Half an Emet?

[samara's on tv]

Okay I met these people online, and we met for drinks at a local bar and everything was all cool and what not. So as we were talking I mentioned I was an emet after the girl mentioned that she used to be a germphobic. She said, "Oh I think I have that too" and I was like, "Really?" and she was like, "Yeah, I hate throwing up, I mean I'd rather sit through nausea and take it then Vomit" but she doesn't watch her food intake or do any weird things like wash her hands. Does she have emet? Or does she just not like throwing up? She said the last time she had thrown up was in second grade...I'm just wondering.


~Monica

[s_snow]

I dont think she is emet, because she dont think about V until it must happend, and we-emets, wash hands, watch what we eat...

[crimgoddess]

Well, according to different dictionary/reference aids:


"an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations; phobic disorder is a general term for all phobias"


"an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation "


"A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous. "


To me this suggests that in order for something to qualify as a phobia as opposed to an extreme dislike is the extremity and persistence. I have an extreme dislike for certain foods, but I do not 'fear' them, not do the thought of them cause me any anxiety.Being around them may cause some discomfort, but it won't necessarily compel me to avoid certain situations. It's more of an 'ewww' discomfort as opposed to 'oh my god I have to get out of here right now'.


I can also see how there can be a really fine line in certain instances, and hownot everyone will necessarily agree that they or someone else is necessarily phobic, or just has an extreme dislikefor something. I think the person needs to decide if the anxiety they experience is extreme enough for them to qualify their experiences as being the result of a phobia. Believe it or not, my ex had a genuine PHOBIA of pineapples. He couldn't even look at one- or even a picture. Going shopping, they had a bunch of apples and bananas set up to look like a pineapple- and that made him so anxious he has to turn away/get away from it.


It must also be acknowledged that people can have different extremities when it comes to this phobia, and different things qualify as 'emetophobia'. For instance, I only fear others vomitting, so I really don't monitor my food intake, worry about 'safe' foods, and don't wash my hands to the point of being considered extreme.


And even though I fear others vomitting, I don't really consciously avoid certain situations because of it. If someone vomits in my presence, THEN I worry, get anxious, feel dizzy, etc- but I never assume that it will happen, and don't let it prevent me from doing certain things.


It may be the same phobia, but how it manifests itself can vary.


*amber*

[jay_rough]

Sounds like me,I don't tend to get panic attacks or paranoid any more. I used to, and out of habit, I still wash my hands with god-scaldingly hot water, I'm vegetarian now so I no longer tend to get paranoid after eating rare steak/pink chicken.


But then again, I was talking to a friend last night and mentioned my emetophobia, he's like "Dude, I think everyone's got that.". Some people just really hate it but are as the title suggests -> "Half-emet".


Still, I guess everyone finds the feeling awful.

[crimgoddess]

I dont think she is emet, because she dont think about V until it must happend, and we-emets, wash hands, watch what we eat...

Careful snow- even though we may have the same phobia, it doesn't mean that we all react to it the same way. You really can't generalize to ALL emets, because you have to remember that this phobia can involve the fear of others vomiting and/OR the fear of vomitting yourself. You don't necessarily need to have both to qualify as an emetophobic, and the things that people do to avoid vomitting themselves can be very different than the things that people who fear others vomitting do as a result of this phobia.


That, and some people can have this phobia to a greater extremity than others- it doesn't mean that it needs to be to the most extreme level to qualify as emetophobia.


*amber*

[chicajojobe]

She could be. The level of my emet caused anxiety and obsessive
behavior varies over time. For a long period of time it wasn't really
that bad and I didn't do any of the obessive things such as handwashing
or panic attacks.

[chloe]

My friend is like that - she always says she can't stand v* but then she'll go out and drink loads (with the obvious result!). I personally don't drink at all for fear of having too much or a spiked drink that might make me v*. Am trying to overcome that bit so I can have drink or two when I go out.


She also has a bit of IBS or something and so gets anything going round.


Thinking about it she probably isemet but just does not take it to the extreme that we do to prevent it.[img]smileys/smilies_05.gif[/img]

[sage]

These labels are tricky. I think a person has a phobia when they can be diagnosed as phobic using DSM-IV criteria. Otherwise, it's just a fear. So milder forms of the phobia manifest themselves as fears, disgust or strong dislike. It really does all go on a continuum. Most folks here are on the extreme end, but there are people who fall all along the continuum.