Handle Emetophobia

Momming with Emetophobia and OCD
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If you’ve happened upon this show, there’s a decent chance you’ve Googled something like… ‘Am I going to throw up?’ or ‘How long until I’m in the clear?’ …or maybe you’ve just spent way too much time trying to not feel nauseous. And if that’s you… We just want to say—you’re not crazy…and you’re definitely not alone.” This podcast is called Handle Emetophobia. And it’s not gonna be about avoiding triggers, it’s not about staying safe, and it’s definitely not about finding a way to never throw up again. It’s about retraining your brain and learning how to actually LIVE… even when your brain

  1. 3 days ago

    Emetophobia, OCD & What Recovery Actually Takes with Lee The OCD Therapist | Episode 18

    What does it actually take to recover from OCD and emetophobia? This week, we're joined by Lee Solomon—aka Lee the OCD Therapist—for a conversation about what keeps the OCD cycle going, what recovery actually looks like, and why sometimes the best thing you can do with fear is stop fighting it. Lee shares his own story of living with harm OCD, how his experience eventually led him to become an OCD therapist, and what he's learned from helping clients face their biggest fears through Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). We talk about: • Lee's personal OCD story• Genetics, trauma, panic, and OCD onset• Postpartum OCD and motherhood• The four phases of OCD recovery Lee sees in his clients• What gets in the way of successful treatment• The relationship between emetophobia and OCD• How Lee approaches ERP for emetophobia• Why compulsions and safety behaviors matter so much• Fight, flight, freeze, and uncomfortable physical sensations• Acceptance and learning to stop fighting fear• Non-engagement responses• Reassurance vs. encouragement• Whether you can recover while continuing compulsions• Lapses, relapses, and the fear of going "back to square one"• Emetophobia when you also have a chronic illness• Fear hierarchies and building up to difficult exposures• What to do when you aren't willing to face an exposure• Whether "white knuckling" an exposure still counts And, because apparently we can't have an OCD therapist on the podcast without asking the important questions, we also make Lee choose between throwing up in front of his coworkers and pooping his pants at work. 😂 One of our favorite ideas from the conversation: Your mind doesn't necessarily care what you're thinking—it learns from what you DO in response to what you're thinking. The thought can be there.The sensation can be there.The uncertainty can be there. You don't have to keep fighting it. Sometimes recovery looks like learning to say: "You're right. That could happen. I'm still not going to fix it." And then continuing with your life. Because courage isn't the absence of fear. Courage is doing it afraid.

  2. 26 Aug

    What's Your Greatest Fear? | How Fear Hierarchies Actually Work for Emetophobia & OCD | Ep. 17

    You've heard that recovering from emetophobia means "facing your fears." Okay... but where do you actually start? In this episode of Handle Emetophobia, Katie and Ally break down one of the most useful tools in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): the fear hierarchy. Katie walks Ally through the process in real time, starting with a trigger, identifying the feared story underneath it, and then uncovering the safety behaviors and compulsions Ally uses to try to feel safe. And some of them are behaviors Ally didn't even realize were compulsions. They discuss: • How to create an emetophobia fear hierarchy • What ERP actually looks like in everyday life • Identifying triggers and the feared stories underneath them • The sneaky safety behaviors you may not realize you're doing • Hypervigilance and monitoring for signs of sickness • Reassurance seeking and Googling symptoms • Relying on your partner as a "safe person" • Avoiding physical contact and sharing food • How to gradually remove safety behaviors • Anxiety ratings vs. willingness • Why response prevention matters just as much as exposure • How acceptance and uncertainty fit into recovery One of the biggest realizations in this conversation is that it's hard to stop a safety behavior if you don't even know you're doing it. A fear hierarchy can help you zoom out and see the whole cycle: What's my trigger? What am I afraid it means? And what am I doing to try to make myself feel safe? Once you can see the cycle, you can start experimenting with doing something different. You don't have to tackle your biggest fear tomorrow. Start with what you're willing to change, build confidence, and keep moving. Because the goal isn't to make yourself feel safe all the time. The goal is to learn that you don't need to feel safe in order to live your life.

  3. 12 Aug

    Am I Even Recovering? | When Emetophobia Recovery Gets Boring | Ep. 16

    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 feel If 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.

  4. 29 Jul

    Square One? What To Do After An Emetophobia Setback | Recovery Isn't Linear | Episode 15

    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.

  5. 8 Jul

    DON'T JINX ME! | Magical Thinking & Emetophobia: Why Your Brain Believes It & How To Stop The Cycle | Episode 13

    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.

  6. 1 Jul

    Don't Ruin My Trip!: Traveling With Emetophobia Before Vs. After Recovery | Episode 12

    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.

  7. 24 Jun

    The Hidden Link Between Emetophobia & Social Anxiety | Handle Emetophobia Ep. 11

    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

  8. 17 Jun

    Raising A Child With Emetophobia | Ally's Parents Tell Their Side | Handle Emetophobia Ep. 10

    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.

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If you’ve happened upon this show, there’s a decent chance you’ve Googled something like… ‘Am I going to throw up?’ or ‘How long until I’m in the clear?’ …or maybe you’ve just spent way too much time trying to not feel nauseous. And if that’s you… We just want to say—you’re not crazy…and you’re definitely not alone.” This podcast is called Handle Emetophobia. And it’s not gonna be about avoiding triggers, it’s not about staying safe, and it’s definitely not about finding a way to never throw up again. It’s about retraining your brain and learning how to actually LIVE… even when your brain

Information

  • Creator
    Momming with Emetophobia and OCD
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Momming with Emetophobia and OCD
  • Show Website
    Handle Emetophobia