How to overcome the fear of vomiting and nausea. Vomitophobia

Vomiting arose in childhood, I can assume due to poisoning, I was about 5 years old, I don’t remember everything completely, but the feeling of fear at that moment hit well. At school, I also had this fear, I threw whole tantrums at home, I could not control myself, I was shaking, I walk around the apartment with the words - I'm afraid. I even vomited once nervous ground, at that moment I felt relieved, but the fear did not go anywhere. After school, I went to university in another city, actually didn’t eat anything, rushed back home in the middle of the week, I was expelled, next year I entered again, met a guy, started cooking for him and myself, but I always look at the expiration dates. I learned to control myself a little, because I realized that a feeling of panic causes high tide nausea, sometimes afraid to ride public transport or over long distances. I try to avoid situations that can provoke this process, but everything cannot be avoided, a quarrel with a guy - stress = nausea, fear; taking exams, etc. I always carry valerian tablets and a package with me. When I start to get nervous recent times arise VVD symptoms, not enough air, which is also very scary. Trying to avoid a large number people because I'm afraid that I might vomit in front of them. AT last year 3 Panic attacks are rarer than usual, about 5 times a year, but I still get in the way of this fear and the constant struggle with it. I hope for your help.

Ekaterina, in your situation, individual work with a psychologist is desirable.

Read about it here: http://psiholog-dnepr.com.ua/be-your-own-therapist/dnevnik-raboty-so-strakhami

Hello. Ekaterina, you write ...

Fearvomiting arose in childhood, I can assume due to poisoning, I was 5 years old, I don’t remember everything completely, but the feeling of fear at that moment hit me well.

This is not a fear of vomiting, but of what is behind vomiting: fear of death, helplessness, etc.

It is possible that there were some life or current circumstances that accompanied the vomiting or went in parallel with this event. For example, the strongest panic of your mom or dad, which is why she couldn’t be psychologically close at that moment, couldn’t explain and calm anything, or maybe, on the contrary, her ignoring your fear, like “it’s okay, everything will pass”, and you it didn't make it any easier. There can be many examples.

You began to vomit at the age of 5. And what happened in your life at the age of 5, if you do not yet consider the situation with poisoning. If we consider vomiting as psychological symptom, that is, a kind of indirect message to others, because for some reason you could not make a direct message, then what kind of message is this, and to whom?

this fear bothers meand constant struggle with it

Fighting the symptom will only make the symptom worse. By your "struggle" you simply fix it in yourself more strongly. If you want something to stay in your life forever, start fighting it.

It would be possible to find out what kind of message it is to others, at the moment when you are scared. Maybe this is a message about being with you, so that they don’t leave you, and not only in a situation of stress, but in general in life. After all, the knowledge of your "disease" by your loved ones may serve as a reason not to lose your attention.

Or you can not focus on this, but try to notice something else in the moment of fear, to ground yourself: a ring on your hand, laces on your shoes, breathing. Do nothing about it, just notice. So in life, in addition to the fear of dying, try to notice the strength of the desire to live. With the help of a full-time psychologist, since questions like yours are not resolved by correspondence. However, your case is not fatal, it is quite amenable to correction. Look for an experienced specialist and start working with him. Together - it will be easier to achieve results.

Good luck to you!

Gritsyshina Alevtina Vladimirovna, psychologist Minsk

Fear of nausea or emetophobia is an unreasonable fear of vomiting or contact with the sight of other people's vomit, which can even trigger a panic attack.

Causes

As is the case with others anxiety disorders, the causes of its occurrence are "multifactorial": the influence of genetic, congenital, educational and social factors. In some cases, traumatic events can be identified in the anamnesis.

Symptoms of fear of nausea and vomiting

People with emetophobia have an almost painful fear of being sick or seeing someone else sick. That is, this fear relentlessly pursues him and irrationally fills mental activity: Vomiting as such doesn't happen that often! Fear is accompanied by anticipatory anxiety (there is an expectation that vomiting may occur at any moment) and avoidance of certain situations: for example, the presence of young children (who may regurgitate their food) or even familiar animals (dogs and cats).
Emetophobia is usually accompanied by other anxiety symptoms: social phobia and even depression or eating disorder.

