Online forums are a great way to find help and acceptance when you’re living with conditions like emetophobia. Being able to talk about your struggles and small victories can do wonders for your mental health and wellbeing. Before you make your first post or comment, however, you’ll need to brush up on your emetophobia forum abbreviations!
In this article, we’re going to walk you through all of the need-to-know lingo—from v* to TU—so that you can interact with fellow emetophobes without any confusion. Let’s go!
Why do emetophobes use abbreviations on forums?
Everyone’s experience of emetophobia is different. Some people find themselves unable to eat certain foods out of fear it will make them sick, while others are triggered solely by the act of someone vomiting in front of them. Many emetophobes even struggle to look at words that are related to their condition.
In order to avoid triggering their phobia, these emetophobes will abbreviate certain words when discussing their condition on forums like Reddit. This allows them to talk about their problems and stories without feeling stressed or anxious.
What if I’m not triggered by words?
If you’re an emetophobe who isn’t triggered by vomit-related words, you might be wondering if you even need to bother using these abbreviations. Though it isn’t compulsory on emetophobia forums, it is considered to be common courtesy.
These forums are supposed to be safe spaces for you and your fellow emetophobes. For this to work, you need to be considerate of everyone’s triggers. If someone makes a post using abbreviations, you should be polite and follow suit when leaving a comment.
This convention isn’t universal, however. Some people will specifically want to discuss the ins and outs of their problems in explicit detail, in which case they’ll use trigger warnings to deter anyone who prefers to avoid vomit-related words. In this situation, it would be perfectly acceptable for you to avoid using abbreviations altogether.
If you’re ever uncertain though, play it safe and use your abbreviations!
Emetophobia forum abbreviations
In the slideshow below, we’re going to take you through all of the abbreviations you might encounter when participating in emetophobia forums.
If vomit-related words trigger you, please return to the EmetoGo homepage.
Emetophobia can be a challenging condition to live with, no matter what you’re triggered by, but it is possible to overcome it with the right help. There are a variety of treatments, including CBT and exposure therapy, that can help you manage your symptoms so that you can live your life to the fullest.
At EmetoGo, we have a team of experienced therapists who specialise in a range of therapeutic approaches designed to help emetophobes overcome their fear of vomiting from the comfort of their own home.
To get the ball rolling, simply fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch shortly.