To fear vomit on flight to the point I’m watching who is sitting where?

[MelMar1]

I have a very bad fear of others vomiting, not myself vomiting (which I know is more the case in emetophobia). I have a flight coming up soon. I’m worried if a small child is sitting behind me that they could be sick and it could get through to my seat in the window seat, or if a drunk person etc. I can’t relax. Does anyone else get worried like this before a flight? I’m trying to tell myself if a child
or adult gets sick it’s not a common occurance that it will get on me. That’s my big fear that I’m stuck with it on a plane and it actually gets on me. Please be kind I’m bad enough with the worry!

I don't think I’ve ever seen anybody vomit on a flight before, even during turbulence.

I think vomiting on a flight used to be much more frequent when I was younger. I fly loads and haven't seen anyone vomit in the last 20 years. maybe it's smoother now?

Can you take headphones with you so you can cover your ears if need be?

I have the same phobia OP, but not on flights. In crowded places when people are drunk.
I fly a lot, and if it helps, I've not seen anyone vomit on a flight since the early 80s.
(There was an interesting psychological study about it- apparently years ago, when they put sick bags in seat pockets and told people what to do if they felt sick, more people were. Nowadays, no sick bags usually and nobody vomits. )

@ASighMadeOfStone Oh I’m the exact same about crowded places where alcohol is involved. Do you get like me on planes? I keep thinking what if the person in the seat behind me gets sick and I can’t relax.

I frequently fly and can only recall one flight over 35 years ago when someone vomited. It's just not a common occurrence.

Can you book the back row, window seat?

I fly for work all the time and have for decades, and I can't remember when I saw someone being sick on a flight, or even if I ever have. It really is very, very unlikely to happen.

Pay extra if you have to and book your seat with the wall behind you.

Talk yourself through the what ifs?

Force yourself the think about worse case scenario and what will you do?

Sometimes avoiding it and being obsessed with ot can be more exhausting than the actual event.

I have GAD, fear of vomit and flying soni do understand.

I've been sick on flights and so have my DC. We have never even got sick on ourselves let alone anyone else. My DC was sick last Saturday as we came in to land and I'm certain that no one has a clue he'd been sick!

God, a lot of you would hate me. I vomit on approximately 30% of all flights.

OP, I think you'll find a lot of people are quite discreet about being sick on a flight. And the bags are effective and conceal the job. Like a lot of people have said, it is fairly uncommon to be fly sick. I'm pretty sure you'll have more problems with children screaming and kicking your chair than vomiting.

@TadpolesInPool That is very reassuring. I don’t have children myself yet, and have a fear that when they vomit it’s going to fly everywhere, on everyone! 🙈

Nor have I and I've flown many times.

This is a phobia, much like the fear of spiders or heights. My emetophobia was cured with hypnotherapy sessions, it has been life changing.

OP has this happened before, hence the worry, that someone previously vomited on your head or in your face?

What support have you had for this so far? GP, CBT, talking therapies, hypnotherapy etc? If you can't get any professional support before you fly, at least look at youtube videos of techniques to help calm you down. Could you listen to/watch a TED talk or film to distract you?
Would wearing a face mask make you feel more protected?

I guess the best thing to do with a phobia is take control.
Sit at the back of the plane with no one behind you.
Pack a zip up jumper /cardigan that if something did get on you you could take the jumper off.

it won't, the only time I've known anyone be sick on a plane was my friend and he was in a two-seater on an aerobatics flight which is entirely different to a bit of normal aircraft turbulence in a giant plane.

This sounds gross but apparently if you watch videos of people being sick it's meant to ease the phobia? I've never seen it on a plane tbh.
Could ask your GP for some anxiety medication?
Bring some nytol so you can sleep as much as possible.

I've only had this happen to me once and it was an adult man who was not drunk. He had a bad reaction to medication he was on apparently. Poor guy. We hadn't even taken off and had to go back to the terminal.

My point is that you can't predict it happening and to whom and it is rare - I used to fly quite a lot and this only happened once.

I've flown a couple of times a year for 36 years and I've never ever seen anyone be sick on a plane

My youngest was air sick a couple of times. I am emetophobic too and I was sitting next to him both times. The 2nd time we were prepared and he got it all in a bag. The first time was out of the blue and he was sick down himself but none went on anyone or anything else. Sorry, I know how upsetting just this talk is, but I say it to reassure you it won't be going everywhere. Well, not if it is due to air sickness anyway.

I've flown a bit in my time and the only other time I recall passengers being sick was back in the 1980s on a rough landing to a Greek island. Try not to worry about something that is so unusual.

Can I ask how many sessions you had? I'd love to get rid of my emetophobia! I've seen a course on it before but not taken the plunge.

OP, I definitely don't think you're BU. I get the same phobia even though it's totally irrational. My brain turns normal sounds into sick sounds (gross I know, sorry!) and I used to get travel sick on planes all the time so I can't justify that it never happens. But I do still fly because I know that phobia aside, it is pretty rare, and also if it did happen (it won't!) you'd be able to wash it off. Gross, but possible. Distract yourself, reassure yourself, and lots and lots of deep breaths, it helps!

I'm a chronic vomiter on flights, as is my son. We travel with bags and never are sick anyway. I'm know pretty quickly that DS is going to be sick so am always prepared. If I'm going to be sick, I try to do it discreetly. I also have an absolute fear of other people being sick though too so I get it. The worst is on a packed tube in Christmas party season.

I’ve flown a lot and have never ever seen anyone vomit on a plane

You’re worrying about nothing OP

The only people I’ve seen vomit in public are drunks in central London

Completely irrational, but you know that.

A standard year will see me doing 4x long haul and at least 6 short. I have never once seen anyone vomit.