Emetophobia and Zoloft

Emetophobia is the fear of vomit and vomiting. People with Emetophobia often experience severe panic attacks when confronted with either vomiting themselves or confronted with a situation where someone in close proximity to them is vomiting.

I have suffered from Emetophobia my entire life. It is makes one cautious of the foods they eat for fear of food poisoning, the places they go for fear of picking up germs or being in close proximity of someone who will vomit, the number of times they wash their hands, and even lifestyle choices such as whether or not to have children.

Emetophobia is a big stressor when it comes to a woman wanting to start a family. It is common knowledge pregnancy and nausea as well as vomiting go hand in hand. Then once the child is born they will be exposed to more and more germs. These germs will enter your home and you will need to take care of a sick child at one point. Just the thought of this used to make me cringe, now I have been able to handle it so many times that I am unaffected.

Ten years ago my doctor put me on an SSRI (Zoloft) and although I will never be over emetophobia I have been able to live my life without having someone else take a bite of every piece of food I eat before I eat it.

My fears are calmed down and life is a lot easier. I no longer stay at home because I am afraid of catching germs. I used to carry a bag full of anti-emetics because I was worried I would get sick. I pretty much look like your average everyday 35 year old mother of two.

The down side has been the zoloft side effects. I now sweat like a maniac, have horrid insomnia, and have gained twenty pounds. I guess that is the price I will have to pay because I got over my fear of pregnancy and took the plunge (hence the mother of two statement). I also managed to get over my fear of sharing a bed with someone. I mean before I would stress that my partner would get sick in the middle of the night was killing me. I couldn't sleep I would just toss and turn.

I am not saying that SSRI's are the cure for emetophoiba, far from it. I am just pointing out the many areas my life have changed thanks to my ten years on Zoloft. Please talk to your doctor before beginning any new medications.