Emetophobia - The Fear of Vomiting

By AJ Costa
Emetophobia is the fear of vomit. Emetophobia can involve the fear of vomiting yourself or the fear of being in the presence of others vomiting.

Emetophobia is a form of social anxiety and often evolves around the fear of vomit being specifically in a public situation.

Emetophobia can have a crippling effect on ones life. Sufferers will often go out of their way to avoid certain situations such as travelling, being in the presence of children, eating out and going to social events. Some sufferers even find it hard to hold down a job.

Many woman are also said to have put off pregnancy due to worry about coping with morning sickness.

Meal preparation is also another aspect of daily life that affects emetophobia sufferers. Meals may have to be prepared in a specific way with excessive washing in order to reduce the fear that the food could potentially cause sickness.

The restrictions emetophobia sufferers put on food preparation often causes the individual to become overweight and it is also thought that emetophobia sometimes leads to anorexia.

There is no known cause of emetophobia. It is thought serious bouts of childhood vomiting or witnessing extreme cases of vomiting can help lead to emetophobia but there is no single identifiable cause.

As emetophobia is a fear, techniques used to treat phobias in general are often used on emetophobia sufferers.

Medication is a potential treatment, but many sufferers find that the thought of taking medications causes them to become anxious about the medication causing them to vomit.

Exposure techniques have shown varying success levels. This is where the individual is exposed to the feared situation of witnessing vomit. This level of exposure is increased overtime to desensitize the individual to the fear.

There is an online digital product called the Emetophobia Recovery System. This aims to address the specifics of emetophobia rather than social anxiety in general, which may lead to greater success. The article was produced by Rich Presta who has been featured on many media outlets such as CNBC, CNN, Fox News, Discovery Health and The New York Times.

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8 Tips for Coping With Emetophobia During the Holidays

By Anna Christie
Emetophobia can be difficult to deal with at the best of times, but during the holidays it is even worse. Most people suffering from anxiety, panic and the fear of vomiting try to stay indoors if they can. They don't want to go out where they will encounter people who might have a norovirus. They don't like to eat out because they fear the food may be contaminated if they don't prepare it themselves. Most emetophobia sufferers also try to stay away from children because they believe that they carry a lot of germs.

At Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's there are traditionally family gatherings and often not at the emetophobic person's home. So all of their fears can be present at one time: going out, not preparing the meal, being around other people, especially children.

Here are some tips for helping you get through the holidays when you fear vomiting.

1. Remember that being "around" people will not make you sick, even if they are sick. You have to ingest the virus. So always wash your hands before eating or putting them in your mouth. If you do that, you are just as safe as if you were attending the festivities in a bubble.
2. Trust your relatives to cook the food properly. Don't ask questions about it. Continually questioning is an anxious behavior, not a calming one.
3. If there's something you don't want to eat, just don't eat it and don't feel bad/guilty/obliging. You are a grown-up and you can eat whatever you want. Hold your head high and just say "no thank you."
4. Don't continually question people if they talk about not feeling well or having been sick recently. Again, this is anxious behavior. You can't possibly hear an answer that's going to calm you down.
5. Enjoy yourself! LISTEN to conversations, play games, catch up with relatives, smile at babies and children's happiness. Savor every delicious morsel of food. Avoid sitting in a corner freaking out - get out into the conversation instead. Keep busy.
6. When you hear the voice in your head freaking out and being anxious try just saying "stop" and going on to distract yourself with something else. Even if you say "stop" five thousand times over the holiday, it's better than saying five thousand terrifying things to yourself and nothing else.
7. As a Christmas gift to yourself, or a New Year's resolution, get some counseling and get over this phobia once and for all. You deserve this!
8. Finally, these are religious holidays. If you are a person of faith, pray and ask God to help you conquer this phobia. Note that God needs soil to grow seeds - they won't grow on your coffee table, no matter how much you pray. Emetophobia counselors and therapists and emetophobia treatment programs are the soil you need!

All the best to everyone this holiday season!

