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That's why it came as a bit of a shock when l found out that I'm anorexic. I'm not overweight nor am I underweight. I haven't vomited in 15 years {knock on wood} and will do anything to avoid it. I don't use laxatives on a regular basis nor do I count calories. And when I look in the mirror, I don't see myself as a fat person.  

So what makes me anorexic? The effect emetophobia is having on my appetite. I just learned today that anorexia and anorexia nervosa are two different disorders with a common denominator - loss of appetite.

Anorexia is a condition where one loses their appetite. It could be caused from depression, medication, health conditions, or like me, a fear of vomiting. Anorexics aren't necessarily underweight. Just because I don't eat as much as the average person, doesn't mean I'm starving myself to death either. I have lost a few pounds but not enough to categorize myself as critically underweight.

Anorexia Nervosa is a condition where one loses their appetite for fear of getting fat. Someone with Anorexia Nervosa generally has a poor body image. For the sake of shortening the vocabulary, many refer to those with Anorexia Nervosa as "Anorexics." One huge difference between someone with anorexia nervosa and myself is that they will purge food after eating and I'm horrified at the thought of doing something that awful.

The depth of my emetophobia varies from day to day. There are days when I feel very frantic and will eat practically nothing, but other days I will eat enough to sustain a healthy life. Even though I take vitamins and try to eat healthy, sometimes I feel sluggish and slightly disoriented.

Rarely, if ever do I consume the amount of food the average person does. But experts say the average person eats too much anyway.