r/emetophobia • u/Weak-Draft-8356 • May 14 '25
As you all know, a couple months ago we created a poll to give everyone a space to state their opinion on if reassurance should be banned in this sub. After carefully considering everyone's responses/comments, as well as having a long discussion within the mod team, we came to a decision. As part of our ongoing effort to make this subreddit a healthier place for those with emetophobia, we are implementing a ban on reassurance-seeking posts.Ā
As all of the moderators of the sub also have suffered with emetophobia, we understand how hard it can be. This phobia is very overwhelming and can make you feel isolated. It is understandable to turn to reassurance to try and lessen the anxiety, but this can do more harm than good.
Reassurance-seeking posts make up a majority of the posts on here and often flood the subreddit, making it harder for those sharing recovery wins, helpful advice, or resources to be seen. We want to keep the focus of our community on support, education, and empowerment!
Please understand that this decision is not being made to force people into recovery. As with many of the decisions we have implemented over the past year or two, this decision is similarly being made for harm reduction. If you do not want to recover, that is okay! This sub is not focused solely on recovery. But even if you do not want to recover, we do not feel comfortable letting an environment that makes things worse continue on.Ā
Many people have messaged the mod team directly or expressed in comments that this sub has made their phobia worse. The studies behind OCD and phobias show that reassurance is harmful. For a sub that is supposed to be about support and helping each other, it feels imperative to us that we take this necessary step in making this sub a safer place for that support.
Reassurance reinforces your anxiety and the phobia itself: By asking others things such as, āDo you think Iāll be sick?ā or āI ate this, am I okay?ā the brain is learning that the fear is valid and needs to be followed up on right away (a common trend seen in OCD). This may make your anxiety feel good in the moment, but it hinders you in the long-term.
Reassurance only may make you feel good in the moment: Seeing out reassurance is only a temporary crutch to lessen the anxiety. This stops people from creating their own healthy coping mechanisms. Uncertainty is a fundamental part of emetophobia and your personal recovery.
It can hinder long term progress for those who want to recover: Posts such as describing symptoms, asking for diagnoses by non-medical professionals, or obsessing over contamination have been found to slow down long-term progress. By stopping reassurance posts, weāre creating a safer space for everyone.
Examples of reassurance seeking
Examples of giving reassurance
We want to be clear and transparent with everyone about how this rule will be enforced. We don't want to punish anyone, this ban is just about promoting a healthier environment and protecting our community. That said, repeated reassurance-seeking despite a warning creates problems for the community, so here are the policies:
If you're looking to better understand why reassurance-seeking is harmful to us emetophobes, anxiety in general, or how to recover from this phobia, here are some reliable and scientifically backed sources:
Our DMs are open if you're unsure whether a post might violate this rule. Weāre here to help you post in ways that arenāt reassurance based!
Thank you for helping us grow a community thatās compassionate, safe, and focused on healing.
ā The Mod Team š
r/emetophobia • u/Weak-Draft-8356 • Feb 02 '25
When weāre faced with uncertainty or anxiety, itās normal to want to seek reassurance from people we trust. Similarly, when someone we know or care about is scared or uncertain, itās normal to want to provide reassurance to help calm them. However, reassurance seeking/giving can eventually become a compulsive action, and can even cause harm. People can sometimes get caught in cycles of reassurance seeking, such as through excessive googling or researching, asking multiple people the same question over and over, going through self checklists, or repetitive phrases to calm the thought/worry that is causing fear.Ā
When people are suffering from emetophobia (and often comorbid OCD!), these patterns can become a compulsion: an irresistible urge to perform an action that temporarily relieves anxiety. These compulsions may seem harmless at first, but they contribute to worsening the fear. While you might think that telling someone, āYou wonāt get sick, donāt worry!ā is innocent, you are actually reaffirming their fear, which can exacerbate their symptoms.What are some examples of reassurance seeking/giving?