Treatment for fear of nausea

Treatment consists mainly in a psychotherapeutic approach. The cognitive and behavioral therapy, but other approaches such as EMDR (Eye Movement Trauma Desensitization and Processing) can also be used to address a history of traumatic experience. It is also advisable to use systems approach, in case of evidence of a dysfunctional environment of the patient.
In some cases it may be useful and medical care, but avoid certain antidepressants that can cause nausea...

How can you help a loved one or friend who suffers from the fear of nausea?

If someone close to you suffers from the fear of nausea, it is of course very important to show understanding, tolerance and avoid any ridicule. In this case, it is appropriate to adhere to "benevolent neutrality."

I regularly work with patients who suffer from fear of nausea or emetophobia, usually young adults. Such problems often have a very negative impact on everyday life patients and is often associated with other disturbing symptoms, and even with a dysfunctional environment.

Vomitophobia or - uncontrolled fear of nausea. This type of phobia is quite common in children. Sometimes it presents as a symptom obsessive-compulsive disorders, agoraphobia.

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Diagnostics

Most often is syndrome of any disease. To make such a diagnosis, the patient must pass the Yale-Brown test. To do this, he must answer ten questions. Each question has five answers and corresponding the number of points from 0 to 4. At the end, you need to sum them up and look at the result. If a person scored from 0 to 7 - this indicates the absence obsessive-compulsive disorders.

From 8 to 15 - mild degree, from 16-23 - average degree severity, from 24 to 31 is severe, from 32 to 40 is extremely severe.

Variety of phobias

To determine whether individual disease or integral part another disease can be done with a different test. To do this, it is necessary to answer the question - why does the fear of vomiting appear?

Answer:

1. An attack of nausea occurs due to a serious illness;
2. Afraid that someone you know will be seen while he vomits. It's humiliating;
3. Fears of not having time to reach the bathroom when vomiting appears;
4. Disgusting feeling from the very process of vomiting.

If the patient answered yes to questions two and three, then he has agoraphobia. Fear of nausea is just one of the signs of a phobia.

A person is not afraid of nausea itself, but not to have time to escape from prying eyes during it. Such manifestations often occur in public places.

In case you answered positively to questions 1 and 4, then it means a person. Such patients are afraid of the feeling of nausea and consider it a manifestation of some serious illness.

People with social anxiety will choose answer 2 or 3. The difference between patients with agoraphobia and social phobia is easy to determine: not in public places nausea not causes panic in socially anxious patients. Agoraphobia is the opposite. increased anxiety because of the feeling that unable to provide assistance in time.

It is possible to have a combination of vomitophobia, social phobia, and agoraphobia in the same person.

Causes

The appearance of vomitophobia is facilitated by situations in which a person experienced feelings of shame during a vomiting act in public place. People subject to this phobia are receptive and impressionable. When people get into a similar situation or just think, they become nervous and there is a feeling that accompanies nausea. Such people very rarely eat in cafes or restaurants, as they are afraid of poisoning. Carefully check the products and look at their expiration date. Girls are afraid to become pregnant, as toxicosis may develop. This phobia is often born in childhood, when the child was ashamed during vomiting or saw someone throw up.

Symptoms

1. A person eats only at home and proven products so that there are no poisonings;
2. Washes fruits and vegetables very thoroughly before eating or preparing food from them;
3. Holds air for a while and does not breathe in public places;
4. Doesn't eat certain foods that are associated with feeling nauseous
5. Development of anorexia;
6. Treats imaginary diseases that cause nausea and vomiting.

Features of vomitophobia in children

Fear of nausea in childhood manifests itself refusing to go to Kindergarten or school. Any celebrations, birthdays, food in the dining room the child avoids. Becomes closed and this negatively affects social development.

If you notice such signs, you need to ask about the experiences of the child and go to a psychotherapist.

Treatment

self help

AT mild degree expression of vomitophobia man able to cope on their own. You need to learn as much as possible about your phobia, how and why fears appear. This will be a significant step towards solving this problem. If the patient begins to experience anxiety, you need to attack negative emotions. It is worth doubting that this feeling of fear and disgust can have a negative impact on others and the person himself.

