Emetophobia Help: Understanding and Treatment Options

Many people across the world suffer from emetophobia, or the fear of vomiting (either themselves performing the act or witnessing others). Often, these feelings can interfere with daily life, causing sufferers to avoid traveling, pregnancy, certain jobs, social outings, or even venturing outside their homes. Each case is different. Therefore, many methods are available to treat this relatively common mental-health issue. Finding quality, effective support for "emets" is essential.

Instructions

• 1

  Find an emetophobia support group online. Yahoo! Groups is a good place to start. Emetophobia sufferers can subscribe to a related e-mail list, register at a bulletin board support forum, share phobia discussions on a Facebook page or even create an emetophobia blog as an outlet for their thoughts and emotions.

• 2

  Make an appointment to talk with a family physician. Doctors usually are well-trained in dealing with patients' anxiety-related issues. Also, they can provide suggestions for ways to manage emetophobia as well as possibly prescribe medication to alleviate the anxiety.

• 3

  Find a trusted, well-trained counselor who specializes in anxiety disorders. Many mental-health counselors are listed in the telephone book and online. It's often beneficial to schedule an introductory meeting with the counselor before seeing him on a regular basis to ensure that the counselor fits the patient's needs.

• 4

  Make healthy diet choices, avoiding foods that can trigger anxiety or exacerbate it (such as caffeine, sugar, and chocolate).

• 5

  Speak privately with a familiar, trusted clergy member to discuss spiritual ways of managing anxiety. Many anxiety-themed devotional books are available.