Fear Of Vomiting Phobia - Living Actively With Emetophobia
When you first hear of this condition, you may (unless you suffer from it yourself) instinctively think that the fear of vomiting has very little affect on the daily lives of most people. But, emetophobia actually has far-reaching impacts that can literally control your life. Those who suffer from it find themselves unable to endure certain jobs, be near babies, eat out at restaurants, or even become pregnant. In the article below, we'll discuss how this condition begins, manifests itself and the type of treatment that is most effective.
Causes
Emetophobia is triggered by emotions learned during an earlier episode. In most cases, it starts early in life when a person is very young. There can be several potential scenarios that help trigger and enforce the emotions behind the condition. For example, some people who suffer from the fear of vomiting describe events from grade school when they either vomited in public or saw another person doing so. The more traumatic the episode, the stronger the emotional trigger.
Symptoms & Diagnosis The symptoms that accompany the fear of vomiting often begin with thoughts of vomiting or simply thinking of places where vomiting is common (such as maternity wards, hospitals, etc.). Once the catalyst has triggered the response, symptoms can include difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms and even palpitations in the heart. Hot flashes and sweating are common as well as uncontrollable shaking. Many of these symptoms are related to an anxiety attack. Treatment Regressive hypnotherapy is typically used to help resolve emetophobia. Because this intense fear about vomiting often springs from events experienced as a child, revisiting these events allows the person to review them as an adult. Most phobias are based upon emotions. As adults, people typically have a broader range of emotional insight than a young child. Reviewing the triggering event often helps resolve the problem as the emetophobe realizes the emotions attached to the episode were excessive. In some cases, the desensitization techniques used for other phobias are applied here. Pictures that show others vomiting are used to slowly build the emetophobe's tolerance. The effectiveness of this technique has not yet been definitely proven. Life Without The Fear Besides causing a person to avoid certain foods and drinks, emetophobia can have far greater impacts. Women suffering from it may avoid starting a family (due to the vomiting that can accompany a pregnancy). Others may avoid boarding boats or planes. Still others may develop an obsessive compulsion for cleanliness. But, therapy and treatment is available. The fear of vomiting can be resolved. Once it is, you can live a natural, active lifestyle without the fear.
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