Why do so many emetophobia sufferers also have OCD?Do you have any obsessive tendencies? Maybe you’ve even been diagnosed with OCD yourself? In this week’s podcast, Rob and Joe discuss why emetophobia and OCD seem to go hand in hand. What is OCD?Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterised by intrusive thoughts, images, or urges known as obsessions, which create intense anxiety and distress. People with OCD often engage in repetitive behaviours or rituals (compulsions) which are performed in an attempt to alleviate the anxiety caused by their obsessions. For emetophobes, these compulsions usually involve excessive hand-washing and checking expiry dates.What is Obsessive Thinking?While not all emetophobes have OCD, it is fair to say that all emetophobes do have obsessive thinking - one step lower than OCD, but something that can have big consequences and play a huge role in maintaining the phobia. In fact, you can’t have emetophobia without obsessional thinking! Many emetophobes, whether they’re aware of it or not, spend hours each day brooding and obsessing over their worries and anxiety about being sick. It’s usually so normal that sufferers aren’t aware that not everyone else thinks this way! Joe gives the example of being invited out to a restaurant. Emetophobes will brood and worry beforehand: checking the restaurant reviews, looking at the menu, working out what they can eat, wondering what to wear, whether to get a taxi there, what time to arrive. They plan and prepare and control everything. Then when they’re there, they may generate a whole load of anxiety, before heading home and obsessing and analysing some more - ‘was what I ate safe?’ ‘did anyone notice that I didn’t eat much?’ ‘did I say anything weird?’There’s a constant dialogue going on, which you only become really aware of when going through The Thrive Programme. The Good and Bad Sides of Obsessive ThinkingOf course, obsessive thinking isn’t all bad. We wouldn’t have the lightbulb, or the smartphone, or pretty much anything without someone who had obsessional thinking! You have to be bright to be able to think in this way, and all emetophobes are bright individuals and quick thinkers. However, repetitive rumination around something like being sick only exacerbates the fear. When you think and think about somethinFind out more: https://www.emetophobiafree.orghttps://linktr.ee/emetophobiaConnect with us at the links below:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emetophobiafree/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emetophobiafree​TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCF6vCMhoF98TKKe7DKBlfgw Thanks for watching :)------------------------Emetophobia is the fear of vomiting/sickness: either yourself, other people, or both. Research suggests 0.1 to 8.8% percent of the population have a fear of being sick (Hout & Bouman, 2011). Emetophobia is a debilitating phobia, which significantly impacts your life: sufferers are chronically anxious and go to great lengths to avoid encountering anything sickness-related, which provides temporary relief but often results in a rollercoaster of anxiety, fear and exhaustion. Issues associated with emetophobia include: OCD, eating difficulties, anxiety-related gastric problems, phagophobia, tocophobia and more. Our goal is to raise awareness of this severe phobia and provide a solution for sufferers and their families. You do not need to live with Emetophobia - you can COMPLETELY overcome it. The Thrive Programme for Emetophobia (also known as Emetophobia-Free) is the single most successful and predictable method for getting rid of your emetophobia. It has helped over 20,000 emetophobes around the world overcome their phobia.You can study the programme at home by yourself wit...

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