Does the thought of vomiting—or even hearing the word—send your heart racing? At Bayside Psychotherapy, featured on Channel 7’s House of Wellness, we understand how emetophobia can limit your life. Emetophobia, or vomiting phobia, is a specific phobia causing intense fear and anxiety. It affects many people, leading to avoidance and impacting daily activities.
Emetophobia disrupts everyday life. You might avoid social events, travel, or certain foods. This fear can cause isolation and distress. But with the right support, you can regain control and live fully again.
Our qualified therapists offer personalised hypnotherapy, counselling, and psychotherapy in Highett (near Melbourne CBD) or online across Australia. You don’t have to face this alone—let’s find what works for you.
Get matched with a therapist: Find Your Therapist
What Is Emetophobia?
Emetophobia (Specific Phobia of Vomiting) causes intense fear of vomiting, seeing vomit, or even hearing the word. It affects about 8.8% of women and 1.7% of men.
Common symptoms include:
- Nausea, dizziness, panic attacks
- Avoiding eating out or public transport
- Obsessive checking of food expiry dates
- Avoiding hospitals or sick people
- Excessive hand washing or safety behaviours
- Restricting foods or losing weight unintentionally
If this sounds like you, help is available.
Begin healing: Start Now
Causes of Emetophobia are variable according to the individual, for example:
It might start with a bad memory—vomiting publicly or a brutal stomach bug. But not always. Research suggests it can stem from anxiety loops, genetics, or symbolic fears (e.g., losing control). Triggers like motion sickness or food intolerance can amplify it. We’ll aim to help you untangle the ‘why’ and move forward.
Signs You Might Have Emetophobia
Symptoms of Emetophobia can include:
- Avoiding seeing vomiting on TV or in movies.
- Obsessing over food and meal plans.
- Avoiding all bad-smelling things excessively.
- Avoiding hospitals or potentially sick people.
- Difficulties describing or hearing the word “vomit”.
- Excessive pre-emptive use of antacids.
- Avoiding places where you’ve felt sick.
Spot these? You’re not alone: Avoiding vomit in media. Over-checking food expiry. Dodging hospitals or potentially sick people. Gagging at the word ‘vomit’. Overusing antacids ‘just in case’. Skipping places tied to past nausea. These habits shrink your life—but they don’t have to define it anymore.
Treating Emetophobia – Tips To Overcome Fear Of Vomit
Picture a safe, quiet spot—like a still beach—for 2 minutes, breathing slow and deep. Before approaching a challenging environment. It’s not therapy, but it mimics hypnosis’s calm focus, potentially cutting stress 20% per studies. For more, grab our $19.95 Emetophobia MP3—refundable if it doesn’t help.*
- Don’t under or over expose yourself. Avoidance gives fear more power over you, but overwhelming yourself with too much exposure too soon may exacerbate the phobia.
- Find an exposure balance in getting acquainted with your emetophobia by educating yourself about it first.
- Practice mindfulness skills in which you observe your emotions without trying to fix or get rid of them.
- Be non-judgemental and reflective rather than self-critical (challenge irrational, negative thoughts that undermine your confidence).
- Build a positive support network.
- Seek professional assistance from a psychotherapist to help you to unearth the symbolic meaning of the vomit phobia and resolve inner conflicts that led to its formation.
Need emetophobia therapy?
Start Now
Ready to stop avoiding foods and social events and start living? Book a session in Highett or online
Call Bayside Psychotherapy on (03) 9557 9113 if you have questions. Your call is completely confidential, and there’s absolutely no obligation.
You can also book an appointment by using our online booking form for online appointments. Or, if you prefer, you can book an in-clinic session.
Tips Summarised
- Seek professional assistance.
- Mindfully aim for curiosity rather than self criticism. This phobia is not uncommon and help exists;
- Practice mindfulness skills or similar meditative techniques.
- Decide if you want hypnotherapy, counselling or depth psychotherapy.
- Check out this comprehensive guide on how to choose a therapist.
- Find a therapist matched to your requirements for Emetophobia help:
What Is The Cause Of Emetophobia?
Many cases of emetophobia happen after a negative experience with vomiting, though not always! For example, you might develop emetophobia if you vomited in public or in front of someone else, had an illness (like the stomach flu, food poisoning or alcohol poisoning) that caused a lot of vomiting. However, in many cases vomit is symbolic of something else that needs to be addressed.
Can You Self Diagnose Emetophobia?
Emetophobia is identified as a specific phobia when the dread of vomiting leads to persistent, excessive anxiety that greatly affects one’s daily life. However always seek professional assistance rather than attempting self diagnosis or management alone.
Meet Our Therapists
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Adam Szmerling: Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist—digs into phobia’s origins with deep insight.
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Lawrence Akers: Clinical Hypnotherapist—eases panic with proven techniques.
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Carolina Rosa: Counsellor & Hypnotherapist—builds calm through tailored support.
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Sara Herring: Hypnotherapist—targets SPOV triggers effectively.
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Humaira Ansari: NLP & Hypnotherapist—rewires thought patterns for lasting change.
Our team brings diverse, professional expertise to help you overcome emetophobia—skilled, trusted, and ready to support you: Get matched
Ready to feel better?
As featured on Channel 7’s House of Wellness, Bayside Psychotherapy provides trusted, effective treatments to help you regain calm and confidence. Don’t let fear hold you back. Start your journey today.
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Note: Whilst we will do our best to assist you, we rely on our clients’ full commitment to and participation in the treatment process to optimise results. Although some of our therapists work with people presenting with this condition, no guarantees of any outcomes can be made.
