As I write this blog entry, I’m calming down from a mild to moderate panic attack. I’m still shaking and shivering. My face feels warm to the touch. My breathing is irratic but that’s starting to slow down. My heart is no longer racing. This time I didn’t cry but the thought of “never eating again” kept creeping into my mind.
If you’re one of the emetophobic readers of this blog, you’re probably shaking your head in agreement because you can relate to what I’m feeling. For those lucky readers who never have had phobias, I hope to open myself up a bit so you will understand how devastating this phobia can be.
What caused my panic attack? Would you believe a simple case of bloating caused by gas? Emetophobics are controled by fear. We are so scared of vomiting and the symptoms that lead to it, we can no longer differentiate certain stomach conditions with actual nausea. A simple rumble of gas in my intestines sometimes sets off my panic button especially if it’s accompanied by diarrhea.
Tonight it was that bloated, gassy, acidy feeling that did it. What makes even more irrational is that these feelings started after I drank a glass of pineapple juice – an acid rich fruit which always causes me to feel this way everytime I eat it or drink the juice from it. It’s not from a stomach virus or food poisoning, merely a high acid juice.
The bottom line is, I know what caused me to feel physically rotten and I know it won’t make me vomit – yet I still get panic attacks. That’s the nature of phobias.
fearsandphobias.blogspot.com
Oh man, do I KNOW THAT FEELING!!!! I don’t care what it is, if it has to do with my stomach, it will start a nausea attack in seconds and take hours to subside! What I have been doing to stave off the panic/nausea attack is every day I take my antidepressant (clonazepam) and Prilosec OTC. This is my basic daily dose. I have ordered promethazine online and keep that in my medicine cabinet. It is an anti-emetic and if I even feel my heart pumping fast or that familiar panicy feeling that is the onset to the debilitating nausea then I take one. I travel with it and everything. I have done insane things not to get nauseous and vomit. I can’t begin to tell you. I do feel better that I am not the only one with this affliction. I used to think I was the only one in the entire world and NO ONE. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE IN MY FAMILY OR ANY OF MY FRIENDS NO ABOUT IT!
Hi,
I came across your blog and just thought I’d let you know that there is a free website with lots of information about treatments and help with emetophobia. There is even a section for therapists, as well as a microbiologist’s article on how noroviruses are spread, so folks can be calmer.
I have nothing to “sell” on this site – no miracles cures or scams – just information. Thanks
http://www.emetophobiahelp.blogspot.com
Sage
Sage, I know who you are and I would like to extend a big thank you for posting your website here. I’m on the IES forum(emetophobia.org) and you have helped many forum members, including myself, during rough times.
I have emetophobia, as well as panic attacks. It’s pretty bad, but not this bad. My fear revolves more around seeing someone vomiting, seeing vomit, being vomited upon or avoiding people to unreasonable levels if they have the stomach flu. I have never had a panic attack from feeling gas pains because I thought it was going to lead to vomiting.
I can tell pretty well what is going on in my digestive system more than the average person. I have a big aversion to vomiting and have panic attacks if I have been having reoccurring daily nausea from medication or illness. I find panic attacks themselves more difficult than the emetophobia. However, I recently moved to a big city where I see vomit everyday somewhere by my apartment or on my way to work, or even at work, and it’s starting to cause me a lot of anxiety. I’m afraid that I will be vomited upon while using public transportation or at parties. It’s getting severe.
Yesterday I saw a drunk kid on the train who made a face that looked like he was nauseated, immediately I got up and I literally ran to the other side of the train car. Some girls behind him were giggling at me. My heart was pounding, but it wasn’t a severe panic attack, but bothersome enough. I dread leaving the house now, not terribly, but distressing enough that I notice it. I have been trying to distance myself from drunk people for fear of seeing them vomit.
I think this was because when I was little, a girl in my preschool class had a medical illness that made her vomit regularly, especially at lunch, it made me so distressed I had panic attacks every day my mom drove me there.