Are You Living in Fear of Being Sick All the Time?

Unlike many other phobias which can, to a certain extent, be avoided by simply not going near the *”phobic object”, Emetophobia is rather unique as it leads the sufferer to be in fear of being sick all the time.

(*Think about it, if you have a fear of Flying and only get on a plane once a year, avoidance is pretty easy)

This is because the majority of people who suffer with the fear of being sick, worry about:

• Being Sick themselves.
• Being sick in public.
• Seeing other people be sick.
• Feeling Sick.
• Catching a “sickness bug”.

As you can imagine, this means that ANY time they are around other people, they are constantly thinking about the fear of being sick all the time, and let’s face it, we spend nearly 100% of our lives around other people!

Behaviours Associated with Emetophobia

This constant fear of being sick all the time will often develop into a full blown OCD with all of its associated “avoidance” or “safety behaviours”, such as:

• Staying away from friends who have young children
• Avoiding anybody who has any kind of “sickness”
• Insisting on cooking their food themselves to avoid the possibility of food poisoning
• Completely avoiding alcohol
• Avoiding gatherings where alcohol is consumed (parties, weddings, etc.)

Once you develop this fear of being sick all of the time, it can become extremely tiring and all consuming, often to the point where the sufferer will:

• Avoid going out at all
• Stop going to work
• Stop socialising with people altogether

It’s not difficult to see how being in fear of being sick all the time could have very dramatic consequences for the person suffering including an almost total withdrawal from interaction with other people, and even the development of a Social Anxiety Disorder.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming or recovering from any of your mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular issues and the different types of mental health counselling we offer (including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – CBT) without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.