The Emetophobia Podcast

The Weird Things Emetophobia Makes Us Do

In this solo episode I talk about the weird little things emetophobia makes us do. I'm including myself in that. I share a few of my own habits like smelling my clean dishes before I use them and not wanting to eat the last of anything in the fridge. I talk about how my brain treats every food date label the same even when I know there's a difference. I go through some habits other people with emetophobia describe online. Chicken that gets pulled apart with silverware. Clothes and movies that get avoided. Fries. A sandwich eaten with a fork. A car pulled over on the side of the road. I talk about how emetophobia can turn everyday life into one giant investigation. Then I get a little serious for a minute about what are called safety behaviors and how sometimes a routine can end up keeping the fear going. I finish by asking what the weirdest thing emetophobia makes you do is and mention a possible Part 2. This is just me talking as a person with emetophobia. It's not medical advice.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Welcome and the weird things we do

1:13 I smell my own clean dishes

2:19 The last of anything in the fridge

3:35 Food date labels

4:47 Habits other people with emetophobia describe

6:46 When everyday life turns into an investigation

7:49 Getting a little serious for a minute

9:01 What's the weirdest thing emetophobia makes you do?

10:06 Tell me yours, a possible Part 2, and goodbye

NOTES

A note on date labels (written here, not said in the episode)

In the US a lot of those dates are about quality. Not a safety deadline. Sell by and best by and use by are mostly about when food tastes its best. The big exception is infant formula. Other countries do it differently. In the UK a use by date is a safety date. So if you're listening from there go by your label.

I'm not telling you to eat anything past a date. Food that was left out or looks or smells off goes in the trash. If you're pregnant or have a weak immune system ask your doctor which foods are safe for you. This isn't medical advice.

A note on safety behaviors (written here, not said in the episode)

Some of these are what's called safety behaviors. That's anything we do to feel safer or to stop the scary thing from happening. For some people those habits can end up keeping the fear going. That doesn't mean every habit is a problem and I'm not telling anyone to stop anything.

SOURCES

No studies or articles are named in the episode. These links are for reference on the date label and safety behavior parts:

USDA FSIS, Food Product Dating: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/food-product-dating

FDA, Tips to Reduce Food Waste: https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/tips-reduce-food-waste

GOV.UK, Best before and use-by dates: https://www.gov.uk/understanding-food-labelling/best-before-and-use-by-dates

APA Dictionary of Psychology, safety behavior: https://dictionary.apa.org/safety-behavior

Not medical advice. Casey is a person with emetophobia, not a doctor or therapist; talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

FIND US

Website: https://emetophobic.com

Help and resources: https://emetophobic.com/resources

Ask the podcast (anonymous question or story, or just say hi): https://emetophobic.com/ask

Community discussions: https://emetophobic.com/discussions

Newsletter (optional): https://emetophobic.com/signup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theemetophobiapodcast/ (@theemetophobiapodcast)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmetophobiaPodcast

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F9y6EqOllx5FB0RqQVWbJ

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-emetophobia-podcast/id1538031589

Support the show (totally optional, no pressure, it helps cover costs): https://buymeacoffee.com/emetophobia

Share your story or question with me by email: [email protected]

Episode 11: My Personal Emetophobia Story

How did I overcome emetophobia?

That's a question I get asked pretty often, and the truth is, I don't know if I've completely overcome it. But I've come a long way from where I was at seventeen.

In this episode, I'm sharing my personal story of living with emetophobia for nearly twenty years.

I talk about how it started with a strange feeling in my throat, turned into constant nausea and panic attacks, and eventually got so bad that I dropped out of high school. I spent almost an entire year barely leaving my house, playing RuneScape, avoiding friends, and being terrified of everyday things like eating food from my own refrigerator.

Then I made a pretty crazy decision. I got on a moped and rode eight hours to Traverse City to start a new life.

From working at Taco Bell and struggling with relationships to dealing with alcohol, panic attacks, and some genuinely awful experiences, I share the things that shaped my journey.

I also get into what actually helped me improve: learning how anxiety works, practicing mindfulness, taking baby steps, using my little one-two-three method, changing how I remember past experiences, and gradually facing my fears through exposure.

And now, with a wife and a baby on the way, I can look back and see just how much my life has changed.

I'm not cured. I still have emetophobia. But it doesn't control my life the way it used to.

This episode is about how I got from there to here, including the mistakes, the setbacks, and the things that genuinely helped.

