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Meaningful Work
Emetophobia & Me follows your transformation from a childhood shaped by fear to an adulthood grounded in courage, compassion, and the radical act of choosing to live fully even when anxiety whispers otherwise. Why was this an important book for you to write?
What a great question. It brought up quite a lot for me. I will try to summarise it. Having battled crippling anxiety throughout most of my childhood and adult life, I wanted nothing more than to help others who were suffering too. When I saw someone suffering with anxiety and/or emetophobia and heard them speak of their experience in ways I deeply resonated with, my heart would literally hurt. For many years, I would just listen and try to offer any understanding and …. well, just love really. It felt like a lifeline for me to have someone who would just listen and remind me that I was not alone. So when I decided to write this little book, it was really to create a lifeline for those who feel lost and to remind them that they were safe. There is hope, and they are deeply loved.
What feels important to me is that, even when I am gone, my books might still bring comfort to others. That feels like meaningful work to me.
What was the hardest memory to revisit while writing Emetophobia & Me, and how did you care for yourself during that process?
Writing the book really did bring up some old feelings and fears, but it was therapeutic in a way too. I think the hardest part to revisit was those times, as a child, where I felt so unsafe. I had the phobia, anxiety, and panic ( I had no idea they had names then), there was violence at home, and my sister was diagnosed with cancer.
I felt so sad for that frightened little girl, who tried tirelessly to control what was never in her control. I guess that is why I turned inward more and more, to try and control myself. To try and keep myself safe with rituals, behaviour, and fear.
Was there a specific moment when your relationship with fear shifted from something to avoid to something you could coexist with?
You know, I wish there was a light bulb moment when it all changed. We are all looking for the magical quick fix, right? But, actually, it was a slow process. A process of seeing, then not seeing, then seeing more. The real change came from being open to being wrong …. about who I thought I was, my beliefs, and my misunderstanding about fear.
Being open. Being prepared to change your mind. Being aware that there is a lot you don’t know yet, is huge.
What do you hope readers who don’t struggle with phobias take away about empathy and the lived experience of anxiety?
It has always been important to me that loved ones and family members have some understanding about anxiety and Phobias. The one thing a sufferer needs is understanding. Followed by time and love. Just listen, not always to fix, but just to hear. Often, we sufferers of anxiety feel unheard, and that increases fear and insecurity.
The answer to everything always is love.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Finding Peace | Website | Books.By | Amazon
She could control everything—
except her own fear.
From the outside, Jess Smith looked fine. A wife, a mother, a woman doing her best to hold it all together. But behind every smile hid a secret terror—an obsessive fear of vomiting so intense it ruled her every decision. Every meal was measured. Every outing calculated. Every day, a battle with her own mind.
Until the fear began to consume her life completely.
In this raw and beautifully written memoir about emetophobia, anxiety and panic attacks, Jess takes readers inside the hidden world of a phobia few dare to talk about. Her story unfolds like a psychological thriller—every symptom, every panic episode, every desperate attempt to stay “safe” pulling her further from the life she longed to live.
But when she finally hit breaking point, something miraculous happened.
She stopped running.
She turned inward.
And she began the journey home—to herself.
Part memoir, part self-help guide for anxiety and recovery, Emetophobia and Me will make you feel every heartbeat of fear—and every breath of freedom that follows.
If you’ve ever lived your life controlled by fear—whether of panic, sickness, or simply losing control—this story will hold your hand through the darkness and show you that healing isn’t about fixing yourself.
It’s about finally allowing yourself to be free.
A powerful, honest, and inspiring read for anyone navigating anxiety, emetophobia, panic disorder, or trauma recovery.
You are not afraid of what you think you are.
It’s time to see the truth — and take your life back.
Emetophobia and Me
Jess Smith’s Emetophobia & Me is a raw and intimate journey through the often-misunderstood world of anxiety and phobia. In this memoir, she peels back the layers of fear, shame, and isolation that surround emetophobia, the intense fear of vomiting, and shows how it shaped her life from childhood through motherhood. But more than just a story of struggle, it’s a story of transformation. She invites the reader into her inner world, guiding us from the depths of suffering to a place of peace and understanding. Along the way, she shares insights about trauma, anxiety, and healing that are as universal as they are personal.
Jess’s writing is disarmingly honest. She doesn’t hold back. There were times I laughed, times I cried, and more than a few moments when I had to close the book and just sit with the feelings it stirred up. Her voice is authentic and vulnerable without ever becoming self-pitying. What I liked most was how well she captured the way anxiety works. How it loops, how it lies, and how it convinces you that fear is truth. Her childhood stories, especially about lunchtime at school, hit me in the gut. You can feel the weight of that tiny girl’s world. And yet, Jess doesn’t just linger in the pain. She moves forward, one tiny brave step at a time.
As someone who has danced with my own demons, I saw myself in these pages. But even if you haven’t lived with emetophobia, you’ll find something in her story that resonates. Her reflections on control, fear, and trust felt like they were written just for me. And her shift in perspective, learning that fear is just a thought, not a truth, was like flipping on a light switch. I didn’t expect to come away from this book feeling hopeful, but I did. Not because Jess claims to be “cured,” but because she shows what it’s like to live fully even when fear shows up. Her strength isn’t in having no fear. It’s in refusing to let fear make her small.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who struggles with anxiety, panic, phobias, or simply feeling not good enough. It’s also perfect for loved ones who want to understand what it’s really like to live inside a mind that never stops spinning. Therapists, teachers, and parents could gain so much empathy from this book, too.
Pages: 120 | ASIN: B0FLKKBJXT
LITERARY TITAN 