What Can I Do For Emetophobia?

QUESTION:

Dear Dr. Heller,

I have a few questions that I hope you can answer, or at least send me in the right direction.  I suffer from emetophobia, which is a fear of vomiting.  I was thrown in a hospital and diagnosed with Anorexia.  Again, during a pursuit for some help, I was diagnosed with an A Typical Eating Disorder.  After much dismay, I went on-line and began to do some research on the topic.  To my surprise, over 500 people that I have spoke with have the same fear, and mostly all of them were diagnosed as having Anorexia.  We have all had therapy for "appearance" problems.  We are thin because we are afraid that the food will make us sick, not obese.  Most places that deal with Anorexia also include Bulimics, who force themselves to vomit.  We can not sit in a room with people who make themselves get sick.  That's equivalent to putting someone who is afraid of spiders in a room full of them.  We are on our own to waste away.  I am 5'6" and now weigh an all time low of 94lbs.  No one can help.  No one is aware of emetophobia.  When I asked each therapist I went to and there were many, the reaction was the same "emeto what"? We feel hopeless and remain up through most nights with panic attacks out of fear that we will be sick that night.  I am in communication with others like myself via email.

Please contact me with any information you may have or suggestions.

ANSWER:

Phobias are intense, irrational fears.  Claustrophobia, agoraphobia and social phobia are the most common. 

While "desensitization" therapy helps many, some need medication.  Virtually all anxiety makes the condition worse.  The screening test I use for my patients may give you clues.

SSRI medications like Prozac have helped some patients, but comprehensively treating all the diagnoses listed in that screening test has helped my patients the most.