If you're struggling with emetophobia right now, I hope hearing my story reminds you that things can change, even when it feels like they never will.

A quick content note: This episode includes discussions of panic attacks, alcohol misuse, vomiting experiences (without graphic detail), and exposure therapy. If exposure-related discussions are uncomfortable for you, feel free to skip that portion near the end.

I'm sharing my personal experience, not professional medical advice. Everyone's recovery looks different, and working with a qualified mental health professional can be an important part of getting help.

FIND US

Website: https://emetophobic.com

Help and resources: https://emetophobic.com/resources

Ask the podcast (anonymous question or story, or just say hi): https://emetophobic.com/ask

Community discussions: https://emetophobic.com/discussions

Newsletter (optional): https://emetophobic.com/signup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theemetophobiapodcast/ (@theemetophobiapodcast)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmetophobiaPodcast

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F9y6EqOllx5FB0RqQVWbJ

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-emetophobia-podcast/id1538031589

Support the show (totally optional, no pressure—it helps cover costs): https://buymeacoffee.com/emetophobia

Share your story or question with me by email: [email protected]

Thanks for hanging out with me today. You're not alone.

Someone in Your House Is Sick. Now What?

When someone in your house gets sick, one little piece of news can wreck your whole day. In this solo episode I talk about what that can feel like with emetophobia and a few things I try to remember when it happens: giving yourself a minute before you decide anything, keeping the basics simple, catching yourself checking your stomach, staying off Google, not putting your whole life on hold, what to do when you have to take care of someone, and getting through the waiting when you can't know how it'll turn out. This is just me talking from my own experience. It's not medical advice, and it's not a promise about how anything turns out.

Not medical advice. Casey is a person with emetophobia, not a doctor or therapist; talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

FIND US
Website: emetophobic.com
Help and resources: emetophobic.com/resources
Ask the podcast (anonymous question or story, or just say hi): emetophobic.com/ask
Community discussions: emetophobic.com/discussions
Newsletter (optional): emetophobic.com/signup
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theemetophobiapodcast (@theemetophobiapodcast)
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@EmetophobiaPodcast
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-emetophobia-podcast
Support the show (totally optional, no pressure, it helps cover costs): buymeacoffee.com/emetophobia
Share your story or question with me by email: [email protected]

Someone sent you this episode, and this is what they'd like you to know.

If someone sent you this episode, this one is for you: the person who loves someone with emetophobia. In this solo episode I start with a made-up text, then talk about what the fear can look like from the inside, how to offer company without pushing, what tends not to help, and a few lines you could try instead. I share a bit from my own experience and go through everyday situations like restaurants, kids and family dinners. I'm not telling anyone what kind of help to look for, none of this is medical advice, and none of it is a promise about how anything turns out.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:23 A made-up text, and what this fear is
1:58 What it's like from the inside
3:49 Offering company, at their pace
5:00 What doesn't help
6:09 When they keep asking "are you sure?"
7:50 What to say and what to do
10:54 Everyday situations
12:45 For you, and where to find help

HELP AND RESOURCES (the places I said I'd add to the show notes)
Phobias and getting help (England; says to see a GP if a phobia is affecting your life and that it can help to talk to someone you trust; self-referral is England only): www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias
Find help (US; includes questions you can ask a provider): www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help

SOURCES
No studies or articles are named in the episode.

Not medical advice. Casey is a person with emetophobia, not a doctor or therapist; talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

FIND US
Website: emetophobic.com
Help and resources: emetophobic.com/resources
Ask the podcast (anonymous question or story, or just say hi): emetophobic.com/ask
Community discussions: emetophobic.com/discussions
Newsletter (optional): emetophobic.com/signup
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theemetophobiapodcast (@theemetophobiapodcast)
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@EmetophobiaPodcast
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-emetophobia-podcast
Support the show (totally optional, no pressure, it helps cover costs): buymeacoffee.com/emetophobia
Share your story or question with me by email: [email protected]

Having an Emetophobia Panic Attack? Listen to This.

