Good--and timely for me--post! I am facing surgery this spring with general anethesia (which I've never had before) and I'm also emetophobic. Charlie's info was very good, although I think it's possible to have a milder version of the disorder. I do have a lot of the background and feelings mentioned, but I don't think emetophobia disrupts my life in such a major way. Mostly I just steer clear of anyone with the stomach flu and I'm very zealous about food preservation. I don't have a problem taking care of my kids if they're vomiting. (I'm always hugging them anyway, so it's too late to avoid it at that point, anyway.) Also, I'm not particularly afraid of vomiting in public. (A D accident is much worse, in my book, and I've weathered those.) It's just that I HATE the physical sensations of nausea. For me, it's always accompanied by cold sweats, violent stomach cramps, sinus pain, trembling and seeing spots in front of my eyes. It feels like dying. Vomiting only relieves the nausea for a few minutes, then it starts right up again. I've vomited as many as 40 times with a case of stomach flu or food poisoning, until my throat is raw and sore. So is this a phobia, or a natural aversion to something very unpleasant? I can't even imagine how bulimics do what they do. I wonder if I should mention emetophobia to the anethesiologist before the surgery? Good luck, CarrieLyn. Definitely let us know how it goes.