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

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    I Didn't Want Kids! | Being Afraid Of Having Kids Because Of Emetophobia | Emetophobia Recovery | Handle Emetophobia Ep. 8

    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

    1h 9m

  2. May 27

    The Goal Is Not to Stay Safe | Emetophobia & Safety Behaviors | Handle Emetophobia Ep. 7

    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.

    1 hr

  3. May 20

    How To Start Recovery From Emetophobia | Episode 6

    “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 it We 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.

    1h 4m

  4. May 13

    Emetophobia Got Me Fired! feat. Karl from Ireland | Episode 5

    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.

    1h 14m

  5. May 6

    You've Been Lied To! It's Not JUST Vomit! | Episode 4

    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

    58 min

  6. Apr 29

    Get Out Of The Bathroom! | Emetophobia Recovery Ep. 3

    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.com FearCast Podcast with Kevin Foss: https://www.youtube.com/@fearcastpodcast700 Your Anxiety Toolkit with Kimberley Quinlan:https://www.youtube.com/@youranxietytoolkit Nathan Peterson: https://www.youtube.com/@ocdandanxiety The OCD Stories: https://www.youtube.com/@Theocdstories The Emetophobia Manual, Ken Goodman: https://theemetophobiamanual.com Jerry Nasi (ocdish_): https://www.instagram.com/ocdish_?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

    55 min

  7. Apr 22

    The Nighttime Scaries | Emetophobia Recovery

    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.co Need recovery resources? https://www.handleemetophobia.com Your Anxiety Toolkit with Kimberley Quinlan: https://www.youtube.com/@youranxietytoolkit FearCast Podcast with Kevin Foss: https://www.youtube.com/@fearcastpodcast700

    1h 8m

  8. Apr 15

    Did You Do It Right? | Emetophobia Recovery Hot Takes

    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.

    52 min

  9. Trailer

    Am I Gonna Throw Up!? (Introduction)

    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.

    3 min

Trailer

About

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
    2K
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Momming with Emetophobia and OCD
  • Show Website
    Handle Emetophobia