Can worry make you physically sick?

Question

i am emetophobic and keep feeling nauseous. I get an acid feeling in my throat and a pain in my upper stomach. It scares me because it makes me think im going to throw up. Sometimes i think because im always worried about being sick, im actualy making myself feel sick? This is starting to effect my work and relationship now so i relly need some advice.

Thankyou :o)

Answer 1

Most definitely! It can even kill you.

If you feel the stress is getting too much, go to a doctor. Get a blood pressure check up.

Answer 2

hi, i to am emetophobic! i used to worry so much that i practically made my self sick. i would sit in the bathroom and think oh god i'm gonna hurl! yes is the answer to your question but you would have to do an awful lot of worrying. i know throwing up is horrible in every way but everyone has at least 2 memories or being sick so were never alone with it. whenever i would worry to much i always lost my appetite and would give myself a stomach ache for example back in january when that really bad stomach bug was going around i would do everything i could to avoid it: wash my hands all the time; wouldn't go near people who had had it for days; always be bleaching the kitchen worktops and ate loads more fruit. also i lost my appetite for weeks until my mum woke me up by saying that i'm only increasing my chances of contracting it by not eating properly. the best way i see it is if you wake up in the morning take some deep breaths and measure your heartbeat, i've found that if it's fast you may have a bug. here are some more tips to help:

1. when you feel your self starting to panic take deep breaths for a few minutes this will slow your heart beat so less adrenaline is pumping.

2. if you constantly worry about feeling sick you will constantly feel nauseous. think of something else like your favourite t.v. program or what you are going to do that weekend :D  

3. when it comes to work it does get difficult: trying to control something you cant. like i said try to do some deep breathing excersies in the car on on some portable device before you got to work. this will put you in a calm mood. if your are genuinely unwell you will look it: pale,repulsed by all food, nauseous, stomach ache, temperature etc... ...  

just eat lots of fruit and veg (i find fruit drinks like tropicana and innocent smoothie extremely nice plus they count as 2/5 a day!)  

you are bringing it all on yourself. speak to your partner and explain how you feel, try to make it so he understands. it is hard deling with this fear but your not alone. i'm 14 and i've had it for as long as i can remember. hope this helped although i went of topic a few times lol.

Answer 3

I use to be so worried that it made me sick quite often actually. So go to see a doctor it's the best thing to do

Answer 4

I had similar symptons.After an endiscope it was found i had ulcers.After going on losec capsules within a week i was much better.

I now take one daily and if i have a problem take two until it settles down.

Answer 5

From a medical standpoint, it seems as though you are inducing yourself into more states of sickness. Think about it, if you worry and begin telling your brain that you are going to throw up, then guess what? Your brain tells your stomach to purge! Look, over-anxiety (a fancy term for being worried) is proven to damage your mental capacity and cause sickness ranging from fever to heart attack. If you really want to make sure nothing is wrong, consult your doctor. It is his job to see if you should even be worried, and you'll sleep more soundly knowing you have a professional diagnosis. He may even prescribe medication to make  you feel a whole lot better. You'll be fine if you stop worrying so much. It just makes it worse if you fret your life away. So slow down, go have some fun with your girlfriend or your pals, and ease up. I hope i helped.

Answer 6

who wants to make oneself sick? Worry is not something which can be easily controlled just by acknowledging that we are worried. Its an altered chemical state of the brain which start interfering with our normal thought processes and sort of hijack our lives. So if worry is hurting you, visit a professional and help get rid of the anxious state. Yes it can bring physical changes and diseases related to worry which are so many that i cannot name all but some of the commonly associated conditions include peptic ulcer, reflux esophagitis, irritable bowel, hypertension, asthma and heart disease.

Answer 7

i definitely  think it can, it does me, especially when i'm under a lot of stress, then i worry about the fact I'm going to be sick which makes it even worse!

my best advice is see your doctor & ask him to refer you to a psychiatrist, who will probably treat you for some kind of anxiety disorder :)

psychiatrist sounds strange...and serious, but they have their uses, even if they're not the ones you automatically think of!

x

Answer 8

See a shrink.

Answer 9

Yes stress and worry can make you throw up. Its the fight and flight response - if the body thinks you are under attack from wild animals it will empty your stomach to rid it of weight to allow you to fight or run away more effectively.

Answer 10

indeed

Answer 11

I used to have that when I was a kid, I was so afraid of throwing up I would  feel nauseaous every night and would be a pain in the *** refusing to go to sleep. I never threw up once tho :) I am still afraid of vomiting, but just sitting up pretty much stops me from throwing up.

Also one time I was soo anxious about school camp I threw up the morning we left, I managed to make it through the camp, just.

So.. after all that, Yes worry can make you feel physically sick.