As long as i can remember i have had this problem. Its been roughly 8 years since i have last vomited (or gagged for that matter) and in the past year I am convinced that I have this phobia. For the most part I would fear seeing people in the act of vomiting and the sounds that can sometimes go with it. There really aren't any things that I would avoid because of it except excessive alcohol drinking (I know my limits). I am 18 now, just graduated high school, going to a nearby college and there really aren't any problems in my life at the moment. In the past month however, my Emetophobia has taken a turn for the worse. It started July 3rd with excessive swallowing. This came on suddenly and prior to this I had to no sensation or reason to be vomiting. My body just wanted me to swallow. Since then i've had some stomach problems and dry mouth. 3 weeks ago i went for an endoscopy to check out my stomach. Turns out I have 3 small ulcers, nothing serious, just means i need to cut down on certain things and take Nexium to allow them to heal. Now throughout the month the swallowing and dry mouth would sometimes keep me up at night because I sometimes would get a bit of a choking feeling because I'd go to swallow and have little to no saliva to do so with. Now, its been 8 years since i have vomited, I have no memory of how it really feels or anything that leads up to it. So I'd think that the choking feeling was me about to vomit. In the past week I was showing symptoms of a mild stomach virus. Once my mother told me that my symptoms of that of a stomach virus i freaked out. For the first 3 days of it all i did was lay on my couch, eat and drink little nothing and when i got up i'd feel dizzy. In the last couple days ive felt better, gotten my apetite back, and im drinking fluids regularly. But im still having trouble with my emetophobia while all of this is happening.

The way my emetophobia works is id rather be in the company of people if i was going to vomit. This is why I have trouble sleeping because of it. I feel alone in my room at night and i freak out if im going to vomit because there is no one there. I never get this alone feeling at any other time. Ive been afraid to eat to much in the past week for fear that i may vomit.

Im so tired of this mind-fuck of a phobia. It's so stupid how one of the most exciting times of my life is about to happen and all I can worry about is a normal body function. (Sorry for the rage)

Im also sorry if this post is long, but i've never talked to other people who also have this problem.

Thanks for reading