Specialised treatment for emetophobia
A focused, 2-session treatment to overcome the fear of sick, using a breakthrough approach from neuroscience research.
This helps to determine whether this treatment is a good fit.
Common symptoms of emetophobia
If you have emetophobia, you know that vomiting is rarely dangerous. Still, your body reacts with intense fear when someone nearby might vomit, or when you feel this could happen. The fear response is often immediate and difficult to control.
Common symptoms of emetophobia include:
Intense fear
Rapid heartbeat
Sweating
Sudden nausea
Urge to run away
Trembling
Different forms of emetophobia
Emetophobia can take different forms. We specialise in treating emetophobia where the fear is mainly triggered by someone else vomiting nearby. If the fear is exclusively about vomiting yourself, this treatment is unfortunately not suitable. In that case, cognitive behavioural therapy or – when a traumatic memory is involved – EMDR may be more appropriate.What people regain after treatment
After successful treatment at Kindt Clinics, people experience the following benefits of living without emetophobia:
- Being able to care for family members or friends when they feel unwell
- Travelling by public transport in a more relaxed way
- Going out without constantly being alert
The science behind the treatment: targeting the fear response directly
Research into memory reconsolidation (Nader et al, Nature, 2000) shows that under specific conditions fear memories can become open to change.
Prof. dr. Merel Kindt (Professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Amsterdam) translated this research to human fear and phobias. Her work forms the scientific basis of the Memrec method, a specialised form of cognitive behavioural therapy.
The treatment is a combination of briefly facing the fear in a safe, guided way and a single dose of a beta blocker, preventing the fear from being stored again in the same way.
The treatment in three steps
An introductory call helps determine whether the approach is appropriate for your situation. The treatment is delivered in a structured three-step process.
Intake
During the intake session (often online), we discuss your fear in more detail and agree on a treatment plan. We also do a brief medical screening to ensure the treatment can be carried out safely.
Treatment session
On the treatment day, we trigger the fear once with a brief exposure. You then take a single dose of a beta-blocker, which does its work while you relax.
Test session
You return the next day and face the same situation again. For many people, the contrast is striking: panic is absent and avoidance has reduced substantially. We also practice your new behaviour in similar situations.
More than 3,000 people have overcome their phobia at Kindt Clinics
Nina’s experience:
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“I did believe that exposure would be the best method, but I thought it simply wasn’t something you could organise. That changed when I heard about the therapy at Kindt. I felt that my fear was taken very seriously, and I was guided with great care from start to finish. And with great success. On the second day, I quite literally faced my fear, without feeling real fear anymore. So incredibly special!! I cannot thank the person who vomited before me often enough, and of course also the therapist who supported me. I will never forget this experience.”Frequently asked questions
Emetophobia is an intense fear of vomiting. People with emetophobia may fear vomiting themselves, seeing someone else vomit, or being in situations where vomiting might occur.
Although people with emetophobia often know the fear is irrational, their body can still react with strong anxiety. Situations such as travelling, eating out, public transport, or being around people who feel unwell can trigger significant distress.
To avoid these situations, people may begin to change their routines, avoid certain places or foods, or become highly alert to signs that someone might vomit. Over time, this avoidance can start to limit everyday life.
Twice. The intake session is often done online, via video. For the treatment itself, you then come to our clinic twice — usually on two consecutive days.
Every case of emetophobia is different. For example, the fear may be triggered mainly by the sound, sight, or smell of someone vomiting – or by all three combined. There may have been a negative experience, but often there hasn’t. That is why we tailor the treatment to your specific form of emetophobia.
Nine out of ten treatments are successful in one go. If not, we try it again.
Contact info
1 Duchess Street
Harley Street Health District
London, W1W 6AN
also on Whatsapp.