OCD and Emetophobia

The fear of vomiting, or emetophobia, affects people of all ages. It is often seen in childhood and if left untreated, can become debilitating. It is also known to develop during adulthood, perhaps after an associated experience such as a severe stomach illness or episode of vomiting. The consequences of vomit phobia can be extreme, leading to such things as school refusal, social isolation, and job loss. Emetophobia can also take away any joy in life, hindering travel and leisure activities, romantic relationships, and even pregnancy (afraid of morning sickness).
To be clear, emetophobia is not just being afraid of throwing up. Rather it is an excessive or irrational fear about the possibility of vomiting. In fact, says Dr. Steve Seay, most of the people he treats for emetophobia have symptoms of other conditions such as social anxiety, agoraphobia or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This post will focus on emetophobia and OCD.
First, it is important to discuss some examples of behavior that present with all types of emetophobia:

Avoidance behaviors such as not eating certain foods (severe cases could lead to anorexia), not going to specific places, or not participating in certain events you might associate with vomiting (could be something as simple as avoiding parties with food).
“Health-conscious” behaviors such as refusing to shake hands with others in case they are/were sick, excessive handwashing, and unreasonable amounts of time and attention paid to food sel...

Source: Psych Central - January 15, 2019 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Janet Singer Tags: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder emetophobia Nausea Ocd Vomiting Source Type: news