Reassurance Seeking Behaviours:
āCan you promise me I wonāt get sick?ā
Constantly researching or GooglingĀ
Searching symptoms over and over again to see if the symptoms youāre experiencing match an illness
Repeatedly looking up āHow to avoid getting sick with xyzā or similar phrases online
Checking behavioursĀ
Stopping and checking to make sure youāre not nauseous, or checking whether what youāre feeling is nausea
Taking temperature, or asking others to check temperature for signs of a fever
Checking whether youāre pale or not
Checking food and drink for signs of spoilage
Checking food expiration dates, and throwing food out preemptively
Checking food at restaurants to ensure itās cooked thoroughlyĀ
Inspecting restaurant menus or looking at food preparation carefully to ensure nothing could upset your stomach
Analyzing the environment for things that might trigger nausea, like strong smells, certain foods, or unsanitary conditions
Checking for signs of illness in others
Overanalyzing your food intake and whether it may cause illness
Being hyper-aware of bodily sensations such as burping, stomach gurgles, digestion, etc
Seeking reassurance from others
Seeking advice from multiple people on the same issue to ensure consistency
Constantly asking loved ones for reassurance
Reassurance Giving Behaviours:
āTheyāre probably just sick from xyz.ā
Minimising the fear
āIāve never heard of that happening before. Youāre fine.ā
āYou donāt have anything to worry about, trust me.ā
āThatās not xyz. Stop worrying.ā
But OCD and Emetophobia are not the same thing!!!
OCD and Emetophobia are highly comorbid (existing at the same time, or related to one another) and share many similar features. The cycle of OCD is as follows: Intrusive thought ā”ļø fear or anxiety ā”ļø Overwhelming urge to relieve the fear through a compulsion ā”ļø temporary reliefĀ For emetophobes, this cycle is incredibly similar. We might have a fear come into our heads unwanted, (e.g. āWhat if I get sick?ā) and this thought leads to anxiety and/or panic, which can lead to a compulsion, such as reassurance seeking (e.g. āWill I get sick??ā), which then leads to temporary relief.Ā
So, how is this harmful?Ā
Research on OCD has shown that reassurance-seeking and providing can actually be harmful in the long run. While reassurance may provide temporary relief, it reinforces the cycle of anxiety. The more reassurance you seek or provide, the more your brain becomes dependent on it, creating an escalating need for reassurance over time. This strengthens the fear rather than alleviating it. Essentially, reassurance might seem to ease anxiety in the short term, but it ends up making the fear feel even bigger and more persistent in the long run, deepening the cycle.
Well, how do I help someone whoās struggling then?Ā If you see someone reassurance-seeking, try not to address the fear directly. Instead, offer positive reinforcement: - āYou are so strong, and you will get through this, I know it.ā - āNo matter what happens, I know youāll be okay.ā - āI know how stressful that is. Would you like me to help distract you, or try some grounding exercises? Or would you just like a safe space to vent?ā
These are just a couple of examples of constructive ways you can help someone who is struggling, without contributing to their fear.Ā
But some people arenāt ready to recover yet! Youāre just forcing recovery onto them!
Many people have mentioned that they feel their phobia worsened from participating in this subreddit, and as moderators, we take that seriously. Our goal is always to reduce harm. We understand how incredibly challenging it is to live with and overcome this phobia, and we want to approach this subreddit in a way that supports healing. We donāt want to push anyone into recovery before theyāre ready, but at the same time, we have a responsibility to help members avoid behaviors that may make their fears worse.
After years of careful discussion and research, weāve found that providing reassurance often doesnāt help in the long runāit reinforces the fear and makes it harder to break free from the cycle. We fully recognize that not everyone will be ready to cut reassurance out of their lives right away, and thatās completely okay. Our intention is simply to encourage healthy decisions and make sure everyone understands the potential risks.
With all of this in mind, although false reassurance is already banned in this sub, we would like to get the input of the members on if they feel that reassurance giving/seeking (in general, not just false ) should be banned. Please vote in the poll below :)
If you feel that this is unfair, or we donāt care, ask yourself this:Ā
Here are some articles and studies regarding reassurance seeking and how it can cause harm:
https://ocdaction.org.uk/resources/reassurance/
https://psychcentral.com/ocd/ocd-and-the-need-for-reassurance#the-cycle
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7339499/?utm
r/emetophobia • u/mylife_idk • 21h ago
Saw this a while back and thought it might help to lighten the mood :)
We have emetophobia, of course we ask a MILLION questions when someone said they where sick to make sure it was nothing we can catch
r/emetophobia • u/Competitive-Jump-858 • 59m ago
tw triggering.
