subject: Dealing With Emetophobia [print this page] Dealing with emetophobia is certainly not easy, although there are a number of steps you can consider. There are so many different ways it can affect sufferers. For some, it could be the fear of being sick themselves, for others, it is the fear of others vomiting and being around it.
The irony is that those who fear vomiting are generally less likely to do so than the average person. This is thought to be because they develop quite sophisticated techniques to prevent themselves being sick or to avoid being around others who might be. Despite this, they will allow this fear to rule their lives and often steer clear of family and friend who show any hint of sickness-even their own children.
Dealing with emetophobia often leads sufferers to eat a very bland diet, which is unlikely to cause any stomach problems and to avoid social situations where they might have to eat foods prepared by other people. Some will also avoid medication which list "nausea" as a side effect (however unlikely) and women will often have a deep-rooted fear of pregnancy due to the possibility of morning sickness.
Specialization is one way of dealing with emetophobia. Often, programs focus on treating general phobias or panic attacks and these are generally of little benefit to an emetophobe. One of the most effective ways is to identify the root cause and deal with it, rather than just trying to learn coping strategies.
Some sufferers do find that anti-depression pills can be useful whereas therapy can prove helpful for others, particularly when it focuses on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programing.
