People who are familiar with the term “Emetophobia” are still somewhat rare. It is defined, quite simply, as the fear of vomiting or of vomit itself. Healthy individuals may be confused as to why anyone would be afraid of vomit; certainly, it’s something to be avoided, but not to the extent that it should control your life.
The thing is, emetophobic people are fearful of more than just vomit. Sadly, to an emetophobic’s overly anxious mind, nearly anything can lead to vomiting. Many of them fear crowded public places, germs, and situations that involve alcohol. Emetophobic people fixate on the thought of someone becoming sick until they are paralyzed by fear. It’s not something they can just “turn off” or ignore; Emetophobia begins to consume their life and destroy their peace of mind.
An in-depth study of Emetophobia (referred to by the authors as “vomit phobia”) discusses the underlying mental causes of the condition.
The Cause of Stress
The researchers who conducted the study used a survey to collect information about people with Emetophobia. They were interested in what exactly made the thought of vomiting so horrifying to the participants.
One factor examined was whether the emetophobics were afraid of vomiting themselves or other people vomiting. The results show that most of the people in the study were more worried about being ill themselves. However, many participants were uncomfortable with the idea of anyone vomiting.
When the researchers explored the emetophobics’ reasons for being afraid of vomiting, the results were interesting. The most feared consequence was that vomiting would lead to “a loss of control.” A sizable amount of the participants were concerned by what others would think of them if they became physically sick (e.g. “they will find me repulsive,” “they will not want to know me”). There was not much anxiety about vomiting actually leading to death, but concerns about being seriously ill were fairly high.
What Are the Implications of the Results?
Fearing a loss of control is characteristic of anxiety and panic, while fearing judgment from others is related to social phobia as well as anxiety.
No one wants to feel like he or she has no control over what is happening. It’s frightening and distressing to be utterly helpless. The problem with Emetophobia may be that it creates this exact feeling. People with extreme Emetophobia are worried that they cannot control the conditions in their environment. To them, there is almost nothing worse than being unable to predict when someone around them will be sick. Their heightened attention to their own physical state also makes them feel out-of-control; the more they think about being sick, the more likely they are to grow nauseated.
One of the worst things about Emetophobia is the lack of awareness. Hopefully it will garner more public attention so that better treatments will be made available to people with Emetophobia. In the meantime, it may help to join a support group or see a mental health specialist for suggestions.
