People who call themselves emetaphobes - are they for real?

[haychee]

I hadnt even heard of this until a thread i started which mentioned the word puke produced an effect on some that they coudnt even come on to mn until that thread had died. They couldnt even bare to read a word?!

Another thread running now, is talking about how some are affected by this phobia. Some of them i can see it is a real big problem and for them i do have sympathy. But some, who like me, do not like to see others being sick but are classing themselves as emetaphobic - this im finding difficult to comprehend. I dont like it at all - i avoid being too close to someone (eg kissing dh or dc if they have been ill in the last few days) for fear of exposing myself to a possible bug. But im not emetaphobic - please tell me im not.

Sorry, ematOphobes

I have that, where I won't go somewhere for two weeks if I think someone's had a bug. I do weird limbo things in public loos to avoid touching any surface and I assess menu's for potential food poisoning, think where I'll be next day etc.

I don't think this is normal behaviour but I don't think it's emetophobia either. That's very extreme isn't it, extreme enough to react to seeing the word?

You're not an emetophobe. It's a little extreme to not kiss the children if they've been sick, but you're not an emetophobe. Not liking something much is not the same as being phobic.

Being phobic can seriously affect your life, and you only have to read some of the threads posted by emetophobes to see the genuine distress they are in, and the difficulties it causes.

Its actually incredible

"Incredible" means not credible.

Ok Haychee. You got 'em. Everyone was making it up.

Hey guys! You can all come out now! You have someone who can make up the rules at last!

Why is it so incredible?

Lots of people have phobias that control their lives- ie flying , scared of animals etc,
I honestly think you have to really suffer with this phobia to really appreciate the way it affects your life. It certainly is no joke, and like other phobias, shouldnt be taken lightly.
Obviously there are different degrees that people suffer with. Some days are good, others are worse.

good evening weinstein

But i have similar symptoms - shall i call myself an ematophobe?

Sensitive thread title, haychee

I think if someone calls him/herself an emetophobe, s/he will have their reasons for that. A phobia is not a fun thing to have at all.

Oh Winestein she didnt mean it like that.

I think it is just that she has never come across anyone with a phobia of sick! like me, I didnt know it existed before I was on Mumsnet.

You learn a lot from MN and she is a newbie who only started Mumsnetting recently so less of the sarcasm please.

I am petrified of spiders - i mean really freaked! But im not arachnaphobic (?sp)

It is no different than describing someone who dislikes spiders and would rather not deal with them and someone who is phobic about them. The reaction of disliking is to some extent rational - the phobic reaction is completely irrational.

Even within phobias there is a scale or reactions. I am much less phobic about spiders than I was some years ago - however I am still phobic!

It's hard to understand any phobia unless you've had one. And if you're phobic about loofahs (that's the eight-legged ones, btw, not the scratchy bathroom ones) then maybe you can understand a little of how someone with another phobia feels, and it doesn't seem impossible that they may be terrified of something which seems so incredible to you.

But if you haven't then it's hard to comprehend.

Evening Haychee

Yes, perhaps you are right Collison.

Haychee - If you are really freaked, I mean really petrified of spiders then you (really) are an arachnaphobe.

If you consider your mindset upon meeting a spider, can you not apply that to people who are scared of sick, when coming across sick? In a way, I can understand emetophobes more than arachnophobes, as I don't think anyone really likes sick - but some people really like spiders.

Sorry, was perhaps being a bit mean before

i have a stupid fear of IV's. i have to look away or leave the room when dh is having anew one set up or taken out. i feel faint, want to vomit, and start to shake. vomit i can deal with, spiders are fine. i can cope with needles and injections, but its just IV's.

and considering iwant to possibly consider nursing as a career, its soemthing i need to confront and get over sooner rather than later.

YABU - I am one. I actually felt sick reading this but had to comment.. I have a huge fear, to the extent I booked a seperate room on holiday when DS got food poisining and I couldn't stay with him; feel I will run out of the house and never return if DS is ever sick (too young for that yet). Getting all nervous and panicky typing this.

I think thats it, thats the point. I dont understand where the real phobia is and where its just someone being weak. I dont like being around sick, seeing it or smelling it and i avoid being close to anyone that has been ill. I gag at the sight of someone being sick - but im not ematophobic its just normal - everyone does this dont they to some degree - i mean who actually would put themselves in a situation where they knew they would catch an illness? noone im sure.

I meant DH geting sick on holiday

what would naturopath do if she had no choice - noone around to help her son other than herself?

I avoid spiders but if dd1 had one in her hair or down her shirt and was upset id have to deal with it if there was noone else to do it for me.

weinstein

yes, but most people can clean up sick, and as I have said, most people wouldn't list it in their top ten favourite things. I don't know one arachnaphobe who can pick up a spider.

I really don't know - I'm petrified for when that day happens. Really. Might get hypnosis.

I think what im trying to say is that some are using these titles (ematophobia or any phobia) to describe just a little weakness in their ability to cope with certain things. I dont like spiders and couldnt pick one up but wouldnt call myself arachnaphobic, i dont cringe at the sight of the witten word spider nor would i leave dd1 upset with a spider in her hair. I think some use these titles to easily and are classing themselves as phobic when actually its how most of us would react. I do have huge sympathy for those who cant even venture onto mn for fear of seeing or hearing the wording.

I think one difference between extreme (or even excessive) dislike and avoidance of something, and being phobic of something, is when it affects your behaviour even when it's not present or even likely to be present. So an emetophobe could well struggle to cope even with reading slang words relating to their phobia.

I don't think that's any reason to modify your language, though, not unless you're actually on a thread with an emetophobe. After all, should we not say "there's a huge spider in my bathtub" or "there was a black-out on the Tube during rush-hour yesterday"?

I cannot enter a room with a daddy-long-legs in it. I am very glad I don't feel the same way about vomit as I do about daddy-long-legs(es)! Yes haychee, they are for real!

Well, some arachnophobes on MN have asked people to post using the word 'loofah' instead of naming those creatures with eight legs that spin webs.