Phobia of vomiting!

[Dark Horse]

I know throwing up isn't pleasant for anyone, but I have a serious problem with it. Ever since I was a little girl, just the thought of throwing up makes me panic. And if I see someone vomiting, I feel like I'm about to faint and I get urges to SH. It's not nice at all. I have no idea why I'm so scared of it. So, how do I get over this fear? Is there any way at all?

[MegaMadness]

Maybe you could talk to a professional like a counsellor about it, maybe they could help you wrk out why you feel that way and what you can do about it.

[Nostalgia]

Having a phobia of sick is actually a VERY common phobia. Lots of people have a phobia of sick. Seeing a counsellor could help. I don't think anyone likes seeing sick, its not nice. But seeing a counsellor could help you.

[Soliloquy]

Hey Arabella,

I have this problem too. Thankfully, I've gotten a bit better! In the past, every time I'd almost throw up, I'd get a panic attack (which, ironically, just made the urge to throw up worse). Every time I'd see someone throw up, I'd get a panic attack, and begin to feel sick myself.

I don't have a whole lot of advice for you, since I'm still dealing with it as well, but something that has helped me has been reminding myself that while throwing up is uncomfortable and unpleasant, it will not last. I will feel better and I will stop. Silly as it sounds, it helps for me to compare sick days vs. healthy days. I'll say, "Okay, well, I've been sick for a couple days of the month. If there's thirty days in this month, then I still have twenty-eight days where I'm happy and healthy." I know it sounds strange. However, for me, throwing up always seems like the end of the world. It's like there's no light at the end of the tunnel in sight! So knowing that it does end and that in general, I have far more healthy days than I do sick days, is helpful.

As for other people throwing up, I've had a problem with this as well. In the past, if someone threw up, I would not allow them near me for at least a week. A few months ago, I went on a whale watch with my school and my friend got really seasick and threw up next to me. Although I know it sounds selfish anyway, I left her for a little while. But then once I got myself under control (and she was less seasick), I was able to go back and sit with her again. It was a big milestone for me, because while it was gross, it was not a traumatizing experience like it has been in the past for me. I'm not sure what the big difference was. I think it was just reminding myself that it was an impermanent situation and that my friend didn't puke to tick me off or anything. She genuinely wasn't feeling well.

You may want to consider talking to a counselor about your phobia. Try to think about what it is about throwing up that upsets you the most. For me, I hate feeling out of control and throwing up or having someone else throw up near me reflects this fear. I don't like to not have control over my body or what goes on around me.

I hope this helps a little bit! I know this is such a hard phobia to deal with!