Does anybody do things that most emetophobes can't?

[Leigh95]

I hear 'you can't have emetophobia because you do this...' all the time.

Thanks to years of CBT, I can drink alcohol to some extent, I can deal with eating at restaurants, I don't check expiry dates anymore, the list goes on

Is there anybody else who still has severe emetophobia but they can still do some things thatt most emetophobes can't?

[H.B.]

I have never had therapy, and I will eat out off and on, I drink, I am ok in crowds, I use public restrooms (always without touching my skin to anything and also I wash my hands) I do road trips, I really don’t like carnival rides or flying so I avoid them though. And I still have rituals when I am out to protect me from ingesting any germs.

[kejelj]

I avoid crowds when I can, but eat at restaurants regularly. I do check expiration dates and wash my hands frequently but not obsessively like I used to. I drink alcohol but it's very rare that I get drunk. I tested myself this weekend - the movie Bridesmaids was on, and as I'm sure you all know there is a big *V scene in it. But, as usual, as soon as I saw "the look" on that first girl's face, I changed the channel, and was a little unsettled for about an hour afterward, even though I didn't even see or hear anything.

[Leigh95]

Thanks for your reply!

I am assuming from what you have said that you are in a similar position to me - we still have severe emetophobia but in some ways we can do things that the 'average emetophobe' can't.

I'm curious how you can do certain things without therapy? Did you force yourself to do things?