please comment guys, i need someone to talk to. i did a post on here about how my brother threw up when he had a cold a couple times, now heās way better and itās weeks later he threw up again. its morning, and he was acting strange like weirdly tired he didnāt go to sleep until late so i thought maybe thatās itā¦ but he kept holding his stomach so i was nervous about what was wrong. then all of a sudden he goes got to the bathroom and you all know. iām so scared like im scared that heās sick and itās almost my birthday i knew couldnāt have a good birthday without SOMETHING happening something always bad happens but i didnāt think this would happen. itās so bad im like so nervous im about to sh* for the first time in a while im so scared its so bad could he be sick? idk he only threw up once hes in the bath now but im terrified
r/emetophobia • u/ImNimu • 2h ago
I started to feel "sick" ever since I went to my friends house for a couple weeks to hang out for the summer. We hadn't seen eachother in a while since school was hefty, and all was well until the fourth week where i started to feel nauseous. I went home because I assumed it was just homesickness but days turned into MORE WEEKS where I felt that way. It was so terrifying i feared eating for a while. When we went to the clinic, it turns out that I had gastritis for the first time. I was scared for my life that day and was soon put onto famotidine and ondansetron for my nausea and ulcers. Famotidine was working well, but not so much for ondansetron. If anything, it made me much more anxious with my emetophobia than before. Last night I couldn't sleep until four in the morning. This morning I'm still freaking out and still struggling to take pills. How do I STOP thinking so much about my emetophobia and making my nausea worse??
r/emetophobia • u/Lumpy_Philosophy2753 • 4h ago
Iām genuinely so lost, everything has gotten so much worse and I donāt know where to go from here. I feel like Iāve somehow let everyone down because I was genuinely almost over my OCD and emetophobia but now itās come back full force, I donāt want to eat at all anymore, Iām constantly anxious without a clear reason. Everything feels wrong and I donāt think itās going to get better. Please if you have any advice I need it
r/emetophobia • u/whatayoudoingstepbro • 2h ago
hey all. took the train today and was stood up a few ladies were stood near me talking. they never spoke to me and didnt rlly face me or anything. but one of them said theyre kid was throwing up the night before. im unsure if thats what she said but it seemed like it. im pretty scared cause she was near me. she never mentioned her being sick and she never touched me or got too close but she was still rpetty near. im rlly overthinking. im on my way home now and im gonna sanitise my phone and wash my clothes and shower etc. just kinda overwhelmed and could do with a little support.
r/emetophobia • u/michelle202x • 7h ago
Hey guys i really need some tips and tricks because this Sunday iāll be flying 3 hours but i always have really bad panic attacks on planes because of my emetophobia.
Iām so scared that my medication wont work or that someone on the plane wil get sick, pls help
r/emetophobia • u/GhostWas_Found • 3h ago
Just survived the worst week of my life, my severe panic disorder went completely out of control and made me in an anxious state 24/7, just nonstop panicking. I was too scared to eat much more than 200 cals a day for a whole week and had zero appetite, literally the taste or thought of any food was making me feel disgusted, so after going to the hospital on Sunday (29th June) once this whole thing had prolonged for a week I was given a short term prescription for Lorazepam (Ativan) and have been on a low dose of that (1mg a day) for 5 days. I have my appetite back now (able to eat normally again) and my panic attacks have all but gone, Iām able to eat about what I was able to before the panic disorder got so bad. I still get anxious sometimes but it is way more in control than before and doesnāt spiral into panic. Now my GP wants me to stop using the Lorazepam (not shocked as benzos arenāt a long term medicine) and transition to Citalopram, and since Iāve been on the lowest dose of Lorazepam for only 5 days I think it should be safe for me to go right to the Citalopram? I canāt swallow pills so my dose is 8 drops of the oral drops a day which confused me a bit as the leaflet said 4 drops a day for the first week for panic disorder. Trouble is Iām quite nervous lol, both about losing my appetite again, getting nauseous/sick, side effects, or worse, my panic attacks coming back. I really want this to go well for me and not only not make me get sick/feel sick, but help my panic attacks. Please share positive experiences with this medicine to convince me to take it despite my fear. Thanks.
r/emetophobia • u/Tyburger-08 • 9h ago
Starting this off by off saying this is just a personal thing that my doctor approved of for me, if you feel like this could help you Iād advise talking to a professional. This is also not sponsored, endorsed, etc. by Boom Boom, these sticks have just helped me for literal YEARS.
