How old were you at the onset of your emetophobia?

[Taylor105]

Mine got even worse when one year, the day after Easter, my younger sister got sick. She had ate her entire Easter bbasket. Literally. My mom had a friend who made homemade chocolates and even the basket itself was made from chocolate. I slept on the top bunk and my sister on the bottom. I cannot tell you how grateful I was that I was on top. I was 13 and my sister was 11. I had to make a pinata for Spanish class and had worked so hard on it and it was on the floor next to the beds ready for me to take to school the following morning. All of a sudden in the dark I got awoken to what sounded like someone pouring a big bowl on Chunky soup onto the floor. I realized immediately as I aroused that my sister was throwing up all over my pinata and the floor. I put my pillow over my face, my hands over my ears, and started screaming "MOM MOM MOM" over and over at the top of my lungs. My parents were mad that I overreacted...in their words....to the situation at hand. My mother came in and flipped on the lights. I didn't want to be in the room because the smell of putrid acidic chocolate was hitting me in the nose, but I didn't want to come out from under my pillow to leave the room because I didn't want to see my colorful pinata covered in thick dark chocolate *v. So I stayed underneath the pillow sobbing with my nose plugged as my mom cleaned the floor and threw away my art project. She took my sister out and made her strip and get in the bath tub. I had to go to school the next day and tell my teacher in front of the whole class that my sister barfed on my pinata. They all thought it was hilarious. At least I didn;t say the dog ate my homework. haha I guess looking back at this story it is sort of funny now. But it traumatized me at the time. I made my sister make me a new pinata and thankfully the teacher believed me and gave me another week to make a new one.

[Ghost_oftheSun]

I had to be about 7 years old. My emet started because I was constantly getting sick when I was younger and I was v* almost every week when I was young. I just can't take being sick anymore because it brings me back awful memories.

[redastrid]

I can't remember a time when I didn't have emet. Some of my earliest memories involve feeling scared of v*. My guess would be that I've had emetophobia ever since my cognition became developed enough for me to understand what v* was.

[denisenavidad]

Mine started when I was about 6 as well. My mom and I both contracted a really bad sv and she ended up in the hospital due to dehydration. I'm pretty sure at that point my brain began to associate v* with my mom being in the hospital. I certainly don't like doing it myself, but my issue is more with seeing other people v*. I also seemed to attract it as a child - got v*d on by a peer on a bus trip, had several kids that I babysat v* while I was watching them (different kids/different nights - thank goodness!), and had a cousin with "abdominal migraines" that caused him to v* frequently.

[KTodd]

I have actually had this emet for so long that I cannot remember. I think I have ALWAYS had this fear. My mother says that when I was a very small child like probably 3-5 yrs old, that I was even horrified to have a bit of diarrhea. I have had this fear since forever but I had to have my stomach pumped at the age of 2-3 and I have always said that even though I barely remember it, my mind does. I feel this has to be the root of my fear and I have tried speaking to my mother about it but she won't. She wants to pretend it never happened bc it was her valium I apparently ate thinking it was candy. I just remember how sick I was but a very brief memory. It got ALOT worse however, 4 years ago at the onset of my gastric problems. I feel sick a lot bc of it and bc of this phobia I feel like I am literally going crazy!

[Mariie]

I was about 5 years old, I'm pretty sure it's because of the time I had an operation and the doctors came into my room a few days later to pull out a tube that was through my nose (or mouth) until my stomach... It's the most horrible thing I've ever experienced

[Asil]

The first time i cam remember running away from someone v was when i was about 5 and my mum ran into the kitchen and v in the sink. Inwas hiding behind the sofa with my fingers in my ears. I think my fear came from when i had a bug when i was in school age 4. I ran out of the lunch queue a v all over the classroom and the teacher shouted at me and made me sit in the lunch hall and eat a full dinner. I had a sv and i d in my pants and sat in it all day because i was so scared of the teacher shouting at me again. I blame that horrible teacher for this horrible phobia

[Asylvia]

I was 4 years old my mom had terrible morning sickness while pregnant with my brother I remember hiding under the Christmas tree holding my ears

[yanksfan]

mine was when i was 11, just had a very violent v from what i assume was an sv or something i ate but still it really affected me and it ruined that summer despite being months after i got sick.

[danilouise]

i voted 16 to 20 because that's when I started having really deep-set issues. I've had a fear ever since I can remember, though.

[lisalynn]

New here, my phobia started when I was about 6 I don't know if it was a virus or food but I was bent over the toilet for what seemed like forever and could not stop getting sick to the point that I couldn't even breathe. I remember using one of my only breaths to ask my grandpa if it would ever stop. I don't know if I blacked out from it because I do not remember anything after that. 28 now and still terrified. Came here tonight due to fact I am concerned my husband has a virus....ugh....

[Kristen5318]

I was 5 or 6 when I remember v* in the middle of the night. Ive been terrified of v* & d* since then. I also had an expierence where one of my class mates v* all over the teachers desk in the fourth grade right in front of me. I have been so scared of other people and germs since then. i would have to have my mom and dad reassure me every night that I wasn't going to get sick. Even now I have to have my husband do the same. It's interesting that our some of us started having this phobia around the same age.

[BrookeM]

It first started when I was 7, then took an almost "break" for a few years, then started back up when I was 11. I've had it ever since, but some times are worse than others. For example, I had a major setback again when I was 14, and thankfully that's been the last AWFUL set of it. During those times, I basically had a constant panic attack for months at a time. Thankfully, I haven't had one of those in going on 5 years. 🙏🏻