Methods of Curing Emetaphobia

[sheryl81]

I posted in another thread about an experience I had with my emetaphobia last night and I have been thinking a lot about my phobia so I hope we can get a discussion going. I have decided that I really think my panic attack that I get when I feel nauseas is out of my control. My psychologist told me from now on whenever I feel nauseas to just repeat a mantra in my head: v*ing is good and will help me rid my body of any bad things that I took inside me. She has been doing research on it for me and is hesitant to have my try exposure therapy cause I guess it can be traumatizing more in some cases but help others.

Anyway, I am really convinced that no matter how much I believe that v*ing is okay and everyone does it and there is nothing to fear about it, my nervous system has somehow been trained to automatically 'fight or flight' whenever I feel nauseas. I don't really believe anything bad about v*ing! I don't think it will kill me or that I will choke or that I will have any severe disease or anything, I know most doctors don't view v*ing as serious in and of itself.

So I think I am gonna try and start training myself to not panic during feeling sick. I am beginning to think nothing in traditional 'talk therapy' will help me get over this fear response. I am not sure whether I am gonna consult a professional program or try and do some of it myself or with my psychologist. But I want to start researching and learning everything there is to know about v*ing. Why does it happen? What is actually in the v*. How does it happen. Do other people make noise. What does it sound like when other people do (I don't remember its been so long that I have been around someone who has v*ed). What does it usually look like.

I am also gonna try to reward myself somehow. Maybe have my boyfriend give me a back massage while I am looking at pictures or something! I need to train my subconscious not to associate v* or nausea with panic response.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or treatment programs they have heard about? I don't know, the idea of taking any kind of medicine or anything like that tp induce v*ing scares me, I think I would want something that focuses more on hearing it and seeing others do it to see if that helps at all.

[xxsophiaxx]

.... I believe that if I v* it will kill me. OK maybe I'm overexaggerating. But I'm scared that it will ruin the lining of my esophogus. Also, when you v*, I heard that usually all the contents of your stomach come out. So... this is a stupid question, but how does the acid come back?

[sheryl81]

I don't know! I wonder if it would help to do a ton of research on how v* happens and the digestive system in helping alleviate the panic. I am not afraid of v*ing being dangerous, so I am not exactly sure why I panic over it.

[xxsophiaxx]

I think you should go for it, and research. it would definitely be beneficial to all of us.

[chicajojobe]

I've learned in my various classes how v*ing works and it certainly didn't make me feel any calmer about it. I mean if it works for you guys then great, but it really just grossed me out.

I can answer your question about how stomach acid returns though. It's secreted by parietal cells which line the stomach.

Edited by: chicajojobe

[sage]

You could try reading, then printing out for your psychologist, all the info at the top of the 'TREATMENTS thread. The problem with strict cognitive therapy, such as what you're receiving, is that your fear-centre or amygdala is firing all the time DANGER! and your cerebral cortex, used for reasona nd logic, is much slower to "fire". So your self-talk is talking to the wrong part of your brain! Your psych. needs to try another approach, imho.


Some exposure therapy is far too traumatizing, she's right about that. But there may be a way to do it that isn't.


Good luck!