Birth order/family size’s affect on emet?

[confusedgirl]

If people don't mind saying, I was wondering what people here's birth order and family size is? I was curious, trying to figure out what could possibly cause emet... I'm interested in what causes certain people to feel certain things...I'm a first born, and I have one younger sister, and most of the times I remember something really graphic happening with v* when I was younger involved my sister getting sick... I was wondering if first borns are more likely to be emet, because they see their younger siblings get sick more often (because the younger ones may be less likely to get to a bathroom), or maybe younger siblings are more likely to be emet, because they see their older family members suffering from sickness... and maybe big families are less likely to have emets in them, because of more exposure opportunities, or those may make people more likely to be emet? I'm just curious if these things have any affect... any opinions?

[65roses]

I'm the youngest, my closest sibling to me is 8 years. There are 4 of us. I'm emet.

[chicajojobe]

First born. Brother is 2 years younger than me.

[crimgoddess]

I'm the oldest of two- but I personally doubt that birth order or family size has any correlation to this phobia. Even if you do a large scale study of emetophobics and it is determined that they are more likely to be from large families/small families, or be oldest/youngest, it would be hard to defend, as there are so many other variables that could have a higher correlation than those factors.


I also don't think it is possible to find one specific *cause* for emet (Sidenote: scientifically it would be impossible to pinpoint a distinct cause- you would only be able to determine if there are correlations. There are too many variables involved). I think emet is a result of a chain of events-and for each person that chain can be different, depending on things such as thinking patterns, parenting, etc.


For instance: although being in a larger family increases your chance of coming in contact with vomit- exposure may not necessarilybe a good thing, or make the person less likely to develop emet.. If the person has already started the process of becoming emet, it can be a very scary thing! LOL- I have an aunt who is emet- and she is one of 11. I don't know how she managed growing up in a house with one bathroom for 8 kids!


*amber*Edited by: crimgoddess

[spilled_milk]

I'm an only child [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]. So I have a rather small family...


<3 Anya--

[suze]

I'm the younger of two, we're both emets. My sister's daughter is emet, she's the younger of two, her older brother isn't. Every possible combination here!

[junglemonkey]

Youngest of 3! No one else is emet in the family. My brother and sister are quite a bit older than me though, so I don't reckon I would have witnessed them v* a lot. I don't remember any occasionswhere they were s* except my sister 2 years ago.


I remember various occasions of my mum v* and my gran had cancer and would never see us because she was afraid if she spoke she would be s*. Edited by: junglemonkey

[donna1216]

Oldest of 4. My cousin is an emet--only afraid of others doing it, though, not of herself, she is the oldest of 3.

[kmjundt]

I am the oldest of 3 and I can remember my middle brother getting sick quiet often and we shared a room with bunk beds, he slept on the top and me on the bottom. I remember one instance waking up to him v* over the side of the bed onto the bed I was sleeping on...I ran out of the room. Another time, we were both sleeping on the floor of my parents room and he v* in his sleep and didn't wake up, when I woke up I was laying in it.

[stella9]

Oldest of three and the only emet.


Stella

[e-lizabeth]

youngest of 6 and only emet.

[tcsarah]

Another only child here!

[luna33]

I'm the oldest of four. The third child is also emet (note: the odd number sisters are emets!). I totally attribute a lot of my emet to sis #2 (17 mos. younger than me)---she has a very weak stomach, got carsick, svs constantly, every vacation we took she would v*** about a million times. Once we went to Disney and she v***ed next to me or on me on almost every ride (and my parents still forced me to sit with her on every ride) and then again during lunch in Cinderella castle that same day. She was so used to it she would just v*** and go back to whatever she was doing, while I'd panic and have to be consoled by my parents. I can't even count the number of nights I woke up to her v****ing. UGH. I love her, but I'm so glad we don't share a room (or house) anymore!

[kate1966]

Youngest of 3...I am the only emet that I know of in my family...My family does not know about my emet.

[donna1216]

Actually, my youngest sister is also an emet--she is totally terrified of others doing it, even my son's spit up, she's not really afraid of herself v'ing, per se, but she is now not eating out because she is afraid of food poisoning and she constantly Purells her hands and covers the mouse on the computer with a tissue so as not to come in contact with germs and she is totally a hypochondriac.

[samara's on tv]

I'm the oldest of three. My younger sister and I are only 11 months apart. That's because I was adopted. My other sister is 4 years behind me. I'm the only Emet in the family. I've seen my sisters get sick A LOT...LoL Actually I've never actually SEEN one of my sisters V* I've just HEARD it in the bathroom. You could argue that because I was adopted that I might be an Emet. Who knows? My dad is one kid of 11 and my mom is one of three. She's the middle child. No one else has this phobia...I don't even know anyone IRL who has it either.


~Monica

[tink]

Oldest of 3, but they are 13 and 16 years younger than me, so I wasnt around them for too long!

--Kim

[jennyleigh1975]

I am an only child .......

[bexcelica]

only child

[becca30]

I am the youngest of four. My three siblings are much older than
me - ranging in age from 13 years to 22 years older than me. They
don't know I'm emet, and to my knowledge, none of them are.

[confusedgirl]

Thanks for responding! ^^ It really doesn't seem like there's much of a correlation.. it's interesting to see that so many people have other emets in their families though! No one else in my family is... but then again, they don't know that I am, so maybe someone else is..

[lilyann]

Oldest of 3. One brother 2 1/2 years younger and one 12 1/2 years younger. I witnessed the brother closer in age v* a lot. In fact, I think I developed my emet when I was 5 and he was 2 1/2. We were sleeping over at our grandmother's and she locked us in the room together because I sleepwalked and she was afraid I would fall down the stairs. My brother woke up sick and was v* all over the door, scratching and crying at it trying to get out. I was screaming bloody murder trying to wake my grandmother up. After that, I witnessed him v* several other times. When I was 12, I could hear my mom v* many times at night because my room was next to the bathroom and the walls were thin. That made things much worse. When my brother got older and learned of my emet he tormented and picked on me to no end, making gross noises at the dinner table, etc. Then I heard my uncle v* while we were on a trip. My first husband was an alcoholic and I was exposed to him v*ing many times. He even did it in the car once while we were driving home from dinner. I jumped out of the car while it was still moving a little and was screaming and jumping up and down. Now I have a 6 year old son who gets bugs at least once every year. I just feel I have spent a lifetime of being forcibly exposed to other people's v*!!

[kateri27]

I am the oldest biological child, I have a brother who was adopted when I was seven, top bunk, threw up over the sides. and a younger sister who I babysat once and she v*d

[ontariogirl]

oldest of 3, only emet in the entire family tree!

[2jo2]

Oldest of 2. There are 7 years between my brother and I.

[crystalmom]

only child here too....only emet I ever knew until here!


Crystal

[jenneth]

only child.

[skon]

I am the youngest, and my brother is one of those types who will force vomiting in order to feel better.





I doubt this has anything to do with it. I don't try to blame my
environment for a behavioral problem which I have created for myself.

[jenny.preston]

I am First Born and I think this is absoutely fascinating!! I remember babysitting her one night and having her v**** and having to go and get my neighbor because I couldn't handle it. Not one of my proudest moments. We are 6 years apart.

[s0ccer_princess]

Youngest of two.