Woman Hasn't Left Her Home In Years Due To Severe Phobia Of Vomit.

A woman hasn't left her home for six years due to an intense phobia of vomit, known as emetophobia.

Emma Davies, 35, says the severe phobia has completely 'taken over her life', which leaves her housebound and suffering from panic attacks.

The mum-of-one, who lives in Swansea, said: "A lot of people are scared of sick, or being sick, but it doesn't get to the point where it takes over their life.

"But it affects every minute of my life and I haven't laughed properly in the last few years.

"The depression has gotten to me so badly that I hardly leave my room.

"It takes over my life to the point where I can't go out - it's a lot more than just scared of sick. It's constantly on my mind, it affects me every minute of the day."

Emma says while she - like most people - always found vomit and sickness unpleasant, it started to get out of hand around 12 years ago when it began to impact her job.

She added: "It's the thought of seeing, hearing or smelling sick - anything like that - that affects me.

"I started having panic attacks at work, which scared me a bit, and also on the bus on the way to work because I was feeling sick.

"It meant I had to leave work - which was hard because I had worked ever since I left school.

"Gradually over the years it got worse and worse, and I have at least six panic attacks every single day."

She says her panic attacks are triggered by various everyday tasks that most of us would undertake without a second thought.

"I have them just before I cook, after I cook, after I've eaten and other little things like that," she said.

"I don't eat breakfast and I don't eat dinner - I just have tea because I know I'm going to have a panic attack after I've eaten.

"I could be laying in bed and might feel something in my throat and then start having a panic attack over the emetophobia. It ruins my life.

"As soon as I step outside I get this fear that I'm going to vomit or I'm going to see someone vomit. My stomach has gone really sensitive and just seeing someone spit can start my panic attack off."

Despite trying numerous things to help get her life back, including cognitive behaviour therapy and psychotherapy, Emma says nothing has worked.