This one is for the moment you're scared and your stomach feels weird. In this short solo episode I talk to anyone in the middle of a rough moment with emetophobia. I share how I know that feeling of one little thing turning into a hundred thoughts, what it's like when your brain asks a million questions and you don't have to answer every one, a quiet minute of looking around the room and noticing where you are, the idea of making it to the end of the sidewalk that I brought up in an older episode, and how lonely this fear can feel when everybody around you seems fine. I also talk about it being okay to still be scared. This is just me talking as a person with emetophobia. It's not medical advice, and it's not a promise about how anything turns out.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Hey, listen to me for a second

0:59 You don't have to figure it out right now

2:01 A quiet minute to look around

2:54 The questions your anxiety asks

3:37 Make it to the end of the sidewalk

4:40 Still scared, and not alone

SOURCES

No studies or articles are named in the episode.

Not medical advice. Casey is a person with emetophobia, not a doctor or therapist; talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

FIND US

Website: https://emetophobic.com

Help and resources: https://emetophobic.com/resources

Ask the podcast (anonymous question or story, or just say hi): https://emetophobic.com/ask

Community discussions: https://emetophobic.com/discussions

Newsletter (optional): https://emetophobic.com/signup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theemetophobiapodcast/ (@theemetophobiapodcast)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmetophobiaPodcast

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F9y6EqOllx5FB0RqQVWbJ

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-emetophobia-podcast/id1538031589

Support the show (totally optional, no pressure, it helps cover costs): https://buymeacoffee.com/emetophobia

Share your story or question with me by email: [email protected]

Calling the Plumber

Why do we let a small drip go on for eighteen months before we call anyone?

Almost everybody has let a small drip go on for way too long, and asking for help with a fear can work the same way. In this solo episode I use a leaky sink, a bowl, and a very confident garage tutorial to talk about why picking up the phone can feel so heavy. I share a toothache story and part of my own story of looking for help, walk through a made-up example of what a first call could sound like, and point to the NHS and NIMH pages I mention. I'm not telling you what kind of help to look for, and none of this is a promise about how anything turns out.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:23 A drip under the kitchen sink
0:50 The bowl, the video phase, and what this episode is
2:31 Four reasons we don't call
3:53 A toothache story
5:46 Who might pick up, and a made-up phone call
7:17 My own story of looking for help
10:00 Where to look, and smaller steps
11:31 Being your own friend, fine print, and goodbye

HELP AND RESOURCES (the pages I mention in the episode)
Phobias and getting help (England; self-referral is England only): www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias
Find help (US; includes questions you can ask a provider): www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help

SOURCES
Only the two pages above are mentioned in the episode.

Not medical advice. Casey is a person with emetophobia, not a doctor or therapist; talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

FIND US
Website: emetophobic.com
Help and resources: emetophobic.com/resources
Ask the podcast (anonymous question or story, or just say hi): emetophobic.com/ask
Community discussions: emetophobic.com/discussions
Newsletter (optional): emetophobic.com/signup
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theemetophobiapodcast (@theemetophobiapodcast)
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@EmetophobiaPodcast
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-emetophobia-podcast
Support the show (totally optional, no pressure, it helps cover costs): buymeacoffee.com/emetophobia

The Life You're Missing Because of Emetophobia

Your world can get smaller one small decision at a time. This one is about what we miss out on because of the fear.

We talk a lot about the fear of throwing up. In this solo episode I talk about the other side of it: everything we miss out on because of it. I talk about how little decisions to stay home can add up and make your world smaller, how food can get wrapped up in the fear, what it's like when you want to go but say no and people stop asking, and how it can affect the people around us, including family and the idea of having kids. I also talk about being tuned in to your stomach all day, how tiring the constant mental work is, why waiting until you feel ready can keep us stuck, how to pick one small thing you've been avoiding, what to do when it doesn't go perfectly, the bigger life decisions the fear can shape, thinking about reaching out for help, and what the fear has taken away from you. I share a little from my own experience along the way. This is just me talking as a person with emetophobia. It's not medical advice, and it's not a promise about how anything turns out.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:23 Welcome, and what we miss out on
1:26 How our world gets smaller
2:55 Food and the fear
5:03 Wanting to go, and saying no anyway
6:30 The people around us
8:37 Having children
10:08 Being tuned in to your stomach
13:01 Waiting until you feel ready
16:25 When it doesn't go perfectly
17:33 The bigger life decisions
18:38 Getting help, and what the fear has taken

SOURCES
No studies or articles are named in the episode.

