage. Fresh vegetables, whether or not from the supermarket, can be a source of bacteria. The same applies to meat products. Products that have a shelf life of one day are often thrown away. Often only certain types of food are eaten. This allows the patient to lose a lot of weight.
Emetophobia doesn’t always come alone. Sometimes there is a fear of contamination: the fear of becoming infected with bacteria, viruses or other micro-organisms. These micro-organisms can cause infection of the abdomen, resulting in vomiting. Fear of the street can also arise. The underlying idea is the fact that contamination lurks everywhere and especially on the street or in public spaces. This causes some people to become socially isolated. A panic disorder
often also develops. This has to do with the great fear of vomiting. A panic disorder is often accompanied by nausea, which only increases anxiety. Anything that can cause nausea and possibly vomiting is strongly avoided. Whether these are food, drinks or situations. In addition, people with emetophobia always want to have a bucket nearby in case they have to throw up.
Some patients have become so adept at avoiding vomiting that they haven’t vomited in years. On average, every person vomits at least once a year, although some are lucky enough to hardly ever get sick and others get sick very often. People with emetophobia often manage to avoid this by building an isolated existence.
Many people with emetophobia develop gastrointestinal complaints. This is partly due to stress and anxiety, and partly due to a one-sided diet. Compulsive actions often arise, such as washing your hands extremely often. This is to prevent contamination. This can cause hands to look very dry, red and flaky.
Therapy
Patients must learn to confront situations without triggering a panic attack. Vomiting is not serious and not life-threatening. often one has to learn how to best vomit and why the body activates this mechanism. Psychological help is needed for this. However, many patients do not make it. The road to healing is often a long one and not every patient comes out of it completely well. Sometimes emetophobia arises from another problem. This problem needs to be investigated and addressed through targeted treatment. Behavioral therapy and relaxation techniques are often useful. In severe cases, sedative medications may be prescribed. However, some patients do not want to take these medications because of the fear of side effects (vomiting). Antidepressants alone do not work. This must be done in combination with guidance from a psychologist.
The phobia can always return, especially in times of stress. Stress is often accompanied by nausea and some former patients develop the fear of vomiting again. In those cases it is important to contact the therapist/psychologist or doctor immediately.
Not treating is also a choice. Everyone is free to undergo treatment or to refrain from it. However, one must be aware that social life is affected and panic attacks can become increasingly severe. Losing weight is also a serious side effect and can seriously damage the immune system, resulting in illness.