Emetophobia is Unbearable. Help?

[Zac Dibble]

The Spring through Summer are absolutely fine, I'm not bothered even remotely. Autumn through Winter however, I keep my guard up with hygiene because of my intense paranoia of acquiring an illness that correlates with vomiting. In winter, I'm usually well enough to get through it. Well, that goes until someone says they or someone really close to them has/had a stomach bug.
The moment I hear this I freeze up. It's a reflex that I can't shake. I go into a panic attack. Even after the attack subsides there is an underlying panic that refuses to go away and will stay with me for at least a week.
Just a few days ago, a co-worker was talking about his son catching a stomach bug and at that moment I froze and was incapable of doing any work. All I could think about was how he was bringing it into the office. My entire week was wasted over the constant worry that I would end up getting ill. Even now, I am still scared that I will get sick and I took today off of work because of it. Up until this point I have been surviving off of my anxiety medication which I work really hard towards not needing to take.
Logically speaking, I know this fear is irrational and I shouldn't be this bad but it's something I just can't shake.

Does anyone have any help they can offer? I'm going crazy and I have no clue what to do.

[trinidiva]

Ugh....I hate stomach bug too. When my kids have gotten it, I literally turn my house into an urgent care....gloves...Clorox, Lysol, clorox wipes, etc. The sick individual is quarantined to their room and one bathroom for a few days. I touch everything with gloves in the room and wash the sheets and clothes of the sick one separately. I think the key is......and not to be gross here....but it is only passed by fluid contact. Non proper hand washing. If I hear of anyone dealing with stomach bug....I just ensure my area is clean and wiped down. I do my very best to keep my hands off my face. No nail biting.

While stomach bug is very nasty....there is alot you can do to protect yourself in terms of proper hand washing and or using antibacterial solutions.

I cant wait for spring! Hang in there!

[Zac Dibble]

Well, in my head I realize that logic dictates it can only pass through fluid. However, my head is also telling me that I will somehow get it.
It comes down to: I know I shouldn't have this bad of a problem, but my brain won't allow me to realize this.

I currently wash my hands twice down to every single pour and I'm using the best hand sanitizer there is (after doing some research).

But, I really can't wait for Spring. It can't come fast enough. At least then I can have a sigh of relief.

By the way, I apologize for the late reply I have been rather busy.

[worrier2015]

Hi I have had this very very severe for my whole life...im 23!
Exactly what you have said is me to a tea!
Out of nowhere one night my bf said he felt sick so I went into the usual freak out beyond words...I then started heaving into toilet then like a switch in my head the fear went and I realised what was happening was not something to be petrified over!
I still don't know how it happened?! I never believed people when they said one day it just wouldnt matter anymore!
Im atill scared about bieng ill but not as petrified of vomiting anymore. ..and this will be you one day x

[smartscrutiny]

Hey Zac,

You're right - it's an irrational fear, but that doesn't make it any less paralyzing! I wonder if a therapist who has some experience in hypnotic techniques could help? Hypnosis has a good success rate for helping with phobias, precisely because of the nature of phobias - they're not rational so it can be tough to treat them with traditional talk therapy.

[Zac Dibble]

Hi I have had this very very severe for my whole life...im 23!
Exactly what you have said is me to a tea!
Out of nowhere one night my bf said he felt sick so I went into the usual freak out beyond words...I then started heaving into toilet then like a switch in my head the fear went and I realised what was happening was not something to be petrified over!
I still don't know how it happened?! I never believed people when they said one day it just wouldnt matter anymore!
Im atill scared about bieng ill but not as petrified of vomiting anymore. ..and this will be you one day x

I'm 23 myself and I have been emetophobic since around 13 years old. The only way to get my mind off of it at that age was to clean. But, since I discovered I have epilepsy and was put on medication, the seizures preventing proper thought flow have ceased to exist for the most part. Thus, leaving my mind thinking more than I can possibly hope to control. I cling to the idea that it might go away some day. At least there's medication to assist in maintaining somewhat sane. Until then, I don't foresee it becoming any less complicated.


Hey Zac,

You're right - it's an irrational fear, but that doesn't make it any less paralyzing! I wonder if a therapist who has some experience in hypnotic techniques could help? Hypnosis has a good success rate for helping with phobias, precisely because of the nature of phobias - they're not rational so it can be tough to treat them with traditional talk therapy.


It's possible. Up to this point, hypnosis is the most likely candidate considering and combating my intelligence. Haha.
I'm not really sure where to take it though. It requires time and money which I don't have much of either.