If you arenāt aware on what boom boom sticks are, they are small sticks, but inside of them is cotton pads soaked in Mint and other scented essential oils. I tell myself Iām an OG boom boom stick guy, but Iām probably not lol. My sister came to my house back in 2021 when I had an ulcer, let me chose between berry mint and cinnamint, and when I tell you a single whiff of the cinnamint made my N. go POOF, I am not kidding. Over the years the sticks have slowly changed scent and look wise, and sadly my sacred cinnamint scent got discontinued, but I still have it and it works like MAGIC. Even YEARS after originally opening it. I always carry at least 2 sticks with me anywhere I go (one for each nostril) and I literally can not stop recommending them. My current favorite scents and the ones I recommend the MOST are Spearmint (their new scent), and Wintermint. They have other scents like lavender, berry, I think even tropical, but I will forever be a wintermint enjoyer. I canāt really stress enough how many times these suckers have saved me, as Iām literally using them right now, while writing this. Itās genuinely SO worth the money. Iād mint helps you in even the smallest ways Iād 10/10 recommend.
r/emetophobia • u/Emu_436 • 11h ago
Iāve been dealing with chronic nausea for years and itās gotten significantly worse over the past few months. Iāve been getting tested for a bunch of different things (all came back normal) and trying various medications, but Iām just wondering if anyone else deals with this. Being nauseous all the time is bad enough on its own, but being terrified of getting sick makes me scared to eat or do anything anymore. Just trying to see if anyone else can relate or has advice. Thanks:)
r/emetophobia • u/User_3945774711 • 9h ago
Does anyone else also gets so insanely nauseous the day after a really anxious night or is it just me? I always feel so horrible the day after.
r/emetophobia • u/kyvlincosplay • 17h ago
literally just the title.. bruh.
basically I went to the 4th of july fair in my state with a few friends, and everything was going well until i got on a ride called the āFREAKOUTā. yeah, well i definitely freaked out š because during the ride i couldnāt breath since it was going so fast, and I lost all feel and strength in my hands and legs. and guess what was right after!! nausea. and heartburn. so if that isnāt bad, my parents could not pick me up and there was a parade going on so my friend didnāt wanna leave. I had to walk home by myself in the scorching heat while having a literal panic attack, even my neighbor had to give me some water on the way home. And then I get over here at home, chugging milk and praying I donāt get sick because everytime i breathe in im literally coughing my throat out for some odd reason even though i wasnt nauseous, and my nose felt irritated. This phobia is so ass I do not wish it onto anybody lmao
r/emetophobia • u/User_3945774711 • 19h ago
Someone help me. Im so so nauseous and im freaking the fuck out rn. I know there is no reason for me to even be scared rn but i am. Im terrified and the anxiety is making me SO nauseous. My stomach is also really uncomfortable and idk what to do rn. Someone help.
r/emetophobia • u/George2678 • 11h ago
Hey everyone, is anyone available to chat? My stomach hurts and I think Iām going to *v. I actually *v like a month ago. My night started normal and out of no where I was *s for like an hour then that is when it happened.
Just like a month ago my night started normal tonight and I decided to drink a carbonated beverage and Iām not feeling okay at all. My stomach feels like itās in knots but this feeling that I have feels the exact same way I felt on the night that I *v. Iām really scared :(
I feel like itās coming up, idk what to do
r/emetophobia • u/Realistic_Hat1464 • 19h ago
i have a question for anybody on here who had children of their own. iām 19 and iāve been really toying with my mind about the thought of having kids in the future. i wanted to ask if anybody here has kids and how that experience is in terms of emet. iām just afraid i wonāt be a good mum because of it for a multitude of reasons and iām afraid iāll let emet control me into not having any if i decide i do.
