Emetophobia - WHY???

[Angelai]

Hi, do any fellow emetophobes have any idea why they have this stupid phobia?

That sounds like a stupid question, if we knew why we had it we would know how to make it go away - or would we?

Sorry, just feeling really angry about the whole thing these last few days. I really have had enough.

[Kim30]

Im new to this site but i feel exactly the same as you. So angry that im so afraid of being s***.
It controls my life & im scared most of the time to eat in case..
Im 30, have been in a steady relationship for 6 years now but cant consider having children cos of the morning s***ness.
I have never met anyone who is a s petrified as me of being s***, other people think its so ridiculous..
I also have had enough of the whole thing now, its been going on for as long as i remember.

[Yarnee14]

I suffer from this too. I am terrified to vomit. and I have a two month old, so you can get pregnant, Kim30. However, during my pregancy I suffered and didn't throw up, but I felt so sick that I retched horribly everyday for like six months and felt like I was gonna puke at any second. I panicked and scared my mom and bf so much that they were screaming at me each day to just throw up and get it over with. Does anyone know why emets can't vomit? And do we have more control over our bodies than non-emets when it comes to this?

[its all good]

I am a fellow emet sufferer, i do think we have more control in some strange way of actually being sick. I can go several years without being sick and even if i feel sick i seem to have some amazing power where i manage to not be sick. As for where does it come from, when i went for a consultation to see if i could have cbt the women told me that there must of been some trigger point that set me off and made me think the way i do. I have been an emet sufferer for 20 years now and mine started when i was little and my mum was sick and she passed out, i was on my own with her and i couldnt wake her up. It obviously had a lasting effect on me cause now i am stuck with this dreaded phobia.

[Yarnee14]

Mine also started when I was little and I thought that I had mind control over being sick. I never get sick when others are. But this is an irrational way of living.

I think I had some traumatic experience with the v-word when I was little and mentally blocked myself from experiencing it again.

Also, I finally talked to my mother about it for the first time a few moments ago and was surprised to learn that she is also an emetophobe. So maybe it's genetic?

[D3NIS3]

well i have been like this for about 20 odd years and in the last 6 yrs i have not been sick, people around me have been sick but i never am im so very scared of it i get so mad at myself and scream i just want to be sick when i feel it however it just doesnt happen which im glad about its drivin me mad

[Yarnee14]

Hi D3NIS3,

I totally understand your viewpoint, as I feel the exact same way. It's frustrasting! It's like at the point when you feel sick, you just want to get it out and feel better. But then the fear of the action makes you glad that you didn't. And the realization that you can't somehow makes you feel trapped. Then you get mad at yourself for not being normal.

Sometimes, I wonder if I'm doing myself more harm than good because emesis is actually a way for your body to protect you by getting rid of harmful things in your system and if your like us, you're not giving yourself that justice.

[Angelai]

Thanks for all your replies! I've had this for maybe 25 years...

I do wish I could do the deed OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST SAID THAT!!! but I think you all know what I mean ;)

xx