Fetish Anti-thesis?

[Villette]

You know how some people have a fetish for women vomiting? Well, I've noticed that quite a few people on here (myself included) seem to be emetophobic (have an intense fear of vomiting). It sort of made me wonder if there are people out there who have if not a fear of sneezing than perhaps an intense antipathy towards it?

[Chanel_no5]

Not sneezing, of course, but of excessive snot, contagion/germs, and coughing, things that generally links naturally to sneezing. But I can't stand either of them. As in, I freak out.

[obsessed]

Germaphobia!

\germaphobic.

\emetophobic.

Edited August 8, 2011 by obsessed

[Lalena]

I wondered that too! I am INSANELY emetophobic, to the point where I will not go to parties if I think there wil be excessive drinking on the off chance that someone might get sick. I've missed several bachelorette parties because of it. My fear is very severe.

When I came across a site that said some people have a vomit fetish I was horrified. I could not understand how someone could be turned on my something I was so afraid of ... something that even dictated my social life at times.

I don't think its a give and take thing, like if you like sneezes you hate vomit and if you like vomit you hate sneezes, but I do wonder if there is a group out there that is sneeze-a-phobic (I'm sure there is a word out there somewhere, I'm just too lazy to look it up right now ) I'm not talking about germaphoic people ... that is an entirely different thing. Germs do not only come from sneezing. I am talking about a fear of just sneezes or the act of sneezing. I'm sure it exists ... how awful that would be as sneezing occurs more often than vomiting does!

[Vetinari]

According to Wikipedia, it is thought to be one of the commonest phobias in the world. The description of some of the more severe effects it could have on people's lives made me realise that mine wasn't all that bad!

[Villette]

I wondered that too! I am INSANELY emetophobic, to the point where I will not go to parties if I think there wil be excessive drinking on the off chance that someone might get sick. I've missed several bachelorette parties because of it. My fear is very severe.

I do the same thing! I never drink and I avoid anyone who does just because I'm terrified that I or someone else might vomit.

[Prongs]

Like the sneeze fetish, I thought I was the only one who was absolutely terrified of vomiting! Gosh, there was this one time a kid threw up in class...everyone was freaked out, really, but I was sitting there shaking! Awful.

If there is emetophobia, then there is sneezeophobia somewhere!

[haeeshoo]

It sort of made me wonder if there are people out there who have if not a fear of sneezing than perhaps an intense antipathy towards it?

I'm convinced that for every fetish there's a complementary phobia (and probably vice versa)

[VoOs]

I've been successfully cured of my emetophobia this summer, by working in eldercare and being forced to take care of people being sick all over themselves and the floor more times than I can count. In the end, I realized that the person vomiting is feeling far worse than I am. The only way to get rid of a phobia is to face it. There's really no other way around it.

But yes, if people can have a phobia for pickles, there is sure to be a bunch of sneezophobes out there as well. Poor bastards.

[Lalena]

I've been successfully cured of my emetophobia this summer, by working in eldercare and being forced to take care of people being sick all over themselves and the floor more times than I can count. In the end, I realized that the person vomiting is feeling far worse than I am. The only way to get rid of a phobia is to face it. There's really no other way around it.

I agree with you, however, I would NEVER take a job that would require me be around sick people like that. Of course I feel badly for the person vomiting and I am sure they are feeling terrible, but it does them no good to have someone freaking out, shaking and crying taking care of them.

I had a student this past year pass out and when she came to she threw up. The other kids in the class were fantastic and very mature and I am embarrassed to say that I was the worst in the room. I had one students kneel by her the entire time and take such good care of her until the nurse got to my classroom while I stood in the corner furthest away willing myself not to run out of the room crying. I am certainly not proud of that. I am mortified in fact. But at least it wasn't as bad as I could have behaved. I just know I would never be able to take a position KNOWING I would have to deal with that on a daily basis. I would have a mental breakdown if that was my career.

[vote_for_pedro]

I wondered that too! I am INSANELY emetophobic, to the point where I will not go to parties if I think there wil be excessive drinking on the off chance that someone might get sick. I've missed several bachelorette parties because of it. My fear is very severe.

Holy crap, I'm the same way! There are certain social situations that I either avoid entirely, or never fully relax in because of how intense my phobia is. Lalena, I say you and me need to get together and party since we both know the other one is equally emetophobic. There's nothing for either of us to fear!

