Help - emetophobia

[bendmeoverbackwards]

Been out for tapas this evening and ordered some chicken skewers. I had one very small bite then saw the chicken was a bit pink. Not properly raw just a bit pink. I sent it back and they brought me a new properly cooked one.

What are the chances of me getting ill? So anxious ☹️

Do you really have emetophobia or do you just not particularly like being sick - like 99 percent of the population.

Unless you have this phobia you wouldn’t understand. I posted for advice not judgement.

Extremely low. A tiny bite of slightly undercooked chicken is absolutely not a guarantee of getting ill - keep in mind that not all chicken carries the bacteria that makes you ill anyway, and the chicken you nibbled wasn't totally raw if it was only slightly pink.

Ignore the poster above. A friend of mine has crippling emetophobia that affects all areas of her life, it's a very real thing x

Thank you @ImInStealthMode so sorry for your friend, it is indeed crippling ☹️

I have emetophobia so totally get how you’re feeling - I’d be the same!
But logically, when I’m not in that situation myself, I can see that @ImInStealthMode is right. I’d find it hard to believe if I was panicking, but you will almost certainly be totally fine.

I’m sure it is a very real thing. However I would be very surprised that someone with Emetophobia would risk eating out in an unfamiliar place and even more so, risk eating chicken - a food quite likely to give you food poisoning - in an unfamiliar place. So forgive me for questioning this a bit

It is really low.
It may have been cooked well enough.
Often chicken from the leg/thigh is a pinlier colour than the breast.
It may not have the bacteria in it. And a small mouthful is hopefully not going cause any issue.

@Lipsandlashes

I’m sure it is a very real thing. However I would be very surprised that someone with Emetophobia would risk eating out in an unfamiliar place and even more so, risk eating chicken - a food quite likely to give you food poisoning - in an unfamiliar place. So forgive me for questioning this a bit

I have to say I agree with this

Friend has horrific emetophobia. She won’t ever eat out. No take sways. Nothing. She won’t eat chicken. Won’t eat anything that can ever give her food poisoning. No rice. Nothing.

@Lipsandlashes My friend is emetophobic to the degree that she has chosen not to have children because she can't bear the thought of morning sickness. She doesn't drink any alcohol at all, in case it makes her sick.

She does eat out / eat chicken through, albeit it she's very thorough with checking it.

@Lipsandlashes

I’m sure it is a very real thing. However I would be very surprised that someone with Emetophobia would risk eating out in an unfamiliar place and even more so, risk eating chicken - a food quite likely to give you food poisoning - in an unfamiliar place. So forgive me for questioning this a bit

Phobias aren’t logical. I have emetophobia, I spent the first trimester of both pregnancies in bed, paralysed with fear and unable to leave the house, pretty much had a breakdown. I refused all pain relief during labour (except a few puffs of gas and air when the midwives pushed it and even then would only breathe in one breath on it before stopping) because of the risk it would make me sick. I was in agony but the thought of throwing up was worse.

I eat out at restaurants and I’m just grateful that my phobia is illogical enough to not make that a problem when other things are.

My heart goes out to other sufferers. I do eat out but I’m very careful. I’m so sorry for others who are obviously suffering more than I am.

Hi -
You’ve had appropriate reassurance that it is highly unlikely that you will experience any Ill health - however be careful about asking for more reassurance -
It will only give you short term
Relief -
When the anxiety rises and you want more reassurance -
Recognise that your phobia is giving you distressing anxious thoughts
Work on relaxing your body
Disengage from those phobia thoughts
Distract with other things
When the phobia thought intrudes - label it as a thought, an irritating thought and disengage from
It,
Emetephobia is hideous -
There is treatment for it - CBT /EMDR

Well I’m ok so far, was 4 hours ago. Fingers crossed.

Amazing that people would question this! I have severe, crippling emetophobia and eat out, I have learnt that food poisoning doesn't make me throw up, stomach bugs do so I do everything in my power to avoid them. I also refused pain relief when giving birth. I'd rather be in agonising pain than risk vomiting

I'm not doubting it's a very real phobia. Have any of you actually ever been sick? If so what happens?
How do you deal with it if your children are sick ?
I'm not being insensitive I'm genuinely interested.
If you can't discuss it - that's fine.

