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Last month, I received a text from my sister saying that one of her children wasn’t feeling well and needed to come home from school. Although she didn’t explain the illness, my mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario. I thought he must have been suffering from a stomach bug. This trigger sent me into a panic, and the anxiety was reaching a point where it was unbearable. But only recently did I learn that my anxious response in this situation is due to emetophobia, which is the fear of vomiting. It impacts my life and causes me to avoid situations where vomiting might occur.
Emetophobia can be a debilitating condition that leads to excessive compulsions and avoidance behavior. It impacts every aspect of my life, even my dreams of becoming a parent and my fear of being around sick children. This fear of lack of control, especially when it comes to raising children who might get sick, has made me question whether having kids is even feasible. But with the right support and therapy, I’m learning to navigate parenthood with emetophobia.