And to the original question, I've wondered the same exact thing, and it was my own phobia that got me thinking about it. I googled sneeze phobia, but all I came up with was germ phobia stuff. And that's not really the same thing, at least in my mind. Like for me, it's the ACT of throwing up that terrifies me. I don't want to look at the puke either, but it's not as scary as the act. So to me the germ phobia thing is not quite analogous. I was trying to find out if there were people in the world who were actually freaked out by sneezing, not the germs that go with it. So far I've found nothing. Which makes total sense. Sneezing is wonderful!

[Lalena]

I wondered that too! I am INSANELY emetophobic, to the point where I will not go to parties if I think there wil be excessive drinking on the off chance that someone might get sick. I've missed several bachelorette parties because of it. My fear is very severe.

Holy crap, I'm the same way! There are certain social situations that I either avoid entirely, or never fully relax in because of how intense my phobia is. Lalena, I say you and me need to get together and party since we both know the other one is equally emetophobic. There's nothing for either of us to fear!

VFP, I am TOTALLY up for that!!! It would be so nice to be able to completely relax in a social situation where drinking is involved.

I googled sneeze phobia, but all I came up with was germ phobia stuff. And that's not really the same thing, at least in my mind. Like for me, it's the ACT of throwing up that terrifies me. I don't want to look at the puke either, but it's not as scary as the act. So to me the germ phobia thing is not quite analogous. I was trying to find out if there were people in the world who were actually freaked out by sneezing, not the germs that go with it.

My thoughts exactly! Well put, friend! (I LOVE that you get me on this!)

Edited August 9, 2011 by Lalena

[Vetinari]

I wondered that too! I am INSANELY emetophobic, to the point where I will not go to parties if I think there wil be excessive drinking on the off chance that someone might get sick. I've missed several bachelorette parties because of it. My fear is very severe.

Holy crap, I'm the same way! There are certain social situations that I either avoid entirely, or never fully relax in because of how intense my phobia is. Lalena, I say you and me need to get together and party since we both know the other one is equally emetophobic. There's nothing for either of us to fear!

I would be equally at home at this party. Just as long as I can sleep over because no way can I go home on public transport at that time of night either.

[alpha_dog]

Germaphobia!

\germaphobic.

\emetophobic.

ohgod yes. The fetish definitely conflicts with my mental disorders

[Villette]

I wondered that too! I am INSANELY emetophobic, to the point where I will not go to parties if I think there wil be excessive drinking on the off chance that someone might get sick. I've missed several bachelorette parties because of it. My fear is very severe.

Holy crap, I'm the same way! There are certain social situations that I either avoid entirely, or never fully relax in because of how intense my phobia is. Lalena, I say you and me need to get together and party since we both know the other one is equally emetophobic. There's nothing for either of us to fear!

I would be equally at home at this party. Just as long as I can sleep over because no way can I go home on public transport at that time of night either.

Yes, me too! Lalena, it sounds like you handled it alot better than I would have! I want to be a teacher but I could only ever teach high school...I'd be way too worried about little kids not being able to control their nausea or get to a bathroom on time to teach any younger grades.

[count tiszula]

Yes, yes, emetophobia is very common.

Returning to the possibility of ptaerophobia, well, guess what....A very early girlfriend of mine endlessly went on about how she disliked sneezing; which was odd because she was really quite sneezy. This of course caused me a lot of mental turmoil, especially as I really was very inexperienced. So in essence she would have some amusing hay fever attack or similar [which I really could not believe that she was not enjoying, because I would have enjoyed it so myself], and then go on for hours about how disgusting she was. I know this is nowadays very common especially amongst the younger of our fellow-fetishists, but it really was not at all common then. And of course I enjoyed every moment of it, because she would endlessly go on about how, in order to prevent this disgustingness, she should blow her nose a million times and wash out her nostrils in amusing ways. Oddly, she never carried a hankie! So she gave me amazing brownie points for keeping her supplied....

Another girl I knew seemed to have a similar phobia, as once during some gathering she announced in a terrified voice that she was going to sneeze, and said something like "Someone do something". She seemed to go into a panic, in fact she aardvarked out. somehow this ended with her breaking a cup of tea which ended in fragments , wetly, all over a piano. And she never sneezed...

[chalkdust]

I can understand many people not liking vomitting, but I didn't know an actual phobia to it was that common. I myself HATE to vomit, but seeing it or being around others when it happens to them for me is no worse than anything else that seems kinda gross. Of course I also will eat things like spagetti and sauce during criminal minds and horror flicks so my gross-out level is kinda high

Since people could be afraid of pretty much anything (much like people can have a fetish about anything), it wouldn't surprise me that there are some people with a fear of sneezing.

