Podcast : No doctors could explain my daughter's constant nausea - they didn't know about Emetophobia.

Charlotte would experience motion sickness, and struggled to eat food. When on holiday Charlotte would struggle in the airport and on any form of public transport and would only eat packaged foods and this meant the whole family were unable to eat out. Charlotte was also experiencing panic attacks believing she was going to be sick.

As a parent who was unaware of her child’s phobia, Annabel was completely helpless to how she could help. Annabel knew deep down that something wasn’t right with Charlotte, however the answers remained completely unknown! At the age of 12, Charlotte began scratching her neck as a soothing mechanism. It was a this point that Annabel decided to contact a therapist regarding CBT. There was no improvement for Charlotte’s panic attacks following CBT, and as a result she was prescribed beta blockers.

To the families disappointment, these did not help Charlotte. She still felt the same way. In 2022, a breakthrough was made. Charlotte herself discovered the term Emetophobia whilst googling her symptoms. At this point, Charlotte was 15 years old and had been struggling with her fear for 8 years! After realising what was wrong and finding specialist treatment with the Emetophobia-Free programme, Annabel finally had the answers she had been searching for and Charlotte was able to beat her Emetophobia.

Charlotte is now loving her life, has passed her driving test, sat all of her exams and no longer suffers with the fears and worries that used to restrict her life so much. Annabel is so passionate about raising awareness for other parents out there who are at a loss with their child’s symptoms as she understands how hopeless and isolating it feel not to be able to help you child.

Since witnessing the change in her daughter Annabel decided to train to become a coach to help other families in a similar situation to hers.