Anna S. Christie

Anna Christie is a recovered emetophobe and clinical counselor. She is the only counselor who specializes in emetophobia, and she treats people all over the world via Skype (free video calling service). Anna's help website and emetophobia resource website are used by thousands of people and therapists. The more we get the word out about this unusual yet common phobia, the more people can be helped and healed!

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Nyctophobia: Fear of the Dark And Overcoming It

By Abraham E. Donovan
Nyctophobia or fear of the dark is an irrational fear that normal people feel when in dark places. Phobias are irrational fears taking many different forms and are very common among people. They are oftentimes associated as a rational response to a traumatic experience.

Phobias can start as a simple fear of things, animals or events which will develop into panic disorders if no treatment was made. Symptoms of panic attacks are very common and apparent. This includes the following:

• Excessive fear

• Fear of getting insane

• Uneasy feeling of feeling trapped

• Breathing disorders

• Chest pains caused by the excessive fear

• Nausea

• Dizziness

• Disorientation of one's self

• Numbness

• Blushing

• Faster beating of the heart

Panic attacks are oftentimes mistaken as heart attacks and people who have imminent panic attacks are usually taken to emergency rooms. Continuous testing for heart disease can get really expensive while diagnosis of panic disorders may take a long time before an accurate analysis is made.

Once a person is extremely afraid of the dark and has become regularly fearful of it, chances are it has grown into a panic disorder which can get really bad if proper treatment is not sought after. However, fear of the dark can be cured effectively and it usually has a great chance of normal recovery. When treatment is started on the early stages of the phobia, the process of recovery is quick. Results are often satisfying and people will not recognize someone who has undergone treatment from having suffered nyctophobia for years.

During treatment, people who have been afraid of the dark for most of their lives will be taught new ways to recognize things, thus reducing the fear. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a short-term treatment that works the same way as this delivers satisfying results and is very cost-effective. There are also self-help programs available that respond well to people with phobias and various panic disorders.

Normally, this method begins by teaching people how to counter attacks in the future. Worrying too much of the next attack increases the anxiety level of the person with nyctophobia. When Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is exorbitant, self-help programs are a good alternative. One major advantage of self-help programs is the convenience and privacy it gives to the people using it. Other than the mentioned treatments above, hypnosis, self-hypnosis, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications are also common choices that yield quite fulfilling results for the person needing recovery.

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How to Get Over Fear of Flying

By Jerry M Jones
Aerophobia is more common than people think it is. There are a lot of people who are afraid of flying that most of them would rather endure grueling hours on the road than a few minutes sitting in a plane. Anxieties and phobias such as the fear of flying can be treated in numerous ways. To get over fear of flying, it's essential that you understand what this condition is all about.

Phobia is a category of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. People with this condition often find themselves having problems with their relationships, work and school. This is a debilitating condition that can hinder anyone from performing to the best of their abilities as they are more concerned and focused on their fears.

You may have Aerophobia if you experience any of these condition every time you ride an airplane or think of flying:

- Feeling of losing control and dying

-Agitation

-Hyperventilation

-Palpitations

-Sweating

-Cold and clammy hands

-Difficulty concentrating

Although there is no definite cause for phobias, studies have shown that genetics, stress and life experiences are factors that may cause the development of these conditions.

To get over fear of flying, it would help to know of external factors which may cause your irrational fear. A traumatic flying experience is one of the common reasons people develop this kind of phobia. If you had a bad experience in flying, you may want to consider psychotherapy to help get rid of your fear. With psychotherapy, you will learn different coping mechanisms you can use to avoid experiencing an attack. During your initial psychotherapy sessions, you may be given the time to reflect on your past experiences and see how it has affected your view of flying. Though it may be uncomfortable, it is only be getting to the root of your fear that you will be able to get rid of it.

Another type of psychotherapy you can have is exposure therapy. In this therapy, you will learn how to get over fear of flying by gradually being exposed to it. Your health care provider will put you in controlled situations where you have to face your fear. In the case of flying, you and your health care provider may initially go to an airport together and sit there for a period of time talking and evaluating how you respond to being in an airport. Gradual exposure helps you face your fears slowly.