The only thing I am really have a phobia about is heights. Well that and death, but isnt everyone afraid of death?

[Vetinari]

isnt everyone afraid of death?

I don't want to die for various reasons, but I'm not afraid of death.

[Lalena]

Yes, me too! Lalena, it sounds like you handled it alot better than I would have! I want to be a teacher but I could only ever teach high school...I'd be way too worried about little kids not being able to control their nausea or get to a bathroom on time to teach any younger grades.

Thanks! I was proud of myself for not freaking, but I just knew I had to hold things together for my students. I'm actually afriad to have children for the very reason you mentioned above, but I am hoping and praying to God that if it's my own children I will be able to handle it and that the same thing inside me that came out for my students will come out again (although, I would hope with my own kids I would be able to console them myself and not send someone else to do it, lol).

Also, Villette, I am a high school teacher. I taught middle school one year and had one vomiting incident (there was another teacher in the classroom that handled it, thank god) and in the 3 years as a high school teacher I only had the one incident I mentioned before.

[Vetinari]

I'm actually afriad to have children for the very reason you mentioned above, but I am hoping and praying to God that if it's my own children I will be able to handle it and that the same thing inside me that came out for my students will come out again

I have had children, and though the idea of them vomiting still causes fear, when it has actually happened, I have managed to deal with it. Partly that might be due to the fact that when they were babies, they spent a whole lot of time just regurgitating milk. That never seemed like real vomiting but it did mean I became more relaxed about the whole thing, and when actual vomiting occurred it wasn't such a big step. And as VoOs said, just knowing that it was my responsibility and that they are generally feeling worse than me does help.

Actually, another thing that does help, is my experience that if I clean everything really thoroughly, wash my hands ditto and isolate the children from each other while they are actually unwell, very often I have contained the infection to one family member. The childminder I used for a while obviously took no such precautions and the bugs usually spread throughout everyone in her house. That opened my eyes to how much difference good hygiene can make .... which means I can feel more in control of the situation. It has been mooted that part of the phobia might be related to a dislike of losing control ... which raises some interesting questions about its relationship to the fetish, because for many people that seems to be partly about loss of control.

Actually, I thought I had more or less got over my phobia. I think I could now handle known non-infectious causes of vomiting without too much difficulty but strangers vomiting for unknown reasons still freaks me out.

[Demosthenes]

Yes, curiously I know at least one person with a sneeze-phobia. I had a good male friend in college who had an extreme dislike of sneezing. I don't know about other people sneezing, but he definitely hated sneezing himself. And he said as much on many occasions. I don't think it was germophobia. He just really didn't like to sneeze, it annoyed him.

I don't have any problem with vomit, btw. In fact I'm not aware of any real phobias I have. (I like high places AND small places AND big crowds AND <insert fear here>...)

isnt everyone afraid of death?

I don't want to die for various reasons, but I'm not afraid of death.

There are very good reasons not to fear death. And then there are very foolish reasons not to fear death. Make sure you have a good reason.

[Vetinari]

Returning to the possibility of ptaerophobia, well, guess what....A very early girlfriend of mine endlessly went on about how she disliked sneezing;

I know at least one person with a sneeze-phobia. I had a good male friend in college who had an extreme dislike of sneezing. I don't know about other people sneezing, but he definitely hated sneezing himself. And he said as much on many occasions. I don't think it was germophobia. He just really didn't like to sneeze, it annoyed him.

Neither of these reactions sound like phobia. Phobia is not about disliking something, or being disgusted by it. Phobia is all about fear; my own experiences are of a fear so intense that I was barely able to function, and my main aim was to escape, even if that meant running towards something that was logically more risky. I'd gladly run out of a party where someone was vomiting, and face walking home alone in a dangerous place, if the alternative was to be transported in a car with the vomiter, for example. Similarly I have heard of a lady with a fear of birds, who ran away leaving her baby on the beach because one came too close. From what I have read about it, for some people it can be so bad that it results in an inability to function in life properly:

From Wikipedia:

Dr. Lipsitz et al.’s findings also showed that those afflicted with emetophobia often have difficulties comfortably leading a normal life.[1] Many find that they have problems being alone with young children, and they may also avoid social gatherings where alcohol is present.[1] Retaining an occupation becomes difficult for emetophobics. Professions and personal goals can be put on hold due to the high anxiety associated with the phobia,[6] and travelling becomes almost impossible for some.[1]

In Lipsitz et al.’s survey, women afflicted with emetophobia said that they either delayed pregnancy or avoided pregnancy altogether because of the morning sickness associated with the first trimester,[1][7] and if they did become pregnant, it made pregnancy difficult.[1]

Other inhibitions on daily life can be seen in meal preparation.[1] Many emetophobic people also have specific “rituals” for the food they eat and how they prepare it.[1] They frequently check the freshness of the food along with washing it several times in order to prevent any potential sicknesses that they could contract from foods not handled properly.[1] Eating out is also avoided, if possible, and when asked Lipsitz et al.’s survey, many felt they were underweight because of the strict diets that they put upon themselves.

