Emetophobia is the fear of vomiting. This also includes the intense anxiety of seeing, or hearing other people vomiting, thing that may induce it such as certain foods, or even just feeling nauseous.
I have not vomited in 12 years, and I often wonder that is what developed my fear. It doesn't matter if I see or hear it in person or on TV, it will still induce anxiety. I often wake up with a panic attack after just having a nightmare about vomiting. I am a rather vivid dreamer, so it feels real to me.
This is the number one reason why I do not want to have kids. The idea of dealing with morning sickness during pregnancy turns me off. It scares me how I would have ridiculous cravings, but then hurl it the next day. I know what you're thinking, why not just adopt? I would not be able to handle another person when they get sick. I'm also a little nervous about even getting married for that reason too. I sound like a horrible person when I say I can't hold back their hair or even be in the same room as moral support. Again, this is also the biggest reason why I chose to be in the healthy living dorm on campus. I know I won't get sick, but the sight and sound is enough to give me a panic attack.
I easily get anxiety over a stomachache or nausea. I often get acid reflux, because I love greasy food. Acid reflux is where your stomach acid camps out in your esophagus, and it gives you a lump in your throat. For me, I kept thinking I was about to throw up, and this was before I was really educated about it. I became afraid of eating all my favorite foods, going out to restaurants with my friends, or really any activity involving food. This was not due to having problems with my body image, I was simply afraid of becoming sick. Most days I lived off of plain pasta, goldfish, bread, bananas, and water. I ended up losing 30 pounds, but I was miserable. I felt like I was beginning to miss out. I wanted to have fun, and eat the way I used to, but it also caused me a great anxiety.
Some days I still felt nauseous when I was being careful with what I eat. It took me a while to realize that I was nauseous on those days because I was light-headed due to not eating. I loved the way I look, but I felt extremely unhealthy. I could not exercise because I did not have the proper fuel in my body. Some acid inducing food is good for you, I learned that it is all about balance.
When you're in college, it can be difficult with this specific fear, but I have found some loopholes such as the healthy living dorm, balancing my diet, or to stay smart about drinking.
