When I was a child, I spent large amounts of time with psychiatrists and counsellors because of my emitophobia. They were convinced that my fear of vomiting - which led to serious panic attacks - was evidence of a deeper psychiatric problem. I had EEG tests on my brain, which found no clinical cause. I was then put on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs, put through long periods of hypnotherapy and even offered a place in a psychiatric hospital for children.


No psychiatrist believed that I had a genuine phobia. By making me into a psychology case, they made me feel a lot worse. But their drugs and counselling made no difference. Whenever I said "I'm afraid of vomiting", they would ignore me and try to find other reasons for my panic attacks. It was very upsetting to be made into some headcase to experiment on.


After five years of traumatic and pointless treatment, at the age of 17 I refused to go to see any more doctors and stopped taking the drugs. Without the medical professionals in my life, my emitophobia started to get a bit better.


I still have the phobia, but it has subsided with taking more and more "risks" that challenge the fears. Simple. No drugs and no self-proclaimed specialists!