Woman overcame fear of vomiting with two simple steps after spending $700 a year to avoid sickness

A woman who battled a phobia of vomiting her 'whole life' has revealed the steps she took to overcome it, after spending $700 a month to avoid getting sick.

Brooke Caitlyn reached breaking point with her phobia when the 26-year-old realized she couldn't hold her son, who had brought a stomach bug home from nursery.

"My son is one of the big reasons why I knew I had to sort this," she said, speaking with UNILAD.

"If I had any suspicion that he was unwell, we were not going anywhere that day. And it could have been that he was completely fine, he might have just looked a little bit funny to me that morning, or he might have coughed a little bit. I would say, nope, we're not going anywhere."

Brooke noted that at the height of her phobia, she would actively stay at home where she felt 'safe' if anyone in her family was ill.

The 26-year-old hit rock bottom when she couldn't hold her son when he was poorly. (Brooke Caitlyn)

But Emetophobia, the fear of vomiting, took control of her life in ways she never expected.

'I wouldn't touch door handles'

After spending more money than most on avoiding public transport and anti-sickness tablets, Brooke revealed that she would spend around $700 a year to accomodate the phobia.

"I would happily burn my hands on sanitizer because I believed it was getting rid of everything so that I couldn't catch anything," she said, detailing how extreme the fear was.

"I wouldn't touch door handles, I would never eat chicken at a restaurant. No way. That was too risky."

The mom added: "I would never go anywhere without water and a whole bag of tablets that were all tummy medicines."

How did Brooke overcome Emetophobia?

Brooke said she received therapy for 'general anxiety' two years ago, but overcame much of her phobia through self-exposure.

Detailing one step she took to address the phobia, she said: "I would force myself to go to the grocery store or the gym on my own, and I would force myself to stay even when I felt sick."

But one of the biggest contributors to getting over the phobia was attempting to ditch her bag of 'comforts'.

Brooke was able to overcome the phobia over the course of two years. (Brooke Caitlyn)

The mom, who runs an ear care clinic, explained: "I started to limit my comforts in my bag. So the medicines that I had, even if it was not going out with one that day, I would put it at home and leave.

"It got to the point where I would build it up over a couple of years where I could leave my bag in the car, and I could go in the grocery store without it."

As well as self-exposure and letting go of her 'comforts', Brooke addressed her phobia by resisting a common habit.

She said: "I stopped Googling, I stopped Googling every symptom."

She noted that kicking the phobia took around two years, but admitted that it 'doesn't bother' her anymore.

"I still probably have moments where I will panic, but it's not on my mind all the time," she said.

How many people suffer with Emetophobia?

The fear of vomiting is one of the most prevalent in the US, with up to eight percent of the population suffering every year, as per a recent study.

More women than men struggle with the phobia, and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is noted as the best form of treatment.