Emetophobia

3

A-what-a-phobia? 

I know, I know. You probably just rolled your eyes. 

I did, too, when I first heard about this supposed “phobia.” 

But let me tell you a little about myself. 

phobia

I am a 28-year-old woman and mother of three children. I am a police wife. I am a stay-at-home Mom and most of the time, I have just learned how to “deal with things.” I find myself (by the grace of God) to a be a stable person who usually just handles things when they come up. 

There’s a spider in my house? Ok, I’m not a fan, but I’ll grab a shoe and squish that thing. 

Need to get up and give a little speech at a wedding? Ok, I’m a little nervous but I’ll just get up there and do it!

Being surrounded by crowds? Again… not my favorite, but I’ll take my three kids to the 4th of July fireworks and be no worse for the wear. 

Sky diving? Eh, I don’t think I would be that interested, but it’s not the heights that bother me. 

I’ve dealt with small amounts of depression and anxiety, but only when I have been in thick of those fresh, raging postpartum hormones. 

So, me with a phobia? Naw. Surely not. Not even possible. 

Until I first read the term “emetophobia.” And I knew almost immediately that it described me exactly. 

What is emetophobia, you ask? 

It’s a phobia that causes intense, overwhelming anxiety pertaining to vomiting. 

Yes, you read that right. I’m TERRIFIED of vomiting. 

Now, I know that nobody out there actually likes vomiting. That would be very weird. But let me explain a little bit about how this phobia works in my head: 

  • I seriously considered becoming a nurse until I remembered that vomit is often involved. Blood, guts, sickness I can do. But as soon as someone mentions their stomach hurting, I’m out. 
  • I struggle to take medication because I’m afraid of choking and throwing up. Or that the medication will make my stomach upset. In fact, I refused to take any medication during recovery from wisdom teeth removal because I would rather deal with the pain than have nausea and vomiting. 
  • I ran outside of the house when my 2-year-old barfed. No one else was home. #momoftheyear 
  • I cried every day of my pregnancies because I couldn’t stand the idea of throwing up (Spoiler alert: I still threw up). 
  • I struggle to go places where there are a lot of people because I wonder if someone is going to throw up (and I literally quake in my shoes at the thought of it being ME). 
  • I went for all-natural labor all three times, and my doula asked me what my biggest fear was going into labor. Every single time my biggest fear was throwing up during labor. 
  • When I was in labor for my third pregnancy, I was sent to triage and the woman next to me was vomiting nonstop. My contractions were strong and steady, but my entire labor came to a grinding halt after listening to her vomit. 
  • Besides my pregnancies, I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually thrown up in my entire life. 
  • If someone vomits on a TV show, I can’t watch the show anymore.
  • I sometimes get so worried that my children will pick up the stomach bug that I make myself feel sick. 

Now, before you start to get really worried about me and my mental health, rest assured. This is just a phobia. Just like some people are terrified of spiders or speaking in front of crowds or going up on heights, I am afraid of vomiting. And while no phobia is fun, I have also found some ways to help handle my phobia. 

  • First, I have been open and honest with myself. I know that my triggers are vomit and anything related to vomit, and I know that I can tend to make myself overthink it. So when my child says their stomach hurts, I have had to train my brain to not panic. When there is something stressful going on in my life, I immediately start to feel sick, which makes me worried about feeling sick which makes me feel sick which makes me panic. So I’ve learned to cut it off before that vicious cycle even begins. When I start to feel sick, I ask myself if there is any external reason I may have a stomachache.
  • I am open and honest with my support system about this phobia. While my husband doesn’t fully understand why I struggle so much with this, he is quick to step up if one of our children is struggling with a tummy ache or actually throwing up. 
  • I have learned to practice controlling my phobia, and not letting it control me. Sometimes this means going into a crowded church sanctuary and staring that fear in the face. SO WHAT IF SOMEONE VOMITS ON ME. I’m still here and I am brave and I am strong. 
  • I’ve learned to laugh at my ridiculous phobia. Now that I’ve written out this entire blog post, I realize how ridiculous it is that I struggle with such a tiny fear in the grande scheme of things. But it’s my reality and it’s out there and sometimes I just need to laugh at myself. 

What about you? Do you have any phobias? Have you ever struggled with emetophobia or know someone who does? 

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Suzanne Hines
Hi, I'm Suzanne! I am a Christian, wife to Theo, Mom to Tera Evelynne (18 months) and foster Mom to some of the most precious foster kiddos placed in our home. I grew up far, far away from Dayton as a missionary kid in West Africa. After graduating from my international high school, I attended Cedarville University. A few months into my freshman year, I met an incredible man named Theo. Although I had sworn off dating, there I was...dating him! We were married by my junior year and the rest is history! We stuck around the area and I am now proud to call the Dayton area home. Theo works for the Dayton Fire Department and I am a stay at home Mom. Most of my day consists of chasing children, feeding children, cleaning up after children and driving them all around to their various appointments (foster care makes for A LOT of driving!!). In my spare time (har har har), I love to cook, run, browse Pinterest and Instagram and read books and maintain my blog (www.suzannehines.org). My family loves to explore outside, to attend festivals and events and to find frugal ways to live in the Dayton area. My favorite thing about motherhood is watching my children develop their own little personality! How did I create this walking, talking, living, breathing, giggling, kissing human being?!? What a miracle!

3 COMMENTS

  1. Thank you for writing this post. You are not alone! I never knew there was a name for my crazy craziness related to throwing up. My entire life pre-kids I was a normal person when it came to vomiting: It sucks, you get it over with, you get better and you move on. Voila. But then I became a mommy… My husband was out of town the first time my little one woke up in her crib with the pukes. For me, it was horrendous having to deal with it all. The sheets, the filthy screaming baby, the repetition, the fear of catching the tummy bug. I honestly think my situation is almost like PTSD stemming from that one night. Well. That and the fact that I’ve had food poisoning three times in my adult life. Like, seriously? So, I have no choice but to err on the side of caution with food. No sashimi for me, thanks! Cook it alllllll the way through. And when my husband goes out of town? I have terrible anxiety that my now two kids will get sick while I am on my own. There have been perfectly normal nights that for no good reason I have convinced myself that I am going to be sick, to the point that I have the cold sweats and cheek tingling you get with nausea. Inevitably, the feeling passes and I don’t get sick… but wtf… it’s the worst. And it makes me feel like a crazy person. The best advice I received from a therapist (who is also a mom of small children) is she asked me to consult with myself when I feel this way and ask, “Realistically, what is the worst that is going to happen if the kids throw up? What is the worst will happen if I throw up?” And the answer is the same as it has always been: it sucks, you get it over with, you get better and you move on. Easier said than done, but it helps when that panic sets in. Thank you for sharing your experience, and for letting me know that I’m not alone. It is ridiculous and good to laugh at, but it’s very real when it’s happening. Stay strong, Mama!

  2. I have the exact same fear and everything you said is just like me too. I have always wanted to be a nurse but didn’t because well, vomit. I am facing that fear head on an as a 34 year old mother of a 9 year old, I am about to start nursing school.

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