[GoldenSnitch]

Hi all. I’m new to posting in the anxiety section of this form but not new to anxiety. I’m currently really struggling with my emetophobia. It is giving me so much anxiety I can’t control. I’ve talked with my therapist about this numerous times but it still plagues me daily. I need a med change. I was IP for my bipolar disorder and the pdoc switched my anxiety ones. I’ve been taking more Ativan than I should and even that isn’t helping with the copious amounts of anxiety. Does anyone else have this problem? Have you found anything that works for you? I could really use some support from someone who understands. This is taking over my life and I’m sick of it.

Thanks for reading.

I have struggled with emetophobia throughout my life. Before I knew what it was, I almost died from it because I refused to eat in fear of throwing up. I was starving to death, my chest was beginning to cave in and I had to be hospitalized.

I had a bit of a break from it but it came back in 2017. I first tried dealing with it by going on Ativan, which was a huge mistake for me. My body adjusted to the initial dose and I had to increase it. I was also becoming dependent on it and the Ativan was making me more depressed. I weaned off.

The thing that has helped me most is educating myself where in the brain anxiety comes from, and why. Understanding that nausea is a common feeling when anxiety strikes, and it will pass. I do deep breathing when I am particularly anxious and it works almost as well as the Ativan did, without the awful side effects.

It does get better over time, but it does take some hard work.

[GoldenSnitch]

Originally Posted by scaredandconfused

I have struggled with emetophobia throughout my life. Before I knew what it was, I almost died from it because I refused to eat in fear of throwing up. I was starving to death, my chest was beginning to cave in and I had to be hospitalized.


I had a bit of a break from it but it came back in 2017. I first tried dealing with it by going on Ativan, which was a huge mistake for me. My body adjusted to the initial dose and I had to increase it. I was also becoming dependent on it and the Ativan was making me more depressed. I weaned off.


The thing that has helped me most is educating myself where in the brain anxiety comes from, and why. Understanding that nausea is a common feeling when anxiety strikes, and it will pass. I do deep breathing when I am particularly anxious and it works almost as well as the Ativan did, without the awful side effects.


It does get better over time, but it does take some hard work.

Thank you for taking the time to write out this reply. I’m at my wits end with this and don’t know what to do anymore.