Handle Emetophobia

How do you know if your emetophobia recovery is actually working?Sometimes the answer is hidden in all the things you don't even think about anymore.In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally look back at their old safety behaviors, fears, and compulsions and compare them with everyday life now.Ally eats takeout chicken before an important appointment without spending the night worrying about food poisoning. Katie hears her daughter repeatedly say her stomach hurts without interrogating her or panicking. Hand sanitizer disappears. Restaurant food gets eaten. Someone mentions being sick and there isn't an investigation. And—in an incredibly fitting coincidence—Katie and Ally realize they BOTH saw or heard someone vomiting that very morning... and neither thought it was important enough to tell the other.Those might not feel like huge recovery wins anymore.That's exactly the point.They talk about how intentional ERP exposures can eventually become ordinary life, why progress shouldn't be measured solely by how anxious you feel, and why still having an emetophobia thought—or even an anxiety "whoosh"—doesn't erase the progress you've made.They also discuss:• What emetophobia recovery actually looks like• "Old me vs. new me" reactions to common triggers• Giving up reassurance and safety behaviors• Kids saying their stomach hurts• Zofran and learning to tolerate uncomfortable sensations• Food sharing, contamination fears, and hand sanitizer• Seeing or hearing someone vomit in public• Why recovery can start to feel boring• Why anxiety isn't the enemy• Doing the hard thing even when you don't feel brave• Measuring recovery by what you can DO, not just how you feelIf you've been so focused on how far you still have to go that you've forgotten where you started, this episode is your reminder to look backward for a minute.You may have more wins than you realize.Because eventually the goal isn't for every brave thing to feel like a huge exposure.The goal is for it to become your life.

Have you ever had one bad day and thought:"I've lost all my progress."If so, you're not alone.In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally explore why recovery from emetophobia and OCD often feels like three steps forward and five steps back—and why that doesn't mean you've failed.They share personal stories of setbacks, returning to old safety behaviors, getting sick, feeling discouraged, and questioning whether recovery is even working. Along the way, they discuss the difference between lapses and relapses, why shame makes recovery harder, and how to take the next step forward instead of giving up.Topics include:Emetophobia setbacksOCD recovery and relapseExposure and Response Prevention (ERP)Safety behaviorsAcceptance and willingnessRecovery burnoutShame and self-compassionWhy progress isn't measured by how anxious you feelPractical ways to get back on trackWhether you're feeling stuck, burnt out, or worried you've "gone backwards," this episode is a reminder that recovery isn't about perfection.It's about getting back up—one step at a time.Because falling isn't evidence that you're failing. Sometimes it's evidence that you're practicing.

What if the biggest shift in emetophobia recovery isn't learning how to avoid vomiting... but learning how to accept uncertainty?In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally have an honest conversation about acceptance, control, and what recovery actually looks like in real life.Katie shares the story of staying in a cabin with someone who had been vomiting—a situation that would have caused her to leave just a year earlier—and explains what was different this time.Together they discuss:Acceptance vs. avoidanceWhy worrying never changes the outcomeHealth anxiety and overlapping OCD themesFood fears while traveling and campingRecovery wins from the IOCDF ConferenceFunny "Would You Rather?" questionsWhether ERP means making yourself throw upWhy recovery isn't measured by how anxious you feelThe episode ends with a thoughtful discussion about one of the biggest questions in recovery:Is emetophobia really a resistance to accepting uncertainty?Whether you agree or not, it's a conversation that might change the way you think about recovery.Because the goal isn't to stay safe. The goal is realizing you don't need to.Nathan Peterson:https://youtube.com/@ocdandanxietyJustin Hughes:https://www.justinkhughes.comFearCast Podcast, Kevin Foss w/ Dr. Josh Spitalnick and Michael Stier On Health Anxiety:https://fearcastpodcast.com/2024/02/25/health-anxiety-3/https://youtu.be/RcFVz-j26y8?si=ldS5awwSl_3WwcxqAndrea Frugal, LISW-CP (Self-Compassion Talk -- "Actually, I can!"):https://momentanxiety.com/andrea-furgala-lisw-cp

Have you ever felt like saying the word "throw up" might somehow make it happen?Or found yourself typing "unclaim" in the comments of a TikTok, knocking on wood, avoiding certain words, or believing you've somehow jinxed yourself?If so, you're not alone.In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally explore magical thinking—one of the most common (and misunderstood) compulsions in OCD and emetophobia.Together they discuss:What magical thinking isWhy jinxes and superstitions feel so convincingThe psychology behind "unclaim" commentsHow magical thinking reinforces OCDPractical ERP exercises to challenge these fearsUsing uncertainty instead of reassuranceHow values-based recovery helps you stop obeying compulsionsAlong the way, they share personal stories, laugh about some of the strange rules OCD creates, and intentionally practice "jinxing" themselves as an exposure exercise.Whether your magical thinking revolves around words, numbers, colors, bedtime routines, clothing, comments on social media, or something completely unique, this episode will help you better understand what's happening in your brain—and how to start breaking free.Because recovery isn't about proving that your jinxes aren't real.It's about learning that even if your brain says, "Maybe..."...you can handle it.

