Hello, here’s my experience

[centipede]

I joined this forum last December while experiencing a hard bout of emetophobia but haven't beenhere in a while. As far as I can remember, I've always had a fear of vomiting but it wasn't until lastSeptember that I started experiencing symptoms of emetophobia. It started with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and went full force into emetophobia.


In my unprofessional opinion, I believe it was stress and anxiety that brought on emetophobia. As I said, I always had a fear of vomiting but never experienced panic attacks, changed diets or lifestyle until last fall when my stress and anxiety increased.


It wasn't until I typed in "fear of vomiting" in a google search last December that I was aware this was such a common phobia. Like so many other people, I thought I was alone and crazy.Within a few weeks of posting on this site, my emet symptoms lessenedand I stopped coming to this forum. The emetophobianever went away but Ifelt more positive and the panic attacks were not as commone.Lately, I've been under stress again and I'm starting to have emet symptoms again and panic attacks.


Sincelast fall, I've lost some weight due to dietary changes brought onby the emetophobia but I'm not starving myself and I find I eat healthier as a result.In my case I noticed that I suffer more in the evenings than during the day.Maybe that's because I'm not as pre-occupied in the evening. Because of this, one of the dietary changes I made is to eat a very lite dinner and make lunch my larger meal of the day. I also have a fear of going out to restaurants to eat because I'm afraid I'll get sick when I'mthere.


I read recentlysome statistics about emetophobia whichsaid that roughly 6%of the population suffer from it. I think that number is probably much higher than that but most people never even heard of this fear and therefore don't know they have it. Just like myself, I never would have considered myself emetophobic until I researched this on theinternet.


One of my goals(when I get some free time) is to get a media release out about emetophobia and send it off to major tv networks and print publications so that others just likeme,know that they are not crazy and not alone.


Wendy

[lgood22573]

Hi Wendy- you make some very good points. Welcome back.

[surfjunkie]

Welcome back!

I remember reading somewhere that Matt Lauer (The Today Show) and
Denise Richards (actress/Charlie Sheen's ex) are both emets. I might be
wrong, but that might go somewhere with your media plan!