Relax, unwind and meditate. All these methods will help a person avoid nervousness and anxiety. With practice, the patient learns to relax in a matter of seconds.

Psychotherapy

If the patient cannot cope on his own, then you need to contact a psychotherapist. There are a number of techniques that will help get rid of the fear of a gag reflex:

1. Cognitive Behavioral;
2. Hypnosis;
3. Gestalt psychology;
4. behavioral;
5. Autotraining.

The scheme and methods are selected individually for each patient. Most effective methodology is an cognitive-behavioral therapy. There is an impact on a person of a factor or situation from which a feeling of nausea appears.

Watch a video about the possibility of treating a phobia with hypnosis

Medical treatment

The basis of such treatment is the suppression of fears and panic fears at the patient. Apply antidepressants, tranquilizers, tricyclics and other psychotropic drugs.

Antidepressants help fight depression and obsessive thoughts. These drugs include - "", "Moclobemide".

- pills, active substance is fluoxetine. Used to treat depression various degrees severity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, lack of appetite. Apply one tablet in the morning. If the dosage is insufficient, the doctor can increase it to a maximum of 80 mg per day. Elderly people up to 60 mg. The course is three or four weeks. Contraindication- hypersensitivity to any of the components contained in the tablets. With liver and kidney failure this drug cannot be used. With suicidal tendencies, during pregnancy and lactation breast medication is not prescribed. Use with caution when diabetes, epilepsy, symptom and Parkinson's syndrome.

The average cost of a package of 10 tablets is 16 hryvnia, of 20 tablets is 25 hryvnia.

Moclobemide- is available in the form of tablets with a dosage of 100, 150 and 300 mg. Accepted for social phobia and depressive syndrome 0.3 g per day three times a day. When carrying a child and breastfeeding, this drug should not be used. It is also contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity to substances that are in the preparation. With pheochromocytoma, childhood, when taking selegiline should not be taken. The cost for 30 tablets of 300 mg is 1200 hryvnia.

Benzodiazepines — medicines stopping panic attacks. These include "", "".

- tablets with a dosage of 0.0005, 0.001 or 0.0025 g of phenazepam and a solution for intravenous and intramuscular injections. Possesses antixiolytic, muscle relaxant, anticonvulsant, amnestic, sedative, hypnotic actions. Applicable for neurosis, reactive psychosis, phobic conditions, panic reactions, tics, muscle rigidity. Contraindication to the use of the drug - shock or coma, with myasthenia gravis, with acute respiratory failure during breastfeeding and pregnancy, hypersensitivity to the substances in the preparation. The average cost of tablets 0.0005 - 100 rubles, tablets with a dose of 0.001 g - 139 rubles, with a dosage of 0.0025 g - 185 rubles. For 10 ampoules of 0.1% solution - 190 rubles.

- available in the form of tablets, dragees and solution. It is used for depression, psychosis, phobias and panic conditions, obsessive-compulsive syndrome. Take from 6 to 8 years old - 25 mg per day, from 9 to 12 years old - 25-50 mg per day, over 12 years old take 50-75 mg. Adults are prescribed 150-250 mg intramuscularly 25 mg three times a day in combination with 25 mg tablets. Contraindicated in childbearing, breastfeeding, when taking MAO inhibitors, children under six years of age, intolerance to the components of the drug. The price for 50 tablets, the dosage of 25 mg is 350 rubles.

Psycholeptic medicines- reduce the level of anxiety, panic manifestations. Recommend the drug "".

- tablets that are indicated for use in anxiety states, increased anxiety and stress. Therapeutic dose is 5 mg in two divided doses. Then the dose is increased to 30 mg. Wash down the pills large quantity water. Contraindications for use are: myasthenia gravis, kidney failure, lactation, childbearing, hypersensitivity to the components in the preparation, acute congestive glaucoma, epilepsy, childhood. The cost of tablets in a dose of 5 mg - 90 hryvnia, 10 mg - 145 hryvnia.

