EXPOSURE THERAPY...

[loz04]

Hi everyone,
just wondering if anyone has ever tried exposure therapy 2 help them over their phobias???
All my life ive been seeing therapists 2 try 2 get me over emetophobia (fear of being sick) and none of them have ever worked. I went bac 2 c a therapist after my problem had been getting worse for a year and they suggested exposure therapy, which ive just been to my second session. Just wondering if anyone else has ever tried this, and whether it was successful n how they found it etc.
Laura.

[nomorepanic]

Loz

I have only seen the success it has on TV programmes but it does seem to woek so I would give it a go. No harm in trying it is there.

Nicola

[loz04]

true! since having it all my life it wud b liberating not to feel trapped with a phobia that controls every aspect of my day! will let ppl know how its going and whether its successful or not. not sure if it will work, im 50/50 on whether 2 b positive or not at this stage, but its definately worth trying. b4 i went 2 my first session i was sayin "no way is anyine going to expose me 2 it...no way!" but my therapist told me that at some point in my life, esp if i have kids, i will at some point see sum1 b sick and i have 2 b able 2 deal with it and not run away and after a while it all made sense. so yeh, i will keep u all posted coz if it can work 4 me, whose had 20yrs at thinking i'd rather die than ever face it, then it can work for anyone! fingers crossed!
Laura.

[nomorepanic]

Loz

I do not have a phobia of sick or being sick etc but I don't like it when the cats are sick and I can't clean it up cos I end up feeling sick too. It is a normal reaction. What is important is that it doesn't stop me doing anything or in anyway effects my life and that is the stage that you need to be at.

You don't have to like it,, you just have to tolerate it and that will come in time I hope.

Good luck with it.

Nicola

[kjen]

HI,

I also suffer wiith emetaphobia but only found out this was a recognised phobia yesterday........ I would really like to get rid of this nasty phobia that has affected my life for 11 years...........

Laura, please let us know how your exposure therapy works!! Good luck you're very brave!!!

I would appreciate any advice that anyone has..................

[FAN]

hi keep us posted on how it goes

fan x

[loz04]

Hi everyone, just updating on how my exposure therapy is goin!...(bit of a long msg - i apologise!)lol

In my last session i had 2 write down all the things i do 2 avoid anything to do wiv being sick, for example, whenever i hear the word sick i have 2 reverse it in my head and say its got nothing to do wiv me. i also suffer from OCD which means most of the things i do each day r centred around this, such as daily decisions. if i can imagine being sick after taking a bath, i wont have a bath, even tho i kno its just my imagination and it isnt logically true. These r called acts of 'protection' where im trying to protect myself in every way i can from anything 2 do wiv being sick, which also includes not eating meat. In my session i was told i had 2 no longer do these things and even tho its making me more panicking, i actually feel free 2 some extent, as it's nice not 2 feel i have 2 play mind games wiv myself all the time. it's difficult coz most of it is just habit, as ive been this way all my life, so i find myself doing little obsessional things without even realising! i also have 2 start eating more meat. i had a sausage roll the other day. i did worry but i really enjoyed it!!

Another major achievement ive had is that i went 2 a friends house the other nite and i had her 7 month old baby on my knee. apparantly she'd been sick earlier in the day, and at that point i wud have left, for fear of catching it, but even tho i worried lots i was able 2 b more logical and think 'babies r always sick, there's nothing wrong wiv her, she's fine!' and then 5mins later she was actually sick on me!! it was only a little and i kno it shudnt b a big deal coz baby sick isnt adult sick, but it was certainly a huge move forward for me. She got it on my sleeve and i had 2 sit wiv it there 4 the rest of the evening! it freaked me out a lot and for a few days after but i just cant believe i sat there wiv her and handled it! straight after she was eating bits of bread so i knew she was ok, but i did worry a lot. but wen me n my partner left he cudnt believe that i handled it, he sed he was amazed.

i definately wudnt have handled it that well if i hadnt been changing the way i think by these therapy sessions. i just kept thinking 'if im gonna b a mum one day, i have 2 handle baby sick as it happens 2 babies all the time!' i'm far from ready 2 handle any more than baby sick tho. it's still the worst thing that cud happen 2 me and i'd still rather die, but its still a positive step.

Will keep u posted on my progression, as if im successful and can get this under control once and for all, i will b preaching it to everyone who has a phobia!
fingers crossed!

Speak 2 y'all soon!
Laura.

[nomorepanic]

Laura

Wow you have done so well and come so far in such a short space of time.

A bit pat on the back for you and I am so pleased that it seems to be helping and obviously working well.

You must be chuffed with yourself for this and rightly so!

Nicola

[FAN]

brilliant that your doing so well.......keep it up

fan x

[Karen]

Well done Laura. Great progress.

Karen



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