Emetophobia
What is it?
Emetophobia is a fear of vomiting or seeing others being sick. Those who experience emetophobia may also fear being out of control while they are being sick or fear being sick in public, which can trigger avoidance behaviours. It is a condition that is not widely diagnosed even though it is a fairly prevalent anxiety disorder., It is more common for women to have a fear of vomiting than men. An estimated 1.7-3.1% of males and 6-7% of females experience emetophobia.
Emetophobia varies enormously in how it effects people; most worry excessively about being sick even though they are less likely than the general population to be sick because of all the steps they take to avoid being ill. For instance, some people may be unable to leave home if there are any tummy bugs going around and they will avoid family and friends who have an illness.
DIY self diagnosis
If you can answer YES to most of the questions it is likely that you are affected by emetophobia. During the last 6 months:- Have you experienced a fear of being sick or being seen being sick?
- Have you experienced a fear of seeing/hearing others vomiting?
- Have you taken significant steps to minimize the risk of your catching a sickness bug, which have interfered with your daily life?
Emetophobia
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Emetophobia Fact SheetThis fact sheet gives a detailed overview, as well as a look at some of the evidence based approaches to treating emetophobia. |
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