Emetaphobia sufferers?

[HB]

Hi everyone,
I juat discovered this site and have to say that it has been so helpful!
I suffer from the fear of being sick and have done for the past 15 years on and off. When it gets really bad (usually when a member of my family has been ill) i am terrible, i have panic attacks about 4 times a day... have the feeling of not being able to breathe and actually sometimes forget how to swallow when im eating which makes me choke. My phobia has led on to me being afraid of eating out. I wash my hands 7 times a day to get rid of bugs, avoid children, only eat food my mum has made, never go out to parties, wont sleep out, and the list goes on and on... i have just started CBT and was wondering if anyone else had tried it and if so, has it been of any use? im getting to the end of my tether!!!
Take care everyone xx

H

[sarah]

Hiya Helen

Welcome to the site. I hope you find the info on here useful.
Have a good look around, theres loads of stuff about CBT and emetophobia..just put it into the search facility at the top of the page..and also take a look at the home page.

As for me, I had CBT for panic and agoraphobia and it worked just fine while I was doing it. As soon as I stopped, i started going downhill so the secret is to keep practicing what they teach you.

love Sarah
xx

[kate]

Hiya HB,

Welcome to the site.

Sarah, I was the same with the CBT would come out of the session feeling really positive and then revert back to my previous thoughts!

Although they give you plenty of good information about changing your thought patterns, at the end of the day it is you yourself that has to put in the hard work by setting yourself new challenges in order to make progress.

Good Luck with the CBT, HB!

Kate x

[HB]

Thankyou for your nice comments,
You are right though, just last thursday i had a particularly successful session of CBT, i actualy managed to watch a tape of 2 people being sick (not facking and close up!!) but, as soon as i got home i had 2 panic attacks!!!
I guess i need to just stick with it for a bit longer.
Take Care
Love Helen

H

[silentcalligraph]

Helen
You could also try to become proactive with regards to your health. Whether it's sports or diet - just something that will send the message to your brain that you can trust your body to stay healthy (or to fend off bugs quickly) as you are taking care of it. Regular exercise can help strenghten your immune-system. Tai Chi or Qi Gong are very gentle practices and have the additional advantage of being a mind-training as well - both focus on the balance between body and mind and the environment, regular practice can help you to stay calm and to develop trust.
Lots of people can relate your symptoms - but there's hope and a way back to enjoy life. Good luck with CBT!

[HB]

Thanks. I do actually run in the evenings and go to the gym sometimes, and you're right it does help me to fend off bugs (or at least think that i am!). My last CBT session went great, my therapist is taking me into the wards of a hospital next week to be in some kind of contact with ill people, I'm nervous but will be a massive step.
Thanks for the words of support. Take care.

H

[Buby]

hi hb,

i suffer the same thing as u im absolutelt scared of bein sick and havin colds and stuff, so netime u need to chat cum chat to me. ive been so much betta this year, so trust me u will get better about this too.

hugs Rachel xxx

[HB]

aww thats so nice, thankyou rachel.
I seem to be a lot better this year too, have you done any CBT or anythihng or have you got better by yourself?


H

[Buby]

i got better by myself, but noin all my friends on here has helped me alot too, noin they r here to help me and understand wot im goin thro is a real booster. mayb theres summit bout 2004, makin our lives better for the years ahead. i have had alot of help by the school im at but it hasnt helped me really. but wen u forget bout ure worries even if u dont realise it, u r a step further than u were b4. always remember we r all here for every1.

hugs Rachel xxx

[red]

Welcome to the site Helen! You will find loads of information and comments to help you here.

CBT has been proven to be the one of the best theapies for anxieties of any kind and recent research has been focussed on health anxiety at the moment. One of the major problems wu=ith HA is that first hurdle that people have to overcome in admitting that they have a problem with it - looks like you are well over the first hurdle - so very well done!!! Keep it going and keep on posting!

Take care

Red
x