treatments

[KLK1107]

I was just wondering if anyone knew of any treatments, other than exposure therapy that may help cure my emetophobia. It is completely ruining my life and I went to a therapist for my panic disorder and told him about my emetophobia and all he says is "you should be happy your body can get rid of the bad stuff". Well that's great, but being afraid of throwing up, I don't want to hear that. Has anyone ever tried hypnotherapy or anything like that? I just want to get rid of this, but I really don't want to have exposure therapy because I just really cant see making myself throw up or seeing someone else throw up in front of me. I actually did my own exposure therapy a couple months ago. I watched Jackass 2 with my sister and she fast forwarded through all the throw up parts, and then a week later we watched it and I made her not fast forward it and I watched EVERY throw up scene. Even in the outtakes, and if anyone has seen that movie where steve-o does the fart mask, well in the outtakes it is much worse and I watched it, my fiance even had to turn away and he isn't at all emetophobic. I think that's as much exposure therapy as I can handle. Please give me treatment options, I am desperate! thank you!

[nomorepanic]

Just looked for some old posts for you and found this - posted by Nigel......


Dunno whether you've visited emetophobia.org (http://www.emetophobia.org/). It's been recommended several times on NMP. It looks quite useful, although it probably means more to somebody who suffers.
Or here you can find out more about how self hypnosis can help ease emetophobia (http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/phobias_fears/emetophobia.html?1388).

[KLK1107]

yes that's exactly it! It isn't like it's something I want to like doing, I just want it to get to the point where I don't mind it and don't panic every single time I don't feel well... thank you both for your help! I appreciate it a lot!

[BoxerMad]

Hi
I have the same phobia as you, i have acupuncture and find this helps alot. When i first started having it my therapist said to start off with a treatment once a week and then cut it down depending on how i feel. I now have one treatment a month i find that this keeps me going. Dont get me wrong i still cant stand vomit but the acupuncture helps with the anxiety that i also get.

[KLK1107]

I have heard about this treatment before... I will definately look into it, thank you!

[KLK1107]

I am currently looking up specialists in my area because I just realized tonight and for the past few weeks, that this phobia is ruining my life... I spend most of my dad concerned about getting sick, my hands are raw, and I can't be around anyone who is sick or was sick... my mom called me tonight to tell me she wasn't going to be able to go out with me tomorrow because my brother was sick... now my brother has panic attacks and sometimes throws up at night because he is nervous about school the next day.. he actually just threw up last night becasue he was nervous so he was home from school today and was there when I went over to my mom's. Now my mom just called me and told me he was eating dinner, told her he had gas pains, and all of a sudden he threw up... she said he is fine now, but she is just being safe and letting me know because she knows how I am... I am a complete wreck because all day I have had funny pains in my stomach. I just can't go through life like this anymore. I see how I am when others get sick because I worry and all I can think of is how will I know if I am really sick and how will I cope with it. I am losing my mind!

[Nervy_of_catford]

Hi Karissa,

I completely sympathise.

I've been signed off work for most of the last five years in part because of my emetophobia (which in turn has compunded agorophobia, which is also the result of Dyspraxia / Asperger's processing difficulties).

I have found keeping sea-sickness bands around to wear (they stimulate the acupressure point that helps stop nausea) if I am feeling generally ill, and I have been given a box of 10mg prochlorperazine (an anti-emetic) to take if I am totally sick-feeling and panicking.

Not the best solutions, but they help.

Also repeating "it is not nausea, it is panic" usually helps because 999 times out of 1000 it is!

Best wishes

Robin