Traveling can be one of the biggest challenges for people with emetophobia.In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally talk all about traveling with emetophobia—from airplanes and airports to cruises, road trips, concerts, and vacations.They share the travel safety behaviors they used to rely on, how recovery has changed the way they approach trips, and why acceptance—not certainty—is the key to enjoying life again.Together they discuss:Flying with emetophobiaFear of vomiting while travelingMotion sickness and travel anxietyAirport and airplane fearsTraveling with childrenSafety behaviors and reassurancePacking medications "just in case"Public transportation fearsRecovery wins from recent tripsFun travel "This or That" questions and hot takesYou'll also hear Katie's story about witnessing someone throw up in the TSA line, Ally's experience throwing up on a bus in the Dominican Republic, and an honest conversation about how both of them are continuing to challenge themselves through ERP.If you've ever delayed a vacation, skipped a trip, avoided flying, or spent an entire vacation worrying about getting sick, this episode is for you. Recovery doesn't mean you'll never feel anxious when you travel.It means you don't have to wait until the anxiety is gone before you start living.You can handle it.

What if people see?For many people with emetophobia, the fear isn't just vomiting—it's vomiting in front of other people.In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally dive into the hidden relationship between emetophobia and social anxiety. They explore why public embarrassment feels so threatening, why many of us become hyperaware of what other people might think, and how fear can disguise itself as anger and judgment.Katie shares several recent public ERP exposures—including carrying a vomit bag through Target, intentionally making a scene by dropping a drink in public, and practicing telling someone, "I don't feel well." They also discuss the backlash those exposures received online and have an honest conversation about trigger warnings, discomfort, and why recovery sometimes means allowing other people to misunderstand you. Together they discuss:The fear of throwing up in publicSocial anxiety and emetophobiaPublic embarrassment exposuresFear of judgment and rejectionWhy anger is often fear in disguiseTrigger warnings and personal responsibilityHot takes on recovery and willingnessPractical ways to challenge fear through ERPWhether you're afraid of vomiting in public, being judged by others, or simply making a scene, this episode is a reminder that recovery isn't about controlling the world around you.It's about learning that you can handle whatever the world brings.You can handle it.Natasha Daniels | How To Help Kids When the Fear of Throwing Up Takes Over:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-parenting-survival-raising-kids-with-ocd-anxiety/id1205679186?i=1000771845927FearCast Podcast | Trigger Warnings with Nathan Peterson, Kelley Franke, and Lauren Rosen:https://youtu.be/E8dNG7t4aLE?is=80b1IoaH3UvPlzwAYour Anxiety Toolkit | "But My Fear Is Different" -- The Anxiety Trick That's Derailing Your Recovery (with Drew Linsalata):https://youtu.be/YJDF6FyyBxk?is=pAAcdcF0pbsc9GRI

What is it like to raise a child with emetophobia before you even know emetophobia exists?In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally welcome Ally's parents to share their perspective on her childhood, family life, and recovery.They talk openly about the early signs of anxiety, the accommodations they unknowingly made, the challenges of supporting a child with a phobia they didn't understand, and how their perspective has changed over the years.You'll hear conversations about:Childhood emetophobiaFamily accommodationsParenting through anxiety and OCDRecovery from a loved one's perspectivePublic vomiting, health anxiety, and difficult memoriesSupporting recovery without reinforcing fearWhat they wish they had known years agoThis episode is honest, funny, emotional, and filled with grace—for parents, for families, and for anyone who has ever looked back and thought, "I did the best I could with what I knew."Whether you're the one living with emetophobia or you're supporting someone who is, this conversation is a reminder that recovery is rarely a solo journey.The goal isn't to stay safe.It's to realize that you don't have to be.

