Afraid of Vomit

<p>Firstly, I am not trolling, I swear. This sounds weird but it's 100% true and you can look up the disorder online and see how real it really is.</p>

<p>I'm starting college in the fall, at either Indiana University or Marquette.</p>

<p>I'm emotophobic, which means I'm chronically terrified of vomit. I'm not afraid of vomiting myself or my own vomit, but only the vomit of others.
If anyone states that they feel sick to their stomach, my blood pressure begins rising and I begin going into panic because there is just a tiny chance that they may vomit. </p>

<p>If someone does begin to vomit or actually is vomiting when I am present, my heart begins to race, I become dizzy, I get extremely disturbed and I sweat uncontrollably and begin feeling extremely uncomfortable. Then I can't focus on anything other than the incident for a long time, sometimes weeks. All I want to do is get up and run.</p>

<p>When I am in doctor's offices or at school, or other places where there might be vomit (dorms?), I have to walk around corners slowly in cae there might be vomit on the floor or something. This is also true in parking lots and in large stores/public bathrooms. </p>

<p>I'm concerned about living in the dorms, because I hear a lot of stories about people puking in the bathrooms and hallways, and my biggest fear is my roommate puking in our room. Just hearing someone puke or smelling it even after it is cleaned up will sent me into a trance of disturbance and I truly cannot explain how is messes with my mind. If I am told that that someone threw up in a specific location, I cannot comfortably go to that location for at LEAST two weeks without feeling uneasy.</p>

<p>I feel like comit will be hard to avoid in college though with al the drinking and people in close proximity. How do you avoid seeing/hearing/smelling vomit in college? It's the ONLY thing I am nervous about as far as starting in the fall.</p>

<p>Really any advice is wonderful!</p>

<p>Therapy and off campus housing.</p>

<p>Agreed with above. Also, find you own roommate and state “no partiers!”</p>

<p>Try to know whether your roommate has a weak stomach or other things that might affect their stomach. For example, there’s conditions that bring on stomach upset due to stress or certain foods.</p>

<p>I agree with the suggestion of therapy.</p>

<p>^How is she supposed to do that without being rude, out of curiosity?</p>

<p>I wouldn’t consider that rude. I have a condition like that, and if a potential roommate had a fear of vomit, I wouldn’t want to put them under undue stress.</p>

<p>Other people may feel differently about sharing that kind of information, however. I wasn’t thinking about the fact that sometimes people want to keep medical conditions like that private.</p>

<p>I recommend systematic desensitization therapy. It works works well for issues like this. Traditional therapy probably wouldn’t be effective, or would cost far more in time and money.</p>

<p>Honestly, I’ve seen vomit once since I’ve been at college.</p>

<p>my school is party school sorta, and the most vomit ive seen is little bits around the toilet that look like they might be, ive heard people vomiting while i was in the bathroom, and when my roommate puked in his bed. i suggest you ask for a single, which i dont think are that hard to get since it seems like everyone i kno in singles didnt even ask for one, and substance free dorms. that way no roommates puking in the room and a lower chance of people puking in the hallway. maybe tell the school about this so they give u preference for certain dorms.</p>

<p>I go to a huge party school, and I lived in one of the infamous party dorms last semester. I saw vomit very few times. I’m sure you won’t see much vomit just laying around.</p>

<p>Substance free dorms are a terrible idea if they work anything like they did at my school. They were probably 75% people who wanted substance free dorms and 25% people who’s parents made them go there for a reason. A pretty good reason usually.</p>

<p>Brooke92:</p>

<p>I have this phobia as well. It’s something I’ve had since I was a kid and still affects me (although I have gotten better as time went on). My experience has been mixed (I am a sophomore in college).</p>

<p>Roommates: I’ve randomed both times and the minute I knew who they were I brought up my phobia. They were ok with it (both of them were moderate drinkers but know how to control themselves). You need to discuss it immediately and impress upon them the seriousness of this phobia. I’ve never had an incident where my roommate has thrown up in the room (due to drinking or sickness) but I wouldn’t handle it well at all and I would want my roommate to understand why I would “freak.”</p>

<p>Please PM me to discuss this further. It’s a hard thing to live with in college, especially if this is your first time living with non-family members. I understand what its like.</p>

<p>Get this looked at. Vomit isn’t all that common, but my friend did wake up one Sunday morning and his girlfriend opened his door to a puddle of vomit all over his door and the floor right outside.</p>

<p>So in the slight chance you encounter a stranger’s vomit you have a am uncomfy/panic incident but you’ll live and move on.
P.S. Never have children, they are vomit comets.</p>

<p>I’m thinking BYU is your dream school.</p>

<p>I don’t understand why you guys are making fun of him. Phobias SUCK. do you think he wants to have one? -_-</p>

<p>OP, maybe you should try talking to someone before you go to school. Sometimes therapy helps with those kind of phobias. Or try to get a single. but TBH, you won’t see vomit splattered on the floor every night. And in the awful case that you do, most schools have a number you can call, and facilities will come and clean it up.</p>