My 5 Year Old Is Obsessed with Vomiting

My daughter is almost 8 and has a full blown phobia of vomitting. I'm going to check out those links someone posted below! There was an incident a couple years ago that made her this way. My mom took her and her younger cousin out for ice cream. Apparently my nephew threw up ALOT and all over the restaurant. I wasn't there but I was told it was a frightening scene! Ever since then, if she thinks someone even MIGHT throw up, she freaks. She literally will RUN away in the other direction, she will cry, shake. She's in 2nd grade - if a kid throws up in her class the teacher lets my daughter go to another classroom until it is taken care of. It's crazy.

I would guess that he's vomited or recently seen someone else vomit recently. At 5 he's interested in everything that comes to his attention. This interest will pass if you don't make a big thing of it. Listen to him, answer his questions and be casual about it. He will figure out whatever he's needing to know and he'll stop talking about it.

I don't think vomiting is horrible. It is unpleasant. It is also good when we vomit because it is our body's way of getting rid of whatever is making us sick. Perhaps if you could let him know the good part about vomiting and that it is OK to vomit he would be less concerned.

I wonder if he's associated a negative reaction that he's experienced with vomiting and he's worried about the negative reaction and not so much the actual vomit. Tell him you know vomiting is unpleasant and it can be upsetting but overall it's good to vomit when he's sick.

Ask him how he's feeling when he feels like he's going to vomit. Anxiety can cause us to feel like we're going to vomit. Actually, anxiety can cause us to vomit. Perhaps it would help if you talked with him about things he might be worried about. Perhaps find a book at the library about vomiting and being sick as well as about being worried.

Talk with him about ways to stop worrying. Give him some coping skills for when he is worried. Talking about what one is worried about is one skill. Doing something about the worry is another. For example if he's worried that he's going to vomit, getting involved with something energetic and fun may help.

I suggest that he might have GERD and is actually having symptoms. Perhaps a trip to the doctor would help.

I'm going to piggy-back on what someone said about GERD. My daughter (8) began spitting her food out instead of swallowing it because she said she was afraid she was going to choke. She would cry at meal times and before bed. This went on for a week before I took her to the Dr. who diagnosed her with acid reflux. Her stomach acid was coming up into her throat and irritating it which made it feel like her throat was closing. That's why she felt like she was going to choke. Lying down aggrivates the problem as well which is why bedtime was difficult. So your son may be having a similar issue but it may feel like he's going to throw up, rather than choke. The Dr. also said that kids with reflux will often "throw up a little" in their mouths when they burp, etc. I would say that since it's affecting his sleep and activities, it's definitely time to see the Dr. In the mean time, look up tips for helping alleviate acid reflux symptoms-- elevate the head of his bed, don't eat too close to bedtime, have calm activities after eating, etc. Doing these things didn't eliminate the reflux for my daughter (she had to have meds), but they won't hurt anything either. Good luck to you and your son. This is no fun-- I know!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emetophobia
http://phobias.about.com/od/phobiaslist/a/emetophobia.htm
http://www.emetophobia.org/

Here are some links to get you started, it's very common. (I have it too.)

Sounds like he may have Emetophobia AKA Fear of Vomiting. I am actually emetophobic too. I've suffered this phobia since I can remember. Its best to see about getting him help early. I'm almost 22 and am suffering from it worse than ever. I have severe anxiety, I won't go anywhere in public alone, when someone throws up around me- I immediately go into a panic/anxiety attack. There's a lot of discussion about where this fear originates, but its a normal fear, like the fear of spiders or heights.

Oh gosh - when I was a kid I was so frightened of throwing up - happened to me when I was at school (probably kinder or 1st grade) in the cafeteria (!!) and totally traumatized me.

It makes me wonder if he has a constant upset tummy which gets him to worrying about vomiting. Did he have a bad experience of some sort where he was embarrassed and/or felt out of control?

My younger one is gluten intolerant and before we figured it out he would vomit somewhat frequently. He was also extremely pale.

You might want to consider possible food sensitivities as a source of stomach malaise and the resulting anxiety about "tossing the cookies" at an inopportune moment.

Good luck to you and your little guy!

Emetophobia (the fear of vomiting) is a serious disorder. Children can recover from it, however, without specific treatment. The key is for parents to learn to manage their own anxiety (especially about the child's problem) as well as how to address the child and his phobia. I am a clinical counselor who specializes in emetophobia and I treat adults and families where the child has emetophobia via Skype (a free video-internet calling program). My website is http://www.emetophobiahelp.org

I'm 30 and still terrified of vomiting. Although after 2 kids it is getting better although when I know a tummy bug is going around daycare my anxiety about it really starts to act up. I know its not the end of the world and it will pass eventually but I hate the thought of it and I have been this way since I was young. We actually just got over a bout of the bug in my house and my 5 year old son was wanting to watch me clean my daughter up and watch me clean up the car seat I was like why in the world would you want to watch it? but everyone is different. Just let him know that if it does happen you are there to take care of him and that everything will be alright. Give him a tab of a flinstone vitamin if he isn't already on them. I would take 1 tums a night and it gave me peace of mind and settled my tummy because I knew they were supposed to do that. Tell him a flinstone is a tummy medicine and maybe that will ease his mind of feeling ill?

When I was in elemantary school there was this boy..everyday at lunch he would eat then throw up all over the table..I mean EVERYDAY!! I don't understand why they wouldn't put this poor boy in another area because it was extreamly disgusting and scary..anyways I grew up terrified of throwing up or even being around anyone who is going to or did throw up in fear I was going to "catch" it..I don't know if the story I just told is the reason but usually fears of certain things come from an experince of some sort and I think that was mine..I am a mommy of 4 now and I found out that boy suffered from an "upside down stomach"..when the stomach bug comes around thier daddy comes to the rescue..I mean I am there if they need me I cover my nose and mouth so I don' catch it and yes I did clean it and pat there back and are totally there for them but my anxitey stays high...good luck and just keep telling your son its ok and if he still is afraid then maybe you should seek help from a professional it could be an anxitey thing..