Emetaphobia And Other Such Phobias I thought about starting this post with a quirky, out of the blue type of #quote or statement, then realised there is nothing fun or comedic about the subject i am about to talk to you about especially as it affects more people than you think. Emetaphobia. Before reading this post i bet you had not the faintest idea of its being. A mere speck on the horizon of nothingness, passing you by day in day out. It's meaning and it's cause just another blade of grass as it blends in with the many fields upon fields of other things you are yet to discover. It's uncovering is paramount to the sufferers that live day in day out in it's shadow, casting itself over people's lives like some sort of 'higher power' or god like presence, made especially worse when you hear the exact same response from the next naive, unknowing person you tell of it's inhabitants inside you. The thought of embarrassment drives people insane; they seek acceptance and understanding to fuel their cure, but no one truly understands but themselves. Emetaphobia - an estimated 6,000,000 people in the UK have it but it still goes down as one of the most common but unknown phobias in society. It's meaning? Those with it face a fear of vomiting or seeing others being sick. They may also fear the feeling of being out of control while they are being sick or fear of being sick in public which can trigger avoidance behaviours. The usual reaction from those that have never suffered is to 'poo poo' it as: "well no one likes to be sick". To push this aside and not give it a look in is ignorant. Unless one's #life has experienced such worry of sick and ill health and others alike (arachnophobia - fear of spiders; Melissophobia - fear of bees etc), then you should not judge! As comical and as farcical as this may seem such effects of having this phobia are very un-domineering over the human body. Such situations of discomfort regarding Emetaphobia may involve:

• Women with emetophobia may avoid starting a family, due to the fear of the sickness that pregnancy it can often cause.
• Avoiding family holidays or business trips which may involve flying, because of the possibility of feeling sick while flying.
• The person might avoid certain types of food.
• An emetophobic might avoid alcoholic drinks.
• The person may feel the need to avoid the doctors surgery or hospitals, because of the fear of seeing other people who might be ill or may be sick at any time.
• The person might not be able to have pets around the house, in case they get sick.
• The suffer might have an obsession with cleanliness, and might avoid restaurants because the cleanliness of the kitchen cannot be guaranteed.
• Emetophobes often avoid putting themselves in any situation that has a rotating or undulating physical movement, such as on a boat or roller-coaster.
• Someone suffering from emetophobia may panic or feel excessively anxious if someone else in their household is ill, in fear of contracting the illness themselves. In severe cases, the emetophobic may refuse to eat for the duration of the other persons illness.
• The person might avoid reading books, magazine articles, television programmes or films where they might see or read about someone being sick.
• For the younger generation, they may not attend, or attend less regularly, school/college/university, for fear of vomiting publicly resulting in embarrassment. *

As you can see Emetaphobia isn't something to be sniffed at and most certainly should not be taken lightly. Emetaphobia effect people in a variety of different ways, numerously more than what is written above (that is just a brief over-view). It's a controlling and unforgivable phobia sometimes, in extreme cases, completely trapping people in their homes for fear of public humiliating circumstances being sick could cause. Those that have never experienced it before could not possible imagine the anxiety these people will go through day in day out. Loss of sleep and appetite follows even the most minor Emetaphobe, resulting in bad health and lack of energy. To highlight the extent of how little people know about this matter, i decided to conduct my own mini experiment into whether people knew what Emetaphobia was. I asked 8 of my closest friends whether they knew anything about it and if so, what? I received all 8 texts back where NO ONE knew a thing about what it was. This is fair enough and i'd like to point out that throughout this post i'm not attacking people for not knowing what it is, im merely expressing how important it is for this phobia to be publicised; more openly recognnised and more acceptance. There are a variety of phobias that effect people from even performing their day to day activities, from going outside to even walking or facing dust. These phobias should also not be looked over and i hope everyone reading this joins me in accepting these worries and troubles that are - whether people like it or not - out there. Some may find these phobias a bit dubious in existence and possibly feel a bit unbelieving, but there is no denying the power these phobias, and the control they consume the victim with. Such less common but just as #life effecting are: Anuptaphobia (fear of forever being single or marrying the wrong person); Aurophobia (fear of loneliness or isolation - THIS IS NOT CLAUSTROPHOBIA!); Olfactophobia (fear of smells). A full list of phobias will be posted as a link at the bottom of this post. At first, i admit, i was speculate myself, however after much research on a selection of a few of the more unheard of ones, i found that there are numerous forums and helplines for these genuine and serious phobias. Some MAY be less serious than others but to that specific person that has it, its rules their #life and effects the decisions they make. Emetaphobia especially (as this is what this post is mainly aimed at) and others alike it, i plead of you - if you are ever faced with someone that has one - to take into account the stress, worry and restriction these people face constantly, and accept that these sorts of things are out there. The psychology of the human brain is a complex labyrinth of individual differences. No two people are are the same. There is no such thing as a 'normal' person; everyone has their own unique, divergent issues and worries. The key to overcoming these is the acceptance of the kind and considerate people reading this. Just because something may be a minority, doesn't mean it is minor. "The art of acceptance is the art of making someone who has just done you a small favour, wish that he might have done you a greater one" - Martin Luther King Jr Phobia List - http://phobialist.com/ *Reference from http://www.avonhypnotherapy.co.uk/emetophobia.htm