to wonder why 'emetophobes' are everywhere on MN

[OuchLegoHurts]

Why does every second person on Mumsnet seem to declare themselves an emetophobe? Does anyone actually enjoy vomiting? I would have thought that everyone hates getting sick, but to label oneself emetophobic is overly dramatic in most cases?

@Lauren83 I'd highly recommend graded exposure therapy with an experienced therapist. Sounds terrifying but if done properly is actually surprisingly easy and effective

Similarly it’s not enough to have normal anxious reactions to things that might actually invoke that emotion, you have to suffer from anxiety.

Thank you!!! this drives me bloody bananas - EVERYONE on MN seemingly has “anxiety”

@AnotherOriginalUsername yours sounds very much like mine, I'm terrified of being sick but most of my worry comes from worrying about other people being sick and I really panic when people cough or burp especially in toilets, I once climbed over an elderly ladies knee on a train as someone got an empty carried bag out a few seats behind, I was on the window seat of a row of 3 and I climbed over the laps of the people next to me to get away, I still cringe now!

I can’t stand feeling sick, but the actual act doesn’t bother me, so will make myself be sick if I’ve got a stomach ache, the relief after is amazing!

I’m suprised people don’t call a vomit intolerance, as the seems to be quite the word at the moment!

@Lauren83 I once legged it off a train and left my suitcase and bag behind for a similar reason - someone was pacing around outside the locked toilet with a hand over their mouth

@OuchLegoHurts I do know what you mean as if I ever mention it to anyone you can guarantee they have a phobia about something to!

@AnotherOriginalUsername I did do exposure therapy and it helped a lot I think, I watched a video they gave me that at first I watched with a dimmed screen and no volume from the other side of the room and I had to keep watching it until I could do so without it affecting my heart rate. The therapist also had me take soup and a bucket and we both had to pretend to vomit into this bucket in his office

It isn't in the 'top 10' - [https://www.fearof.net/top-10-phobias-of-all-time/]

[http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20131111-hate-poo-theres-good-reason-why]

Our disgust response reduces the likelihood of ingesting disease-causing microorganisms in decayed meat, faeces, vomit, or blood. It may even help keep us away from others who may be infected or diseased. In his book How the Mind Works, US psychologist Steven Pinker writes that disgust may reflect an intuitive understanding of microbiology

Every one recoils from vomit or faeces. Its a normal reaction. Emetophobia is just one of those words some people latch onto, people love a label

Obviously being/feeling/seeing sick is not something anybody actively enjoys but If you can't even hear the v word without having a panic attack you are definitely emetophobic

@AnotherOriginalUsername I can imagine how you must have felt, that's my worse nightmare! I went to Greece last week and had to take diazepam and red wine to get through the flight and spent the whole time watching everyone to see who wasn't eating and who looked pale, and every time I heard rustling I was panicking. I had warned the airline ahead and they put an alert on my booking so they knew about it if anything happened

@NewYearNewMe18 I have emetophobia (see previous post) but I don't recoil at vomit or faeces. I work very closely with such substances (including having to pick through vomit semi-regularly to identify things!). The vomit itself isn't my issue personally, it is the act of vomiting

@Lauren83 I can survive a short plane journey (max 3 hours because it's exhausting) and do so by having headphones in and focussing totally on a book. Don't look up, don't look around, don't leave the seat, I just listen to music and read

YANBU!

@NewYearNewMe18 it has been listed in the top 10 before, and it's hardly bragging saying you have emetophobia, it's an embarrassing phobia to have that impacts those that have it so so much, if you are scared of snakes or open water for eg you can mostly control your exposure to it and know you won't likely bump into a snake walking down the street but with emet you can't escape it, it's in you and in everyone else.

I actually know 6 people in real life who have the phobia, a couple I met on an emet forum years ago and the others I worked with/grew up with

Some on Mn pathologise everything,and then mistakenly describe a revulsion that’s not a phobia

I'm emetophobic. Terrified of germs, public transport, vomiting, other people vomiting etc. Even hearing the words sick/vomit/ ill sends my heart racing. I've been this way since I had a nasty stomach bug when i was 9.

What's that phobia about holes? Fear of crumpets. Everyone seem to have that on mn. Or they used to.

I am fine with people vomiting because of travel sickness or pregnancy - if I know the cause (and that it's not catching) I am the very soul of sympathy. But if it's sudden and causeless (ie a bug/illness) I cannot cope and will run miles to get away from it.

My mother always reacted really badly to us vomiting as children so I think it's a learned reaction rather than a true phobia. But it can be limiting - I would never take any job with very small childen, for example.

I agree with Lauren DD2 suffers from emetophobia and has had CBT which has helped her. It's an awful phobia and not easy to get rid of.

@AnotherOriginalUsername I'm the same I don't mind vomit, if I see it on the street I can't help but look, morbid curiosity! If anyone's ill I always want to know when they were sick and how many times and was it in the loo etc! Can't help myself, my baby is only 6 months and I had the therapy 10 years ago when I started trying for him, he isn't a sickly baby luckily but I'm dreading when he starts full on vomiting when he is older, determined not to pass my issues with it onto him though

. I just can't believe that everyone who claims on here to have this phobia really, actually, has it!

Well I claim to have it on here and it totally takes over my life. I had to have CBT so that I could try to cope with my children vomiting but it didn’t work. They wanted to show me a video of someone being sick but I got too distressed so they didn’t do it.

Ironically DS1 had cyclical vomiting syndrome. He would vomit up to 40 times a day for a week. That was hell on Earth for me, especially prior to him being diagnosed, because I thought I’d catch it. At one point I threw a bowl at him and left the room really quickly leaving him with DS2. He was 4 and DS2 was 2, holding the vomit bowl because I couldn’t.

My kids are 21&23 now. They aren’t allowed to come home drunk incase they be sick. I’ve never been drunk incase I vomit. As soon as Norovirus is mentioned I panic.

I’m too embarrassed to admit this in real life which is why people are ignorant and think we’re all jumping on a bandwagon.

It's pretty common that's why. I'm not so bad now but when I was small I refused to leave the house for anything other than school because I was terrified I'd be sick. To this day it's my number one fear in meetings, job interviews, in cinemas, weddings etc

Nobody likes being sick but some people really do have a phobia. My DD does. She screams to get her away, she wants out of the house, she won't go near the person who has been sick, or into the bathroom until it's been cleaned and cleaned - the whole bathroom. She hyperventilates and physically shakes. It sounds extreme butit's a very real thing. She can't even handle it being mentioned and if she sees any on the pavement she won't walk past it and is convinced she is going to be sick.

Fear of crumpets.

Only on MN.

.

It’s like when people say I’m a little bit OCD No,youre not and you fundamentally misunderstood OCD. It’s not about being uncomfortable in untidy environment

It is usually about hearing OTHER people be sick. Not you yourself being sick. I don't myself being sick - well, yeah, I hate it. What I mean is I cannot stand hearing other people being sick. That is what Emetophobia is.