Alongside the fear of heights, of spiders or even of being locked up, another, more silent phobia affects many people. Emetophobia, or the panic fear of being sick and vomiting, is not something to be shouted from the rooftops. However, it is extremely debilitating, impacting the daily lives of people who suffer from it, sometimes to the point of pushing them to cut themselves off from the outside world.
A fear that ends up organizing a whole life
Emetophobia is an intense fear of vomiting. The fear of vomiting yourself, but sometimes also of seeing someone vomit, of hearing someone being sick, or even of being confronted with anything that could remind you of this possibility.
“The phobia still remains largely unknown. Perhaps because it touches on something intimate, shameful, deeply uncomfortable” analyzes Amélie Boukhobza, psychologist.
And yet, this fear is far from rare. “On social networks, by addressing this subject, I received thousands of testimonies from people living in a permanent state of alert around this fear. Many say they are always on the lookout for the slightest sign that could indicate nausea or gastroenteritis.
Because over time, emetophobia is no longer just about vomiting. It ends up invading all aspects of daily life.
- Some people will constantly monitor their body: digestion, gurgling, reflux, feeling of heaviness, stomach aches, etc.;
- Others will avoid certain foods, restaurants, transport, travel or evenings;
- Sometimes even important plans like pregnancy can be postponed because of the fear of nausea.
“The more anxiety increases, the more controlling behaviors multiply,” explains Amélie Boukhobza. Checking expiration dates several times, disinfecting excessively, avoiding eating outside, constantly asking for reassurance… So many strategies that are supposed to protect, but which often end up mentally exhausting.
A phobia linked to the fear of losing control
Contrary to what one might believe, emetophobia is not just a simple fear of being sick.
For many people, it refers to something deeper: the fear of losing control of their body and their reactions. Vomiting is indeed an experience that is impossible to completely control. And it is precisely this unpredictability that can become unbearable for some anxious people.
“Sometimes, this fear finds its origin in a significant memory: a stomach illness experienced as traumatic during childhood, a humiliation at school, a parent who is very anxious about the illness… But this is not systematic,” establishes the psychologist.
In some people, emetophobia sets in more gradually, on an already present level of anxiety. “As if the brain had found a concrete fixation point for a more diffuse anxiety.”
Why this fear remains so difficult to understand
Emetophobia also suffers from a huge lack of understanding. Many affected people know perfectly well that their fear seems irrational. They know that vomiting in itself is not dangerous.
But the body continues to react as if facing a major threat. And it is precisely this gap between reason and physical reactions that often creates a lot of loneliness and shame. “Some people don’t even dare to talk about their phobia to those around them, for fear of being judged or made fun of.”
For Amélie Boukhobza, the taboo plays an important role. “Vomiting refers to something very archaic: a body that overflows, which escapes control“, she explains. A loss of control that is difficult to accept in a society where self-control is often valued.
Can we really get out of this?
The good news is that yes, it is possible to get better. But this generally does not simply involve “reasoning”.
Therapeutic work often consists of acting on several levels:
- Understand anxiety mechanisms;
- Reduce bodily hypervigilance;
- Gradually get out of avoidance behaviors;
- Learn to tolerate certain physical sensations;
- Reprocess certain traumatic memories when they exist.
Certain approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT), progressive exposure or EMDR can be particularly useful depending on the situation.
Lifestyle also plays an important role. Sleep, chronic stress, diet or even the overall level of anxiety strongly influence the intensity of symptoms.
“The objective is not to eliminate all fear, but to escape the vicious circle where protection strategies themselves become a prison”.
A kit to support people suffering from emetophobia
Faced with the very large number of testimonies received around this phobia, Amélie Boukhobza decided to create a support kit dedicated to emetophobia. To download.
“The idea is not to promise a miracle solution, but to help the people concerned to better understand what they are going through and to gradually move towards better well-being.”
This kit includes: an explanatory guide on the mechanisms of the phobia, several educational videos, concrete tools to ease anxiety as well as suggestions for possible therapeutic approaches, such as EMDR or progressive exposure.