Mental Health Counseling Indianapolis Indiana

Directory of Therapists, Counselors and Mental Health Professionals in Indianapolis and Central Indiana

Is it possible that you suffer from Emetophobia?
By Jerry L. Fobik

  No one likes to be sick. The idea of getting sick or unsettled stomach is not an amusing idea. But, when the idea of nausea becomes overwhelming enough to compel a person to alter their lifestyles and eating habits, the situation may be more than just a normal aversion of vomiting. Emetophobia is the strong fear of vomit and this fear can lead to death in those who suffer from it.

One who fears vomit may fear the thought or actionof vomiting themselves, the thought or actionof others vomiting, or the vomit itself. These patients suffer from extreme amounts of anxiety regarding vomit in general. The difficulty with a phobia of this nature is the precursor to vomiting, eating.

A lot of people who suffer from emetophobia are diagnosed with anorexia way previous to the fear of vomiting is bring into being. The patients will do anything in orderto prevent themselves from vomiting and this includes the cessation of eating.
They believe that if they do not eat food, there is no way they will be compelled to vomit or get sick. Paradoxically, eating food can frequentlymake the emetophobic person fell nauseous after a period of time with no food and so the fear is realized and the phobia grows stronger.

The anorexia connected with emetophobia is distinctive, in that it requires the treatment of the fear of vomiting previous to the anorexia can be treated. When hospitalized the emetophobic individual will often have to be fed through IV until they are fine enough to undergo mental treatment for the fear of vomit.

Some of the more common symptoms of emetophobia include:

Avoidance of social situations.

Avoidance of restaurants, hospitals, and doctors offices.

An intense fear of getting sick.

Avoidance of food.

Anorexia.

While it is common to dislike vomit, it is not common to avoid food in order to prevent yourself from vomiting. The emetophobia person will go the extreme lengths to avoid getting sick or even catching sight of vomit. This phobia is one of the most harsh due to the connection to anorexia which can cause death in a very short period of time. Anorexia is commonly diagnosed along side bulimia, but the emetophobic patient will never demonstrate signs of bulimia.

Emetophobia can be treated in much the same way as other types of phobia with anti-anxiety medicine and therapy. But, due to the nature of the fear itself, the therapy frequently needs to be extensive and the patients are commonly placed into an in patient treatment facility in order to be watched closely throughout treatment. If the emetophobia patient has begun to avoid food, the treatment will also involve a higher calorie diet and additional therapy for anorexia.

Read more fascinating details about The 10 Most Common Phobias in http://10-most-common-phobias.com and anxiety disorders in http://10-most-common-phobias.com/history-treatments-for-anxiety

 
< Prev   Next >

Questions About Counseling? 

Call Today for a Confidential, No-Obligation Conversation About Counseling.

(317) 572-5055

Search for Counseling and Therapy Services of Indiana

Sponsored Listings

Tell Your Friends About MHI

- Click Here To Recommend -
feed image
You are here  :Home arrow Mental Health Media arrow Is it possible that you suffer from Emetophobia?