This was what made me realise how little mine affects me, and how awful life must be for those who are so badly afflicted.

[Lalena]

I have had children, and though the idea of them vomiting still causes fear, when it has actually happened, I have managed to deal with it. Partly that might be due to the fact that when they were babies, they spent a whole lot of time just regurgitating milk. That never seemed like real vomiting but it did mean I became more relaxed about the whole thing, and when actual vomiting occurred it wasn't such a big step. And as VoOs said, just knowing that it was my responsibility and that they are generally feeling worse than me does help.

It's good to know that you are able to take care of your kids. This is honestly my biggest internal dilemma. I want kids so badly, but I really don't know if I could handle it. There is a place on the floor in my parents house where my brother threw up when he was little that I REFUSE to walk over. Still to this day. It was on marble, so there is no stain or anything. And it was over 20 years ago. Irrational, I know, but I just can't so it.

Phobia is all about fear; my own experiences are of a fear so intense that I was barely able to function, and my main aim was to escape, even if that meant running towards something that was logically more risky. I'd gladly run out of a party where someone was vomiting, and face walking home alone in a dangerous place, if the alternative was to be transported in a car with the vomiter, for example. Similarly I have heard of a lady with a fear of birds, who ran away leaving her baby on the beach because one came too close. From what I have read about it, for some people it can be so bad that it results in an inability to function in life properly.

I am sooo the same way! I was at a bachelorette party (the last one I ever went to because of this) and the girls rented a limo. One of the girls vomited while we were driving to the next location. It was in a bag and she was on the other side of the limo so I was hardly effected but I started crying and freaking out. I made the driver pull over and let me out. The girls were like, get back in, we will take you home. I refused. Instead I walk home (about 2 1/2 miles) at 12:30 at night in heels and 55 degree temps with a short skirt and tank top.

[Chanel_no5]

Personally, my fear of vomiting is about vomiting from a disease (norovirus specifically). If the stomach bug is going around, I avoid eating out, try not to be among people, and take precausions when it comes to food I buy and cook. I always try to be careful about food, making sure it's fresh, but that has to do with the fact that my cousin nearly died from eating undercooked pork chops once. I have no great issues with going to parties or gatherings where alcohol is present; in fact, if I'm intoxicated myself, it doesn't really bother me if someone is vomiting. It's not pleasant, and if I can avoid people who do it I will, but the only time it really, really freaks me out is if there's a chance of me catching anything.

So... I guess for me it's not actually a phobia of vomiting, but my ever-present germ phobia.

[count tiszula]

Returning to the possibility of ptaerophobia, well, guess what....A very early girlfriend of mine endlessly went on about how she disliked sneezing;

Neither of these reactions sound like phobia. Phobia is not about disliking something, or being disgusted by it. Phobia is all about fear; my own experiences are of a fear so intense that I was barely able to function, and my main aim was to escape, even if that meant running towards something that was logically more risky. I'd gladly run out of a party where someone was vomiting, and face walking home alone in a dangerous place, if the alternative was to be transported in a car with the vomiter, for example. Similarly I have heard of a lady with a fear of birds, who ran away leaving her baby on the beach because one came too close. From what I have read about it, for some people it can be so bad that it results in an inability to function in life properly:

Hmm. I think my second example definitely exhibited the sort of panic reaction I associate with phobic behaviour. I too have known a person so ornithophobic that he would go round by an elaborate longer route in order to avoid walking anywhere near a group of pigeons. Such reactions vary in intensity. I think my first example also qualifies; in a way, if the fear is not so much sneezing in publlic as sneezing per se and one has hay fever, what avoidance wou;ld one use? Possibly one has already tried locking oneself away in a darkened room and found it doesn't work. My friend ironically was quite capable of getting so worried about being about to sneeze that she frightened the sneeze away. She would also sort of curl up into a foetus style ball in order to have a hay fever fit, and become utterly furi0us.