[smartscrutiny]

Yeah, the money/time thing is tough. There are some online hypnosis resources that don't cost a ton of money if you want to explore that direction. I can't vouch for all of them, but I've tried two of the hypnosis sessions from Hypnosis Downloads (specifically the one for insomnia and the one for social anxiety) and both have been helpful. They have one HERE (http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/fears-phobias/fear-germs?6176!table) for overcoming the fear of germs. Not sure if that might help you or not?

[smartscrutiny]

Oh wait - there's actually one specifically for emetophobia! It's HERE (http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/fears-phobias/emetophobia?6176!table). Hope this helps!

[Two One]

I've been an emetophobic since the age of three. It is a very difficult thing to deal with at times, but it can be manageable and you can overcome it. If there's one thing emetophobics fear the most, it's the norovirus. When my anxiety got out of control in 2013 I did everything in my power to overcome it on my own. And I almost did it. But the worst thing that could've happened, happened. I contracted the norovirus from my grandpa. It was awful, I did not vomit but the fear that I might was awful. I only had mild diarrhea but the illness was still very much difficult to deal with. The anxiety about vomiting is not easy to deal with. After my little bout of gastroenteritis I became obsessed with it. The worry that I was going to catch the norovirus was always in my mind, ruminating, eating away at me. It ruined me. I couldn't leave my house, going through the day was extremely difficult, I had loose bowel movements just about every single day. But, similar to you the anxiety weaned off during the spring and in the summer I was a new person. I still had my general anxiety, but I was happy.

Therapy changed so much for me. I recommend you look into it. I began exposure therapy for my emetophobia back in December, it seems daunting at first but if you find an understanding therapist that will ease you into exposure it's not bad. I'm far from treated, but I'm light years ahead of where I was last year. Just remember you can't catch norovirus unless you come into contact with the vomit or stool of an infected person. Wash your hands a good 26 seconds before eating and never put you hands in your mouth while out in public. If you are like me, you will find a way to take extra precautions. I've hoarded Zofran and Reglan and save them for "emergencies".

[Zac Dibble]

Yeah, the money/time thing is tough. There are some online hypnosis resources that don't cost a ton of money if you want to explore that direction. I can't vouch for all of them, but I've tried two of the hypnosis sessions from Hypnosis Downloads (specifically the one for insomnia and the one for social anxiety) and both have been helpful. They have one HERE for overcoming the fear of germs. Not sure if that might help you or not?

I'm at work currently, but I'll read into it when I have the ability to. Thank you for the links.


I've been an emetophobic since the age of three. It is a very difficult thing to deal with at times, but it can be manageable and you can overcome it. If there's one thing emetophobics fear the most, it's the norovirus. When my anxiety got out of control in 2013 I did everything in my power to overcome it on my own. And I almost did it. But the worst thing that could've happened, happened. I contracted the norovirus from my grandpa. It was awful, I did not vomit but the fear that I might was awful. I only had mild diarrhea but the illness was still very much difficult to deal with. The anxiety about vomiting is not easy to deal with. After my little bout of gastroenteritis I became obsessed with it. The worry that I was going to catch the norovirus was always in my mind, ruminating, eating away at me. It ruined me. I couldn't leave my house, going through the day was extremely difficult, I had loose bowel movements just about every single day. But, similar to you the anxiety weaned off during the spring and in the summer I was a new person. I still had my general anxiety, but I was happy.

Therapy changed so much for me. I recommend you look into it. I began exposure therapy for my emetophobia back in December, it seems daunting at first but if you find an understanding therapist that will ease you into exposure it's not bad. I'm far from treated, but I'm light years ahead of where I was last year. Just remember you can't catch norovirus unless you come into contact with the vomit or stool of an infected person. Wash your hands a good 26 seconds before eating and never put you hands in your mouth while out in public. If you are like me, you will find a way to take extra precautions. I've hoarded Zofran and Reglan and save them for "emergencies".

I'm terrified of the norovirus and I constantly think I'm going to get it, or have it. Like right now I have had mild abdominal pains and nausea as a result of that (which was greatly intensified by the anxiety). I also suffer from lactose intolerance, so I find it hard to differentiate (TMI: especially when I have flatulence). I am prescribed to take one .5 mg clonazepam as needed ever 6 hours, but I'm so terrified at the moment that I took two instead. I added a Tums on top of that.

My girlfriend says I should look into therapy as well, but I can almost guarantee that exposure therapy won't work for me. It's just how my mind functions. It's almost as if it works against itself.