What happens when the people who love you most are accidentally helping your emetophobia stay alive?In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally talk about family accommodations—the ways spouses, parents, friends, and loved ones can unknowingly reinforce emetophobia and OCD through reassurance, avoidance, other safety behaviors, and attempts to reduce anxiety.We discuss:• Reassurance-seeking and why it never truly satisfies anxiety• How accommodations become part of the fear cycle• The challenges family members face when trying to support recovery• Parenting children with emetophobia• The difference between helping and enabling• Why loved ones sometimes need to be willing to make us uncomfortable• How families can become powerful allies in recoveryThis episode is equal parts practical, funny, honest, and challenging. If you've ever asked someone, "Do you think I'm sick?" or "Do you think this food is safe?"—or if you've been the person answering those questions—this conversation is for you.Recovery isn't about staying safe.It's about learning that you can handle uncertainty—and helping the people around you learn that too.You can handle it.

Can you be a good parent if you have emetophobia?In this episode, Katie and Ally tackle one of the biggest questions many people with emetophobia quietly wrestle with: pregnancy, parenting, and raising children while living with a fear of vomiting.They discuss fears around morning sickness, labor, stomach bugs, sick kids, and the reality of how emetophobia can affect family life. They also share personal stories about pregnancy, motherhood, safety behaviors, mom guilt, recovery, and what happens when the thing you're most afraid of becomes part of everyday life.This is an honest conversation about fear, values, uncertainty, and why recovery matters—not just for you, but for the people you love.If you've ever wondered whether emetophobia should determine whether you have children, this episode is for you.Topics discussed:Pregnancy and emetophobiaMorning sickness fearsParenting with OCDStomach bugs and sick childrenSafety behaviors in motherhoodMom guilt and anxietyExposure and response prevention (ERP)Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Recovery while raising kidsBecause the goal isn't to stay safe. The goal is to learn that you can handle life—even when it's uncertain. 💛Join the HANDLE Community:https://handle.mn.co/Dr. Max Maisel on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drmaxocd/OCD SoCal:https://ocdsocal.org

In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally talk about one of the biggest things keeping emetophobia and OCD alive: safety behaviors.From chewing gum, taking Zofran, avoiding situations, distracting ourselves, mentally preparing for worst-case scenarios, and trying to prevent nausea at all costs — we unpack the many ways fear convinces us we need these behaviors to stay safe.We discuss:Safety behaviors and compulsionsAcceptance vs. controlExposures vs. “experiments”Parenting with emetophobiaFear of airplanes, stomach bugs, and public vomitingThe placebo effect and anti-nausea medicationWhy recovery requires willingness instead of certaintyThe conversation is honest, funny, emotional, and deeply relatable for anyone struggling with emetophobia, OCD, panic, or health anxiety.The goal of recovery is not to stay safe.The goal is to learn that you don’t need to be.

“How do I actually start recovery?”We’ve been getting this question constantly lately, so in this episode we sat down and talked honestly about what beginning recovery REALLY looked like for us.Katie shares what it was like realizing she’s now weaning off therapy after a year of ERP work, while Ally talks about just beginning OCD therapy and feeling completely overwhelmed by how big recovery can seem at first.We walk through:• the OCD/emetophobia cycle• triggers, feared stories, and safety behaviors• reassurance seeking and mental compulsions• why exposures aren’t usually the first step• how delaying compulsions helped us• the importance of values and finding your “why”• acceptance, uncertainty, and willingness• why recovery is uncomfortable… but worth itWe also get very real about parenting with emetophobia, health anxiety, avoiding discomfort, and the fear of vomiting itself.And maybe most importantly:The goal of recovery is not to stay safe.The goal is learning that you don’t need to.If you’re feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin, we hope this episode helps you take your first step.

In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, we sit down with Karl from Ireland — one of the members of the HANDLE community — to talk about what recovery actually looks like in real life.Karl shares how emetophobia led to years of isolation, job loss, panic, avoidance, reassurance seeking, and dependence on anti-nausea medication. Then he walks us through a major turning point: starting a new job, hearing that multiple coworkers had been “wiped out” by the stomach bug, and choosing to STAY instead of RUN. We discuss:Cost-benefit analysis in recoveryWhy avoidance doesn’t actually keep us safeThe hidden costs of safety behaviorsAcceptance, uncertainty, and values-based livingRecovery wins that feel impossible… until they happenWe also laugh a lot about magpies, movie triggers, weird OCD logic, and why emetophobes somehow become experts at detecting when someone might throw up.If you’ve ever felt trapped by emetophobia or OCD, this episode is a reminder that recovery is hard — but staying stuck is harder.You can handle it.

