Are Support Groups Helpful For Overcoming Emetophobia?

Why Emetophobia Support Groups Might Be Making Things Worse (And What Actually Helps)

Okay, let’s rip the Band-Aid off—this one might sting a little.

I used to be in every emetophobia support group I could find. Facebook, forums, comment threads—you name it. I was searching for understanding, comfort, and maybe a glimmer of hope. What I found instead? A whole lot of fear, avoidance, and advice that honestly made my phobia worse. Sometimes I felt like being a bit altruistic even to support others, but it was repetitive and unfulfilling because they were just surviving not overcoming. I wanted to help before I was cured myself-not a great plan Lauren.

And before you scroll away thinking, “Ugh, she just doesn’t get it”, let me be super clear:
I do get it.
I suffered with emetophobia from the time I was five. Severe panic attacks. ARFID. Life-altering fear. I’ve been through it. I wore the t-shirt. I practically ran the fan club. So please bear with me—I say this with love.

The Problem With Support Groups

At first glance, they seem helpful. A bunch of people who understand what you’re going through? Yes, please! But here’s the thing: support groups often become what I call “collective brooding circles.”
Everyone is stuck in fear, and without realizing it, they reinforce each other’s unhelpful beliefs. It’s like one giant emetophobic brain, spinning worst-case scenarios, sharing avoidance tricks, and validating the very behaviors and thought patterns that keep the phobia in place. As we say in Thrive terms-Collusion.

Let’s be real:

“Try chewing gum every time you leave the house.”
“Always carry anti-nausea meds, just in case.”
“Never sit in the back seat of a car again.”

I get why that sounds like support. But these are safety-seeking behaviors, and they actually reinforce your fear over time. It’s like trying to get better at swimming by clutching the edge of the pool and calling it progress. You’re not swimming. You’re just not drowning.

When I Tried to Share My Recovery…

After completing the Thrive Programme and overcoming emetophobia fully, I was buzzing! I couldn’t believe it was possible and my family and partner just didn’t get how important and monumental it was for me SO I wanted to shout from the rooftops to people who got it:

“It’s possible! You can be free!”
I went back to those same groups to share my story—and let’s just say it wasn’t the homecoming I expected.

Instead of celebration or curiosity, I got skepticism, sarcasm, even outright hostility. Other coaches have noted this as well sadly. Some people accused me of lying. Others told me I must’ve never really had it. And some groups? I got kicked out entirely for offering hope that didn’t come with a prescription or a years-long exposure therapy plan.

How is that helpful?

One girl on Tiktok made a video trashing me telling me she got over it by becoming an EMT and being exposed but it was clear that she still is very external and to be honest, a bit paranoid in her angry bitter response. Remember: Emetophobia is about your thinking (component parts of your mind) not actually getting sick…so as a mental health coach, I could surmise, she was not “over it” anyway. Subsequently her loyal followers started somewhat “bullying” me as well. I thought, “what in the world? I thought my people would be kind and encouraging”…

I Know This Might Sound Harsh…

…but support groups or funny Tiktok channels are not where healing happens. They’re often where hopelessness festers. And that breaks my heart because I remember how desperate I was for hope. I truly believed that if I just had enough “hacks” or understood enough “triggers”(I don’t use that word anymore), I could manage the phobia. But you don’t need to manage it—you can beat it.

And not with gritted teeth or endless exposure tasks. Not with tricking yourself into sitting on the train or eating out with a “safe person.” You beat this by changing how you think, what you believe about yourself, your body, and your control over your life.

That’s what I did. That’s what I teach now. And it works. Not because I’m special—but because it’s actually based on how the mind works, how beliefs form, and how we can unlearn fear.

Side note: I have also reached out to many of those account owners, names I shall not say, of big Emeto channels and guess what? They don’t care to get better, that is their fame and in some cases, their income. I am not saying they are bad people, but why profit off of proliferating this misery when there is a CURE?

So What Is Helpful?

Real transformation comes from learning how to:

• Build unshakable self-esteem
• Shift from powerlessness to personal control
• Challenge the beliefs and thinking styles that create anxiety
• Stop safety-seeking and start living

I know that probably sounds terrifying when you’re in the thick of it. That’s okay. There are many more elements, those are simply a few. Just be open to the idea that maybe—just maybe—you’ve been looking for hope in the wrong place.

Want a Better Way?

I’m not here to sell you fluff or toxic positivity. I’m here to show you that there is a real path to freedom. If you’re curious about how I did it, want podcasts that inspire, or have questions you’d love answered, I’m happy to create a video, blog, or resource just for you. Just reach out and tell me what you need!

You don’t have to be stuck.
You don’t have to “try to live with it forever.”
You can heal. For real.

Let’s talk about what actually works. 💛Check out this 2 part series of Coach Matt and I discussing these details in depth!