No one likes to be sick. The concept of getting sick or vomiting is not a lovely thought. But, when the idea of nausea becomes overwhelming enough to compel an individual to change their lifestyles and eating habits, the situation may be more than just a reasonable dislike of throwing up. Emetophobia is the powerful fear of vomit and this phobia can lead to death in those who suffer from it.

Someone who fears vomit may fear the thought or actof vomiting themselves, the thought or actof others vomiting, or be afraid ofthe vomit itself. These patients experience intense amounts of anxiety concerning 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 prior to the fear of vomiting is found. The patients will do anything to prevent themselves from vomiting and this includes the termination of eating.

They believe that if they do not eat food, there is no way they will be forced to vomit or get sick. Paradoxically, eating food can oftenmake the emetophobic person fell nauseous after a some time with no food and therefore the fear is realized and the phobia grows stronger.

The anorexia associated with emetophobia is only one of its kind, 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 emotional treatment for the fear of vomit.

Some of the more familiar symptoms of emetophobia include:

Avoidance of social situations.

Avoidance of eating places, hospitals, and doctors offices.

A strong fear of getting sick.

Avoidance of food.

Anorexia.

While it is common to detest vomit, it is not common to pass up food in order to prevent yourself from vomiting. The emetophobia person will go the extreme lengths to avoid getting sick or even seeing vomit. This phobia is one of the most difficult 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 show signs of bulimia.

Emetophobia can be treated in much the same approach as other kinds of phobia with anti-anxiety medicine and psychotherapy. But, due to the nature of the fear itself, the psychotherapy often needs to be extensive and the patients are commonly positioned into an in patient treatment facility in order to be viewed personally during treatment. If the emetophobia patient has begun to avoid food, the treatment will also involve a higher calorie diet and additional therapy for anorexia.