Am I really an emetophobe?

[shilyn]

I only found out very recently that emetophobia was recognized and so common among ppl. Before I thought I was alone, and as no one in my family had seen it before, they made me ashamed of my fear. I've had the fear since I was a young child, and at least twice in my life (I'm 22) it's flared up so that I would worry every day and nearly make myself sick just thinking about it. I also had trouble eating. I developed OCD, but it was always about food or "germs." Not until I heard about emetophobia and came here and lurked and learned did I realize just how much my fear of V* (as I see it put here) could have effected my life all this time.

But when I've looked at the posts here, I see how much everyone here is so terrified of it, and although I can't stop myself from feeling that terror whenever I hear that someone feels sick, has been sick, or was sick recently, I don't think my fear is as intense. If someone is feeling sick I'll interrogate them about why they feel that way, and I try to avoid sickness as much as I can, but I am able to think about it without much fear and even discuss it or see it on TV with only minor discomfort. Really my phobia springs up when rumor of an illness is floating around, or I overhear someone mention it, or especially when someone I live with gets sick.

For me it's been a shock to see how much emetophobia may have affected my life without my knowing it. If my fear was cured for instance, I think my OCD would go away, and the anxiety I sometimes feel socially, the unclean feeling I get, might leave too. And alcohol, I barely drink because it might make me V*. If I wasn't afraid, I wonder, would I be happier? But at the same time, if I am not truly an emetophobe, what am I? Am I just neurotic, or am I partially-cured...?

So my question was what exactly is the definition of a true emetophobe? Do I count, or am I just borderline? Does anyone else feel similarly?

[gumdropper1]

Hi Rachael, and welcome. Yes, you are an emetophobe. Reading these posts, you can appreciate that some people have much more anxiety than others.

You can learn more about emetophobia by reading my Emetophobia FAQ at the link below.

Doug

[beany]

Yes I agree and you will see that a lot of us have OCD or some form of it as well. There is absolutely no reason to be ashamed. There are millions of people with a phobia of some sort (my friend feels the same about blood as I do about v* and we help eachother). You are certainly not alone!

[paulinek]

Yep definitely an emet, there's varying different degrees of severity if you like, and it can even vary in how much it affects you at different times in your life - i used to be pretty much housebound and think about it 24/7 whereas now I only tend to completely freak out if i think i may have been exposed to something or people are s* around me.

Although it is there all the time in the back of my head and I have OCD re handwashing and germs but it's only really because of the emet - if i wasn't scared of getting s* i wouldn't scrub my kitchen, bathroom or hands half as much!!

I also interrogate people if they say they feel ill too [img]smileys/smilies_09.gif[/img]

[shilyn]

Thank you Paulinek, you sound a lot like me, and that's good to hear!! I am very grateful that right now I'm in a up-phase. I hope for both of us that it continues! Beany and Doug, thank you to you both as well! It really was mindblowing to know I'm not alone and never was.

Doug, in the pages you provided (and I read through a lot of them!) there was a tone of great info, but the thing I'm realizing more and more as I learn more is that emets don't get sick a lot. That's something I haven't had in common, I think. Though I do get my sisters' illnesses mixed up. Basically I remember their SV and FP and just think it was mine. But overall I think I have V* a lot more than many of the emets here. Maybe that's why I'm not as afraid. Like just last month (possibly GRAPHIC) I had my wisdom teeth out and I knew the drugs could make me sick. I was distracted so much by pain and by the opiate they proscribed that when I did get sick from advil and my stomach rejecting liquid foods on the second day of recover, I threw up twice and felt almost no anxiety with it. The opiate could have been responsible, cuz by the second day it gave me a peaceful feeling. (END of anything graphic)

So my phobia is almost exclusively centered around fear of SV or FP, but then again I think that's how most emets wuld describe themselves, right?

[alwaysafraid]

Welcome! There's definitely varrying degrees of emetophobia and I definitely read about people's experiences that seem much worse than mine. We all suffer a little bit differently yet it has a common theme. I think the most important factor is if it negatively affects your life then it's a problem. No matter how mild or severe your case is I hope this forum helps you through it a bit. I know it's helped me. It's great not to feel alone dealing with this nonsense, these people understand how you feel.

[shilyn]

Thank you always, I like that definition. And being that I am blessedly at a lower level of anxiety, I hope I can offer help to others. I know back when I was more affected this place would have been a godsend. Still is really!

[gumdropper1]

Shilyn, I think your case is kind of odd. You seem to only be afraid of vomiting if it is caused by surprise, like a virus. You were able to expect the vomiting you did when you had your wisdom teeth out and so you didn't mind it. That is very strange for an emet, but I guess it's strange in a good way!

Doug