How to Get Help with Emetophobia

Emetophobia is known as a fear of throwing up.

Many people across the world suffer from emetophobia, or the fear of vomiting (either themselves performing the act or witnessing others). Often, these feelings can interfere with daily life, causing sufferers to avoid traveling, pregnancy, certain jobs, social outings, or even venturing outside their homes. Each case is different. Therefore, many methods are available to treat this relatively common mental-health issue. Finding quality, effective support for "emets" is essential.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Find an emetophobia support group online. Yahoo! Groups is a good place to start. Emetophobia sufferers can subscribe to a related e-mail list, register at a bulletin board support forum, share phobia discussions on a Facebook page or even create an emetophobia blog as an outlet for their thoughts and emotions.

2. Make an appointment to talk with a family physician. Doctors usually are well-trained in dealing with patients' anxiety-related issues. Also, they can provide suggestions for ways to manage emetophobia as well as possibly prescribe medication to alleviate the anxiety.

3. Find a trusted, well-trained counselor who specializes in anxiety disorders. Many mental-health counselors are listed in the telephone book and online. It's often beneficial to schedule an introductory meeting with the counselor before seeing him on a regular basis to ensure that the counselor fits the patient's needs.

4. Make healthy diet choices, avoiding foods that can trigger anxiety or exacerbate it (such as caffeine, sugar, and chocolate).

5. Speak privately with a familiar, trusted clergy member to discuss spiritual ways of managing anxiety. Many anxiety-themed devotional books are available.

Tips & Warnings

• Talking about an anxiety disorder often helps. If you're in the midst of a social situation and are experiencing emetophobic panic, tell others how you're feeling.

• Don't necessarily "accept" the first counselor you call out of the phone book. Contact a handful to see which one might fit your specific needs the best.

References

• International Emetophobia Society: The Web's Largest Meeting Place for People with Emetophobia
• Emetophobia: Fear of Being Sick
• WebMD: Fear and Phobias 6: Emetophobia

Resources

• Yahoo! Groups: emetophobia