Not medical advice. Casey is a person with emetophobia, not a doctor or therapist; talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

FIND US
Website: emetophobic.com
Help and resources: emetophobic.com/resources
Ask the podcast (anonymous question or story, or just say hi): emetophobic.com/ask
Community discussions: emetophobic.com/discussions
Newsletter (optional): emetophobic.com/signup
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theemetophobiapodcast (@theemetophobiapodcast)
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@EmetophobiaPodcast
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-emetophobia-podcast
Support the show (totally optional, no pressure, it helps cover costs): buymeacoffee.com/emetophobia
Share your story or question with me by email: [email protected]

Play This at 3 A.M.

This one's for the middle of the night, when you're awake and you'd rather not be. There's nothing to do and nothing to fix. I just keep you company for a while. We talk about the fridge and the quiet house, why you don't have to fall asleep right now, the clock and the night-brain show, a very boring game, and the option to get up if lying there isn't helping. It's a companion, not a cure, and nothing here is a promise that you'll sleep.

Content note: gentle, quiet, and non-graphic.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:23 Keeping you company
1:15 The fridge and the quiet house
1:50 You don't have to fall asleep
2:23 The clock and the night-brain show
3:52 What the NHS says about sleep trouble
4:29 A very boring game, and the option to get up
6:17 Morning is coming

SOURCES
NHS Every Mind Matters, How to fall asleep faster and sleep better (general sleep tips mentioned in the episode: try not to force sleep, get up and do something calm if you're awake a while, and write tomorrow's to-do list down): www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/how-to-fall-asleep-faster-and-sleep-better

Not medical advice. Casey is a person with emetophobia, not a doctor or therapist; talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

FIND US
Website: emetophobic.com
Help and resources: emetophobic.com/resources
Ask the podcast (anonymous question or story, or just say hi): emetophobic.com/ask
Community discussions: emetophobic.com/discussions
Newsletter (optional): emetophobic.com/signup
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theemetophobiapodcast (@theemetophobiapodcast)
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@EmetophobiaPodcast
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-emetophobia-podcast
Support the show (totally optional, no pressure, it helps cover costs): buymeacoffee.com/emetophobia

What if all the checking, avoiding, googling, and planning is part of what keeps the fear of vomiting so loud?

In this solo episode, I talk about why trying to beat emetophobia can turn into a full-time job, and what might change when you stop treating the fear like an enemy. We start with a white bear experiment, then get into safety behaviors (yes, I still carry mints), the struggle switch, and what acceptance is and isn't. I'm honest about the research too, and none of this is a cure.

Content note: non-graphic talk of vomiting and anxiety, and some mild language.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:23 Don't think about a white bear
1:12 Why this title means something to me
2:15 Welcome and content note
3:24 The problem with "beating" fear
4:24 What the early surveys found
5:40 The white bear experiment
8:03 A hypothetical, and my own white bear story
10:18 Safety behaviors
14:08 The struggle switch
15:27 Experiential avoidance
16:49 What I do when I feel nauseous
17:48 What acceptance isn't
20:00 What the research says
23:23 What this can look like on a Tuesday
26:12 Needing to win a little less
27:36 Not medical advice

HELP AND RESOURCES
Find a professional (US): www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help
Find treatment (US): findtreatment.gov
Phobias and getting help (UK): www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias
Fear of vomiting overview (ADAA): adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/specific-phobias/fear-of-vomiting
More at emetophobic.com/resources
In crisis in the US? Call or text 988.

SOURCES
Wegner et al. 1987, white bear: doi.org
Veale & Lambrou 2006: doi.org
Abramowitz et al. 2001: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Helbig-Lang & Petermann 2010: doi.org
Wolitzky-Taylor et al. 2008: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Harbor et al. 2026: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Riddle-Walker et al. 2016: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Gloster et al. 2020: doi.org
Boschen 2007: doi.org
Salkovskis 1991: doi.org
Veale et al. 2013: doi.org
Goetz et al. 2016: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Russ Harris, The Struggle Switch: www.youtube.com/watch
Hayes et al. 1996: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Keyes, Gilpin & Veale 2018: doi.org
Craske et al. 2014: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles
NHS, Phobias: www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias

Not medical advice. I'm a person with emetophobia, not a doctor or therapist. Talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

FIND US
Website: emetophobic.com
Ask the podcast (anonymous question or story): emetophobic.com/ask
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theemetophobiapodcast
Support the show (totally optional, no pressure, it helps cover costs): buymeacoffee.com/emetophobia

Just wanted to give a quick life update. I haven’t made an episode In a long time. But I’m excited to start releasing episodes again. Stay tuned!