There are a lot of misconceptions about emetophobia—and some of them might actually be keeping you stuck.In this episode, we break down the most common myths about emetophobia and what’s actually true when it comes to recovery. From the belief that it’s “just a fear of vomiting” to the idea that safety behaviors help or that you need a therapist to even begin healing—we’re unpacking it all.We bust some of the most common (and frustrating) myths about emetophobia, including:“It’s just the fear of vomiting”“Exposure therapy makes it worse”“Safety behaviors help”“You need a therapist to start recovery”“If you don’t eat, you won’t throw up”“You have to throw up to recover”“Emetophobia is rare”We also talk about why emetophobia feels like a constant, 24/7 fear, how nausea anxiety plays a bigger role than people realize, and what exposure therapy is really supposed to do.If you’ve ever found yourself avoiding foods, constantly preparing “just in case,” or feeling like you’re always waiting to get sick—this episode will hit home.The goal isn’t to stay safe.The goal is realizing… you don’t need to be.The OCD Stories - Doing an Exposure (ERP) vs. being exposed:https://youtu.be/UMGEfuOUs-w?si=ifj9-ibbMXm93lmsYour Anxiety Toolkit - Acceptance with Jonathan Grayson:https://youtu.be/8FTewvlg0TU?si=-WGtDSoKWslbdF0iKimberley Quinlan and Nathan Peterson - Recovery Without Therapy:https://youtu.be/GqwzgxUMVdE?si=mQ9IV7w31IyH7r7M

The waiting game might be one of the hardest parts of emetophobia.You know the feeling—“Am I going to get sick?”“Is my kid going to throw up?”“How long until I’m in the clear?”In this episode, we talk about the anxiety-filled space in between—the not knowing—and how it keeps so many of us stuck in the cycle of fear.We cover:Why countdowns and “safe timelines” don’t actually helpThe subtle safety behaviors we don’t even realize we’re doingHow to respond when your brain is trying to figure it outWhat acceptance looks like when things feel very realReal-life examples of navigating sick kids, nausea, and uncertaintyThis is an honest, behind-the-scenes look at recovery in real time—messy moments, small wins, and all.Because the goal isn’t to stay safe....AND that you can handle it.For recovery resources and merch, visit:https://www.handleemetophobia.comFearCast Podcast with Kevin Foss:https://www.youtube.com/@fearcastpodcast700Your Anxiety Toolkit with Kimberley Quinlan:https://www.youtube.com/@youranxietytoolkitNathan Peterson:https://www.youtube.com/@ocdandanxietyThe OCD Stories:https://www.youtube.com/@TheocdstoriesThe Emetophobia Manual, Ken Goodman:https://theemetophobiamanual.comJerry Nasi (ocdish_):https://www.instagram.com/ocdish_?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Welcome to Handle Emetophobia — a podcast about recovery, anxiety, OCD, and learning how to live without being ruled by fear.In this episode, we talk about the “Sunday Scaries,” the "Nighttime Scaries" (nighttime anxiety because of emetophobia), why anticipation often feels worse than reality, and community being a crucial component to recovery. We explore how fear builds, how safety behaviors keep us stuck, and why acceptance is one of the most important tools in recovery.We also break down a simple but powerful idea:you can’t eliminate discomfort from life—but you can learn to handle it.If you’ve ever felt trapped by emetophobia or anxiety, this conversation is for you.You don’t have to do this alone.Working towards recovery and want COMMUNITY?Check out the HANDLE Community: handle.mn.coNeed recovery resources?https://www.handleemetophobia.comYour Anxiety Toolkit with Kimberley Quinlan:https://www.youtube.com/@youranxietytoolkitFearCast Podcast with Kevin Foss:https://www.youtube.com/@fearcastpodcast700

In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally share some honest hot takes on recovery.From the pressure to “do ERP right” to the habits that quietly keep the fear going, this conversation gets into the real, messy side of emetophobia recovery.They talk about:why ERP can feel like it’s “not working”the difference between exposure and white-knucklingsubtle safety behaviors that keep the cycle alive“just in case” habits and control strategiesand what it actually means to become willing instead of fearlessIf you’ve ever found yourself stuck in the loop of “did I do it right?”… this one’s for you.You don’t need certainty.You can handle it.

If you constantly think “am I gonna throw up?”… this is for you.This is the start of learning how to handle emetophobia—not avoid it.Welcome to Handle Emetophobia.This podcast is about recovery—not safety behaviors, not reassurance, and not finding ways to avoid getting sick.In this short intro episode, Katie shares what this podcast is all about and what you can expect moving forward.We’ll be talking about intrusive thoughts and anxiety spirals, reassurance seeking and checking, avoidance and “staying safe,” what actually keeps emetophobia going, and how to start doing the oppositeKatie and Ally both walk through recovery in real time.If you’ve tried everything to feel “in the clear”… and it’s still not working—you’re not alone.You don’t need certainty.You can handle it.