Does Your Child Have Emetophobia?

To really know for sure, you probably need an experienced clinician to make the diagnosis. Since that is not always possible, affordable, or practical, sometimes you have to resort to less ideal solutions. With that in mind I am providing the following symptom list. Keep in mind this is a simple symptom list and not a rigorously designed and validated instrument. (If that makes no sense, don’t worry about it-psych speak.) The other thing to keep in mind is that there might be other issues involved that wouldn’t be excluded by the questions. For example, your child might have a different kind of anxiety or other issue that has similar symptoms. I’ll attach some links to other checklists and assessments as well. So now you know. This thing is far from perfect and not meant for formal diagnosis.

Phobias are NOT subtle. These behaviors would be pretty strong. Obviously, every child with emetophobia will not have every one of these and they might vary in intensity. However, if you child has more than half of these with notable strength or frequency it points to emetophobia.

1. is worried she/he might th**w up

2. frequently asks if he or she is sick and/or wants reassurance of not getting sick

3. avoids anyone or anyplace that could cause her/him to v**it

4. complains about not feeling well

5. wants parent nearby and won’t go places (ex. field trip) if a parent isn’t nearby in case of illness

6. avoids things that might be contaminated, past the expiration date, looks old, or unrefrigerated for too long because it might lead to v**iting

7. has frequent stomach aches/distress/n**sea

8. isn’t eating enough and/or very picky because he/she is afraid of getting sick

9. avoids things that would be great for them to do because of this fear

10. avoids anyone who is or may be sick with the stomach bug/flu

11. avoids seeing anyone v**it on TV, film, pictures or in real life

12. avoids using words or talking about v**iting

13. seems to be scanning how her/his stomach feels all day long

14. diligently checks on whether or not someone else is sick or getting sick

15. asks to take his or her temperature frequently

16. feels compelled to wash hands or shower if there was any contact with a sick person or something that might lead to n**sea/v**iting.

17. avoids going or being in school if the bug is going around

18. avoids park rides, boats, car rides, or other kinds of movement because of fear of getting sick

19. is afraid of choking or gagging

20. is worried that getting hot and/or sweating will lead to being sick

21. will not or resists going to sleep by him/herself because they might get sick

22. seems nervous or tense most of the time

23. avoids places/situations that could lead to anxiety or where he/she was anxious previously

24. will feel sick if exposed to anything related to this fear

25. has trouble falling and/or staying asleep due to anxiety about getting sick

Because emetophobia is fear involving the complex digestive process, there is the possibility there might be an underlying medical condition. Here is a link to a page that covers some of these concerns. Keep in mind that we are not physicians and simply providing information. It is probably a good idea to have your child see a pediatrician to rule out an underlying problem.