Prevention

Conclude preventive actions to not panic in stressful situations. For this you need:

1. Try not to overreact to stressful situations;
2. Practice meditation and relaxation;
3. Make physical exercise everyday;
4. After stressful situations have required time for recovery;
5. Limit the use of coffee and other psychoactive substances.

Another useful video on this topic

Celebrities and phobias

Celebrities were no exception due to their phobias. In many cases, fear of a gag reflex is one of the symptoms. For example, Benedict Cumberbatch suffers from stage fright and every time he gets sick before a performance. Adele, a singer, also suffers from a phobia. From the fear of performances in Brussels, she vomited right on the audience. She herself admitted that she often had panic attacks.

Vomitophobia can and should be treated. There are different ways, the choice is up to the patient. But you need to understand that fears of something greatly affect a person’s life and can lead to isolation, complete loneliness. It is necessary not to run away from fears, but to start treatment on time. This is the right way to live a fulfilling life.

What to do if a person fear, fear of nausea and vomiting, and this leads to a violation eating behavior and fear of food, weight loss, anorexia nervosa…

How to overcome the fear of nausea and vomiting

Good afternoon! I am 28, and I look terrible - my weight is 47 kg (3 months ago it was 64 kg). It all started with the fact that since childhood I have been afraid of nausea, I constantly check the expiration dates, I look at the compatibility of all products, I never even try something new and unknown. At one time I felt fine, I could even overeat, drink alcohol a little.

Can you tell me something? It becomes very scary, very disturbing. Can't go anywhere, avoid noisy companies I shut myself up. If someone wants to help with something from relatives, it causes terrible irritation. In this regard, there is a fear - to become pregnant, but I already understand what is needed.

Hello. Almost three years ago I was diagnosed with VVD (high blood pressure). No one could understand why this was happening to me. Heart, kidneys, etc. - everything is fine. And only I know why.

I am too impressionable person, I constantly wind myself up and invent fears.
The fact is that I am tormented by the fear of nausea, which is present almost constantly. This fear is absent only when I have no time to think about it.

I constantly drink cerucal, motilium, I'm afraid to eat something wrong, I only eat homemade food and God forbid anything fried. 'Cause sometimes I think the nausea is from the stomach but he seems to be fine.

I don't know what to do I should worry about anything - I'm already starting to feel sick in the evening, there is an aversion to food and so on. At the same time, nausea does not end with vomiting, I am afraid of it and constantly drink antiemetic pills at the slightest attack of nausea.

Sometimes there are situations when I think about something bad, I even immediately start to sweat, my hands and not only my hands are shaking. Slightly dizzy, and in the evening it also hurts, heart palpitations, weakness, appetite disappears and the worst thing is nausea. I take everything to heart.

I drank valerian for two months, motherwort for a month, afobazole for a month - all a waste of money and time. Against the backdrop of stress, I developed mastopathy. I myself perfectly understand that I just need to pull myself together. Take care of yourself and think about the future, not about today's nausea.

This nervousness and constant "sickness" spoils everything for me: study, personal life, relationships with many people. And I'm only 18 years old, I'm studying and I want to start a family, give birth healthy child, but how can I plan a pregnancy ... What if toxicosis, if even at the slightest thought of nausea I drink pills from it. By the way, they don’t even help, I only inspire myself that they help..
Thanks in advance.

The answer to the question.

Attacks of nausea with VVD.

If nausea had organic cause, then the pills would help to remove it.

From what you took, only Valerian tincture is worthy of attention, but you need to take it in a sufficient dose. That is, until now you have not received sufficient treatment with sedatives.

You will be very surprised when does nausea go away after starting psychotropic medications. Your attacks are provoked only by an overstrain of the autonomic nervous system. So nervous system expresses her protest against your behavior, which she does not like.
And the symptoms that you describe during an attack are a prime example panic attack.

Everything that happens to you is the result of the fear of death, which you are afraid to admit to yourself.. When you stop noticing it and thinking about it, then the nausea goes away.

We need to start reconciliation with him. To get started, read the article.
And be sure to visit a psychotherapist to prescribe an adequate soothing treatment.