So you're not emetophobic if you wat out at restaurants? What a load of crap! I have been emetophobic for years and for a good while I didn't eat out and certainly wouldn't have chicken amongst other 'high risk' foods. I have learnt over the years how to deal with it a bit better. I still always check chicken but will order it now. I'm still emetophobic though. It's not a one size fits all and unless you have experienced a phobia like emetophobia then spouting the " Well my friend who is emetophobic can't do that" is just unhelpful.

@newbiename

I'm not doubting it's a very real phobia. Have any of you actually ever been sick? If so what happens? How do you deal with it if your children are sick ? I'm not being insensitive I'm genuinely interested. If you can't discuss it - that's fine.

Have any of you actually ever been sick?

Not within my memory, I know I was as a young child from bugs and car sickness but I would guess never since the age of about 5. I think that is part of the reason for my fear, whenever I get nauseated (and I was very nauseated during pregnancy) I don’t know what to do - sometimes I wonder if I were to just be sick once, maybe my fear would subside but evidence shows that exposure therapy doesn’t really work for fear of vomiting so it’s probably unlikely.
Logically of course I know nothing bad will happen but arachnophobics also know that the British spider in their house can’t hurt them, doesn’t mean they can pick it up.

How do you deal with it if your children are sick?

Internally, I deal with it very very badly, and am a nervous wreck for days while bleaching everything and googling norovirus. But I really don’t want to pass this phobia on so I do my utmost to outwardly remain calm. She’s only 2 and has only had one stomach bug and I think was too preoccupied while vomiting to notice me really (beyond just wanting me there) but as she gets older I know it’s something I want to be very careful around as I’d feel awful if she had this phobia too.

Nobody should confuse emetephobia, as OP clearly has, with normal dislike / disgust / aversion to vomit
It’s a complex, debilitating disorder
Highly impairing and hard to overcome
There is treatment for it - CBT and EMDR
I would urge people to not allow others to minimise / invalidate your very real day to day struggles with this horrid illness -
And urge sufferers to seek treatment -

@SickAndTiredAgain thanks for your answer.

Hope you are doing alright @bendmeoverbackwards

Emetophobia manifests in many different ways and it isn't as clear cut as "someone with emetophobia would never eat out"

My emetophobia is 90% around other people being sick. Over they yeas this has limited my social life / holidays / day to day activities / how I travel too and from places. It limits my interactions with others / my reaction to even the most innocuous "symptom" of illness / how I cope with actual illness. I avoid the GP and hospitals and pubs and I won't travel in cars unless I absolutely have to.

It's not just simply not liking vomit. It is having a major panic attack because one of my kids has a tummy ache and therefore I worry about them vomiting.

(yes I do have kids, luckily no morning sickness with pregnancies and yes my phobia has got worse over time. My DP deals with anything vomiting related.)

I have had several types of therapy and am currently awaiting f2f exposure therapy that had to be postponed due to the pandemic.

@Crunchymum

My Emetophobia manifests itself in the same way as yours, i.e mainly around other people being sick.
I asked my GP for help once - maybe 20 years or so ago (in my 60’s now) and he just laughed and dismissed it.
I’m so pleased you’ve managed to get what I hope will be successful treatment, as it can be a truly devastating condition to have to live with.

My GP said 'well no one likes being sick do they?' I self referred for CBT and still have PTSD from watching the You Tube videos of people throwing up. I have been on high anxiety this evening as 16 year old DD came home early from college saying she felt tired. Stomach bugs are the worst, but I have developed little rituals to avoid catching them, oh and have some anti sickness meds stashed away in case of emergencies.

Emetophobe here who actually works in A&E (yeah you couldn't make it up), first sign of gag reflex I do a runner for the vomit bowls and pass to my colleague. They can't believe how fast I move out of the cubicle 😂 if its any reassurance my son was once sick after undercooked meat in a restaurant and it was very quick, within an hour, so I think your safe now! I personally used to stick to plain margarita pizza when eating out as comes straight from a hot oven and nothing in it that can give you food poisoning. I have got better about it as I've got older but am still known, and laughed at, for not even eating a sweet at work without washing my hands and will not take from a communal bag that everybody elses has put their hands in. 👐🤷

Unfortunately, OP, nobody can reassure you to the extent that you wish. Plenty of people eat lots of undercooked chicken every day and are fine, some unfortunate people eat a little and get sick.

Did the doctor who diagnosed you give you any exercises for coping with the anxiety?

I have emetophobia and I do not eat chicken for this reason. I do not trust it.