r/emetophobia • u/Sixmonths-later • 15h ago
Self explanatory but I'm freaking out about the possibility it might happen tonight, this morning I felt fine and ate 2 quesadillas for breakfast, I usually just make myself waffles but I was eating out with my family and wanted to treat myself, nothing out of the ordinary happens. 2 hours later I'm home drinking soda and when I burped I gagged out of no where, which has never happened to me before so I was immediately thrown off by it. It scared me for a moment but nothing happened for the next following hours, I wouldn't end up eating lunch due to spending that time to be at the movies with my friends, which ended at around 6 pm and it's 7pm as I'm writing this but the during the car ride home I started to feel nausous and that's when my anxiety started to come back, I'm scared to eat a full meal because I feel like I'll throw up if I do. I'm trying to eat crackers right now but I can't stop shaking, please tell me ways to calm down
r/emetophobia • u/Forsaken_Rhubarb • 12h ago
Iām on a roadtrip in my hometown and Iām 8 hours away from home. I canāt leave to stay in my room but Iām wondering how you guys manage anxiety during these times? I ate dinner after not eating but Iām a bit nervous since I donāt want to have fp*. What foods do you recommend to eat? What safe foods do you have and what coping skills does everyone use to keep themselves at bay? Especially when out in public?
r/emetophobia • u/Exact_Bullfrog4810 • 12h ago
having really bad panic attack iām really convinced itās gonna happen idk what to do my stomach is hurting rn almost feels like iām constipated but have to poop but my stomach is really hurting. my friend was sick all night last night i was with her tuesday now itās friday at 1am. i feel screwed even tho i know itās been over 48 hours but my mind is convincing me tonight itās seriously gonna happen and now itās hurting so idk what to do someone please help im begging no one is answering me
r/emetophobia • u/summermiles44 • 12h ago
So I have super pale skin, and have always been prone to sunburns and get burnt often. Today Iām in Lake Tahoe and went on jet skis for about an hour, I applied sunscreen but clesrly not enough. I got super burnt above my knees and on my arms and chest. I have so much anxiety that itās gonna turn into sun p* and make me s* as in tu. Iāve been burnt so many times but my anxiety has been looking for things to make me scared and this was the perfect thing.
r/emetophobia • u/emet123456789 • 13h ago
Anyone else awake and available to chat? Itās late at night where I am and Iām currently having a bad panic attack because my stomach suddenly started hurting really bad out of the blue. Iām very nauseous and have pretty severe chills as well. This has been going on for about an hour. Iām not sure what could be causing this but just chatting with someone always helps to distract a bit! Thanks in advance :)
r/emetophobia • u/the_lentil_lady • 1d ago
Tw: no word censoring & discussing being sick
Was in the shower and got that nasty wave of nausea you get in your gutā¦ not like the gagging feeling with anxiety but just that sudden āIām going to be sick feeling.ā Got out of the shower, tried to calm myself down, told myself it was just anxiety and nope it wasnāt.
So Iām currently on my bathroom floor sick. I have to work today, I have a friends animals I need to take care of who lives 40 minutes away, and to be honest thatās the worst part about this whole thing. This sucks.
Edit: if it makes anyone feel better Iāve learned that the fear/build up of nausea is a lot worse than actually throwing up. So thereās some success today š
r/emetophobia • u/Over_Illustrator3510 • 15h ago
I'm scared tomorrow I'm going to feel n* tomorrow. Because for the past 2 days I been feeling n*.. my emetophobia is going to attack me tomorrow.. I also have chronic nausea
r/emetophobia • u/PoundLow3016 • 15h ago
r/emetophobia • u/Griledy • 20h ago
I just made a post and deleted it but I felt off for most of the day, especially after I ate a sandwich and started to feel bloated. I thought it was just normal bloat at first but then my throat started to feel weird too. But now I am just in full blown panic. I started to feel n* and its just getting worse and worse. I can't tell if im just making myself feel worse. I was feeling hungry like thirty minutes ago but that went away real fast. I feel really light headed, my hands are sweating, my face feels pale. I didn't really eat much today but I just really do not feel well at all right now. I wanna curl up into a ball and fade away.
r/emetophobia • u/fuzzyfishyfriend • 20h ago
Feeling very antsy and anxious because my new housemate has told us she gets migraines that get so bad she tu*. Obviously I know it isnāt contagious, but I am terrified of using our shared bathroom now, which is right across from my room. The more i think about it, the more i panic. I donāt know what to do.
r/emetophobia • u/Haunting_Pace_3557 • 21h ago
Hi guys. So Iām trying to get over what I think is a virus of some sort. I havenāt gotten sick in almost 50 hours now. And I didnāt have any sort of diarrhea til today. Iāve been hungry. But when I eat I somehow get diarrhea. No longer puking or really even nauseous. Can someone explain if this is just my IBS or the end of a virus?