Emetophobia: Fear of vomiting

Vomiting, vomiting or throwing up is something that happens to everyone from time to time. It's not a fun experience, so it makes sense that most people dread vomiting. Even if they know it is necessary to get toxins out of their system. You can also do more than just dread throwing up, you can actually be anxious about it and panic at the idea of throwing up or even if someone else throws up.

Read what you can do about this fear here. I also apologize in advance, but keep breathing and read through it to do something against the fear

Emetophobia: What exactly is it?

If you suffer from emetophobia, you are extremely afraid of vomiting. You may additionally or instead fear the thought of vomiting, other people vomiting or appearing to vomit. Fear of seeing vomit or really just fear of throwing up in public.

This fear can become evident while going out or when children are sick and then vomit.

The most terrible example is that of an acquaintance of mine who worked in the hospitality industry and saw someone throwing up in one of those beer mugs. This was so bad that she herself started gagging and eventually quit her job.

If you are truly anxious, you won't even take the risk of working in the hospitality industry. Compared to people who do not suffer from this fear, you also think about the subject much more than you would like to.

A small unpleasant feeling in your gut can already give you the idea that something unpleasant is coming. Unfortunately, your body also reacts to anxiety, and then you end up in a kind of vicious cycle that makes it difficult not to think about your anxiety.

Children and adults with this fear often don't go out the door because of it.

Going to school is a big NO, because what if you have to do that and your parents aren't there to help you?

As a result, adults prefer to work from home and often no longer visit friends. Going out and dealing with (sick) children are a definite “NOPE—we’re not doing that.” This is because adults, too, can come up with all sorts of scenarios about what could go wrong at a party or during a presentation—or even while driving.

This isolates you unnecessarily, which in turn is detrimental to overcoming this fear and to your well-being.

Confront the fear

One of the first things you can do is confront your fear. This is also the way to get rid of many fears, and this is also widely done with hypnosis.

First, you can simply think of the word vomiting, vomiting or vomiting and monitor your physical reaction to it.

You can make it a little stronger by thinking "what if I throw up," chances are your reaction will be even stronger. You might even get a little dizzy.

But then note that you won't throw up.

Vomiting is a very strong and drastic measure for your body that is really only used in emergencies.

Train calming your body

Emotions affect your body and your body affects emotions. You even get a little bit of the chicken and egg story then. Were you scared first or were you reacting to a feeling from your body?

You've just noticed that when you think about the subject of your anxiety your body reacts to it.

Now you can very consciously make your body stop responding. You may notice that you immediately start breathing more shallowly, you get tense muscles and cramping (I'm just mentioning a few examples).

Control your breathing

Thinking about the topic now, the first thing you need to do is start by breathing calmly through the belly. Breathe in for 3 counts and out for 3 counts. If you find this difficult you can lie down so that your body automatically breathes through the abdomen. You put your hands on your belly to feel this.

Then you can try this again standing up.

Relax your muscles

Once you’ve regained control of your breathing, consciously relax any muscles that feel tense. Do you notice that your legs and arms are suddenly very stiff? Relax your biceps, triceps, and hamstrings (without losing your balance). Also relax your shoulders and your tongue, especially if it’s pressing hard against the roof of your mouth right now.

While relaxing your muscles, you may also notice an immediate reduction in cramping.

Confront your anxiety with hypnosis

We've just actually done a small exercise on confronting fear. A technique that is also widely used is to create a sort of top 10 surrender fears.

For example, you are least afraid of a picture of someone looking sick and most afraid of someone throwing up right in front of you or if you throw up yourself. In between, you have all kinds of degrees. Together with a hypnotist, you make a top ten.

Then, under the guidance of your hypnotherapist, you’ll work through that top ten list. Perhaps he or she will first help you with a guided visualization in which you confront one of those 10 fears and learn how to remain calm —both physically and mentally—so that your fear bothers you less.

Over time, this also helps you rebuild a social life. To visit friends and to return to normal work in front of other people.

Reduce your feeling of ever throwing up

The fear of vomiting is also the fear that you might vomit someday. You’re constantly anticipating that it might happen. Hypnosis can help you at least get rid of those anticipatory feelings. This can be achieved, for example, through hypnotic suggestions that change your beliefs about vomiting.

Initially, then, it is important to figure out your beliefs. On this topic, this can be done very well with a Socratic conversation while under hypnosis. During this conversation, the why question is repeated several times. This brings you to your deepest convictions and through this you can discover that they make no sense at all (although you will not immediately recognize this).

Then you can build new beliefs during self-hypnosis. Then you start repeating the new beliefs to yourself. First you relax your body in the same way you can relax your body at the time you experience anxiety, then you repeat the suggestions or turn on the mp3 file given to you by your hypnotherapist.

These may include:

"The body only uses vomiting as a last resort."

"If someone else vomits I stay calm because it says nothing about my health."

"Cramping means I have to go to the bathroom for something else."

"I can calm my body."

These are just examples of hypnotic suggestions you can use. Depending on your beliefs, you may receive other suggestions from your hypnotist.

Monitor your thoughts

The fear of vomiting can rear its head all too often. This can be very small with just the thought "Am I going to throw up soon?". This is actually very strange, because what does that thought have to do with what you are doing.

For example, you are just talking with colleagues and suddenly this thought comes to mind. Then realize that this is just a thought. Focus on your breathing again for a moment and then very consciously start focusing on the conversation. You soon notice that this thought has no further influence on the situation.

Compare your fears with the facts

Educating yourself about your anxiety can also do an awful lot to help you suffer less. For example, write your fears on a paper like a list and then check if that fear is true. Next to the fear, write down the fact that refutes your fear.

By writing this down, it has more effect on your subconscious which also reduces anxiety.

Stop taking safety precautions

Are you always well prepared when you go out in case you vomit? For example, do you have a bag with you? Then take those out of your bag or at least don't take them with you. It doesn't reduce the (already low) risk, but it does cause you to be reminded of your anxiety all the time when you take a quick look in your bag, and this often makes you worry more than necessary.

Otherwise, repeat hypnotic suggestion:

"I don't need a plastic bag on hand."

Would you like to learn more about how hypnosis helps with fears? Then come to the workshop and check out the calendar of events at the Hypnosis Institute of the Netherlands.