Emetophobia, or more plainly the fear of throwing up comes from the Latin words emesis (act of vomiting) and phobia. It is a very little-known phobia, but among the most common – according to one UK website it is the 5th most common phobia in the world..
Many emetophobia sufferers stay quiet about it because they’re embarrassed over it, so that’s why there is so little publicity about it. This makes finding good treatment harder as well. It is indeed a disorder with grave consequences, because with other phobias it is normally possible to avoid the object that the fear is directed at. When you’re afraid of air planes, you can take the car instead.
But with emetophobia the problem is serious because there is no where to escape – you are, essentially, afraid of yourself. Some people have tried, but it really is not possible to run away from yourself, which means an ever-present fear. Life really is tougher for emetophobia sufferers, and they have a higher risk for depression and anxieties.
What are the causes of such a strange phobia? Usually it’s an experience from one’s earlier years when the person has had a negative and often traumatic event that created this lasting association in their brain. Quite often parents have had a large role to play in this, for example by causing excess shame or guilt over throwing up.
People who suffer from emetophobia very commonly share many similarities. This includes dividing foods into safe and unsafe categories and refusing to eat food in the latter category, limiting travel, not drinking alcohol. Other fears include being afraid of eating in public or simply anywhere where the individual cannot control how the food is prepared.
Another accompanying fear is the fear of people who are sick. This might be a clue into the causes of this condition and help in developing cures for emetophobia.
There have been very little studies done so not much can be conclusively said. Science has not given any certain explanation to the causes behind this fear. People who are themselves suffering from emetophobia probably can make an educated guess into why they are phobic.
There have been attempts at curing fear of vomiting, and some of them are more effective than others. Hypnosis has been claimed to work, as well as cognitive behaviour therapy – which basically is about learning to take control over your thoughts and redirect them.
If you wish to read on about emetophobia, then click here: Fear of Vomiting, or here: Emetophobia.