Commitment is very important to get over fear of flying. Once you've chosen the treatment that you are comfortable with, make sure to follow the procedure as much as you can so that you can finally get rid of your fear.

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Cure Panic Attacks Naturally

By Muhammad Ali Khalid
What are panic attacks? They are short periods of time when one is not able to make a decision or one is overcome by sever fear, tension or anxiety. Is there any treatment? Yes, you can fully cure them. There are natural as well as medicinal ways to cure panic attacks.

I personally prefer natural cures as they have minimal side effects and in some cases, they have no side effects. They are less expensive as compared to other methods and more effective.

Remember you feelings: When you have suffer from panic attacks what are you feelings? Note down all your sensations before and after them. Write down if you feel light-headedness, or nauseous or some tingling sensation in your body. Note these feelings and remember them, so that the next time you are about to have one, you may know it in advance and it does not come as a surprise.

Slow breathing: In panic attacks, you breathing pace increases, this increase in return makes the attack more severe and your condition worse. If you feel that you are having one, try to slow down your breathing, it really helps. You can also try using a paper bag for this purpose, breath into the paper bag; it will help you regulate your breathing.

Understand: If you want to cure panic attacks naturally, it is imperative that you identify the reason you are having them. It can be anything, a certain situation, a certain thing in your surroundings, a memory that comes up, a place, or anything else. Keep all the factors in mind and try to identify the cause and try to stay away from things that can trigger them.

Exercise: Yoga and exercise are very good in curing panic attacks. Regular exercise can reduce them to zero. The flamingo pose in yoga specially helps in dealing with panic attacks. Exercise will also help you in managing and controlling your feelings, it will give a positive outlet to your feelings.

Sleep is very important: One of the main factors that cause them is deprivation of sleep. Make sure that you sleep at least 8-10 hours. Try to sleep early and wake up early, you would have heard the phrase "early to bed, early to rise, makes a man, healthy, wealthy and wise", well it is very true and effective in curing them. Sleeping can be a start in you battle against them.

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Your Child Is Afraid of Water? - Make Him Get Rid Of His Fear

By Katea Sovici
Once you have decided to take your baby to the sea, you have to see how he reacts around water. Some children love to play in water, but others are afraid to go swimming or even refuse to go near the sea. You may notice it when he has to take a bathe. Tub filled with water, a swimming pool or the sea should not give him the creeps, so try to help him overcome this phobia.

First, you need to take into account his age when was detected this fear. It is recommended that you get him used to low water, so that as he grows he learns to enjoy it. Let him play in water and sprinkle around in a bathtub or inflatable pool, but do not leave him unattended under any circumstances. Also, he must see your positive attitude of contact with water or swimming. With patience and perseverance your encouragement will make your baby to overcome this fear. Although it is common practice, do not ever throw him in pool, thinking that he will gets used. The effect could be reversed, and the baby to remain traumatized by this experience.

Here are other steps you can take into account to remove fear:

Take your time when bathing the baby, since the first months of life. If the soap enters the eye repeatedly or water will enter ears, he might develop unwillingness for a greater amount than the bath water. Hold him firmly in the arms when you put him in the water or you can come along with him if you're at sea. Do not allow his head go down. If he sees that he can trust you and can be safe with you, he may start to like water. It is recommended that you register your child at swimming lessons around age of 4 years. If water phobia seems to not disappear, you could try private lessons.

Encourage him to get wet gradually: to put his fingers into the water, then go on to the knees, then up to the abdomen and then to come till arms. Those steps will make him accommodate more easily and he will understand that water is not painful. Use pillows or inflatable hoop for a short period of time. It's good that the baby sees that he is in safe, but he should not become dependent on them.

Explain to your child what will happen if she put his head under water or if water enters the nose. These are the two most common fears of the smaller ones, but once he learns how to dodge them, he will gain more confidence.

Start accommodating the baby with water in a pool or a pond where there are no people. Congestion might distract attention from your advice and the baby may not listen to you when you're trying to teach him how to swim.

Encourage your baby to learn to swim, but do not press. Also, do not make him feel bad or guilty of being afraid of water. This would increase even more his fear.

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