Panic Attacks and Emetophobia
Why You Panic When You Feel Nauseous
Do you panic when you feel nauseous, notice a change in your stomach, or feel your anxiety rising?
For someone with emetophobia, panic attacks can feel particularly frightening because the symptoms of anxiety and nausea can convince you that you are going to be sick.
This free CBT guide explains why this happens, what keeps the panic cycle going, and how to stop fear of the symptoms from controlling your life
When anxiety feels like you are going to be sick
For someone without emetophobia, nausea might just be an unpleasant sensation they often ignore. But for someone with emetophobia, nausea can feel like a warning that they are going to be sick. This often triggers that terrifying thought “I am going to be sick” And once you believe that thought, your anxiety increases and before you know it you are having a panic attack.
What Is a Panic Attack?
Signs and Symptoms of a Panic attack
A panic attacks is a quick sudden, overwhelming surge of fear and panic, that often feels like it comes out of nowhere. These episodes can be highly disruptive and may cause you to avoid certain places or situations out of fear of these symptoms occurring.
Common Symptoms of a Panic Attack
Nausea
Dizziness and feeling faint
Sweating
Lose bowls
Palpitations, pounding or racing heart
Shaking
Shortness of breath
Feelings of choking
Chest pain
Chills or feeling hot
Numbness or tingling
Feelings of unreality or feeling detached from oneself
Fear of losing control or going crazy
Fear of dying
As panic attacks feel so awful, it often leads to a fear of future panic attacks occurring. You may start to worry about them happening again or start to take steps to prevent them or stop them once they start.
Panic Attacks can occur on their own randomly or be apart of an already pre-existing mental health condition such as Emetophobia, OCD, Illness Anxiety or Social Anxiety Disorder or for those suffering from Depression. If this is the case for you then it is recommended to get treatment for those conditions to help reduce the frequency of your panic attacks. If you get frequent panic attacks, then it is possible it has become its own disorder known as Panic Disorder.
When Do Panic Attacks Become Panic Disorder?
Panic attacks become it own separate disorder if:
1) Panic Attacks start to become frequent.
2) Lead to long-lasting worry about future Panic Attacks.
3) Or if you start to worry during a Panic Attack that you are in danger e.g. "I am having a heart attack" or "I am going to go crazy".
Then it becomes its own anxiety disorder known as "Panic Disorder".
How to tell if your panic attacks are caused by Emetophobia, Panic disorder or Agoraphobia
All three include panic sensations.
The short answer:
Emetophobia = “I'm feeling sick. What if I'm going to be sick?”
Panic disorder = “I'm having a panic attack. What if it happens again?” or a thought that your symptoms could harm you such as “What if I am having a heart attack/stroke/about to faint” etc.
Agoraphobia = “I'm having a panic attack. What if I can't escape or get help?”.
A more detailed look:
The main fear:
Emetophobia = Being sick.
Panic disorder = Having another panic attack or experiencing frightening panic symptoms.
Agoraphobia = Being somewhere where escape or help might be difficult if anxiety or panic occurs.
What triggers it?
Emetophobia = Any symptom that convinces you that you might be sick
Panic disorder = A missed or hidden trigger that triggers anxiety symptoms. Often panic attacks feel unexpected or without an obvious trigger
Agoraphobia = Situations where escape or help may feel difficult when distressing symptoms occur.
What makes it worse?
Emetophobia = Avoidance + monitoring symptoms + safety behaviours can reinforce the belief that sickness would have occurred.
Panic disorder = Trying to prevent panic attacks or stop your feared outcome often creates the fear of fear.
Agoraphobia = Avoidance and escape can reinforce the belief that certain places are unsafe.
What Is Agoraphobia?
Symptoms, Fears and Avoidance
Agoraphobia is highly linked to both emetophobia and panic disorder. Agoraphobia is an overwhelming fear of situations where escape may be difficult, embarrassing, or where you feel help is not available if you were to experience intense anxiety or panic symptoms. Agoraphobia is not a fear of leaving the house. This is an inaccurate view many people have due to how it is portrayed in old films. Although some people with agoraphobia may find it difficult to leave the house, but it is because they fear distressing symptoms, not the outside.
It is possible to be diagnosed with panic disorder and agoraphobia at the time same. Agoraphobia is the fear of distressing symptoms when escape or help is difficult, whereas panic attacks are the fear of the symptoms regardless of where they occur.
Common Feared Situations For Those With Agoraphobia
For a diagnosis of agoraphobia, you need to fear of two or more of the following five situations:
Using public transport.
Being in open spaces (such as car parks, fields or marketplaces).
Being in enclosed spaces.
Being in crowds.
Being outside of the home alone.
Often these places are feared because:
Of thoughts that escape might be difficult.
That help might not be available if you were to experience a panic attack.
Or a fear of embarrassing symptoms.
These situations are then avoided, or endured with distress, or by bringing along a companion.
Emetophobia vs agoraphobia:
Those with emetophobia may start to avoid the same places as those with agoraphobia. If these places are avoided due to contamination fears, or other people being sick then a diagnosis of emetophobia is better suited. If someone with emetophobia avoids these places mainly due to nausea, anxiety, a fear of other distressing symptoms or panic attacks then it is possible they have both emetophobia AND agoraphobia.
Symptoms of Agoraphobia and Panic
When in a feared situation alone you may feel sensations of fear and experience symptoms such as:
Nausea.
Palpitations, pounding or racing heart.
Sweating.
Shaking.
Shortness of breath.
Feelings of choking.
Chest pain.
Dizziness and feeling faint.
Chills or feeling hot.
Numbness or tingling.
Feelings of unreality or feeling detached from oneself.
Fear of losing control or going crazy.
Fear of dying.
What is the best treatment for emetophobia, panic disorder and agoraphobia?
The best treatment for emetophobia, panic disorder and agoraphobia is known as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of therapy which states that the way we think, feel and behave are highly linked with each other and often often create a feedback loop that causes or prolongs anxiety. The therapy aims to help you uncover, understand and then break these loops. This is surprisingly effective at stopping panic attacks and sometimes only requires 6-10 sessions.
Where can I get help for emetophobia, panic disorder and agoraphobia?
The good news is that you don't have to work this out on your own. Whether your main difficulty is emetophobia, panic attacks, agoraphobia (or a combination of them) there are several really easy ways you can get support.
Want a complete CBT guide to panic disorder and agoraphobia?
Are panic attacks disrupting your life? This powerful, yet easy to follow eBook offers a proven roadmap to preventing panic attacks. Developed using my years of practice as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT).
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70 page PDF: A complete guide written by a BABCP qualified CBT therapist.
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Paperback available on amazon:
My 70-page CBT guide takes you through the same principles used in therapy, including understanding panic, identifying catastrophic thoughts, reducing safety behaviours and gradually facing your fears. Also including tips on better sleep and relapse prevention.
Your free CBT Panic Recovery Programme
A step by step guide to understanding panic attacks, breaking the cycle and reducing avoidance.
