Emetophobia is a fear of nausea and vomiting or seeing others vomit, including animals.
The condition is defined as a complex phobia. Unlike some phobias where a person reacts negatively when they come into contact with the thing or situation that causes their fear (i.e. spiders, dentists, needles), emetophobia can cause fear and anxiety continually. A person affected will avoid places and situations where they may be confronted with vomit. A women affected may avoid becoming pregnant for fear of morning sickness.
Emetophobia can affect a person’s self-esteem, relationships and work. It may make the sufferer feel like hiding or running away or cause physical symptoms such as shaking, palpitations, dizziness, breathlessness or full-blown panic attacks. A high level of general anxiety and panic disorder are often associated with this phobia, as well as depression and OCD. In severe cases emetophobia can result in a person not even wanting to go out of the house (agoraphobia).
Vomit phobia isn’t often talked about, but it is considered to be far more common than any statistics reveal, with more women than men being affected. Many people suffer in silence, either believing that nothing can be done or fearing that treatment will involve exposure to vomit.
The fear often starts in childhood and may be linked to an unpleasant experience. Or it could be caused by other family members being phobic. It may have been triggered by an illness. Sometimes people do not know how the phobia started. However, the fear is not something we are born with, the pattern of behaviour is something which can be changed.
How can hypnotherapy help with emetophobia?
If you are suffering from emetophobia, hypnotherapy has been proven to be highly effective in reducing anxiety and disempowering the fear response. This evidence and brain based therapy includes hypnosis, a deep relaxing trance state, through which new and positive patterns of behaviour can be created. The basic feature of any phobia is a conflict between the conscious mind and the subconscious. Hypnotherapy communicates with the subconscious, filtering through how the client wants to be rather than how they currently are.
To find out more about hypnotherapy and how it can help with emetophobia, or any other phobia, please call 07514 931 096 or email me using the contact form.