Overcoming health anxiety book recommendation

[Mumof2]

Im not over my emet yet but this book really really helped me. It contains a chapter based on the fear of V and gives you alot of cognitive behavioral techniques to do. Can't recommend this enough and it was cheap.

[Elski]

Is it the one by Dr David Veale? I've got it but not read it all yet, only the chapter on v*. It didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know but it's nice to see emetophobia acknowledged in a book by someone who clearly understands it very well!

[Mumof2]

Yes it is. Suppose I'm new to all this really so it was news to me! Only realized that I have emet a few weeks ago and discovered it was the cause of anxiety and panic attacks

[Elski]

He's really knowledgeable on the subject, he practises just a couple of miles from where I live and I'm DYING to have some therapy with him... local mental health services won't pay for it though and I can't afford to go private as his sessions privately cost hundreds

Glad you've found the book and it's helping you!

[louiseunwin1983]

I saw David Veale at the Priory in London and he was really knowledgable about the phobia. He gave mr this book and I did read it but didn't really find it helpful. After having 2 years of CBT that didn't work it didn't tell me anything new.

[sage]

I've been reading Dr. Veale's journal articles the past week or so. I'm sooooo glad someone else is working on this phobia and also doing research! His theory is slightly different than mine, and so is his approach - even though we are both using CBT to treat the phobia. He hasn't had it himself, so perhaps that accounts for the difference. Basically he is saying that emetophobes believe they are "more vulnerable to vomiting than the average person" and that they can control whether they vomit or not (by worrying, taking mints or ginger, etc.). So he treats people by leading them to see that they are not very vulnerable to vomiting and that they can do nothing to control it anyway.

My approach is more that one part of the emetophobic's brain is "telling" them that vomiting is harmful or dangerous, and that they should therefore avoid it at all costs. I teach people (very very gradually) to "lean into" the phobia, rather than avoiding all the triggers and by doing this they will come to see and feel that vomiting is not harmful or dangerous.

Not much different really. But it was so interesting to read his stuff. I've seen the book and thought the same thing about the content. It's not really a "how to fix it" book like Bourne's "Phobia and Anxiety Workbook" which I recommend to those who are willing to take the time to work through all of it.

[Mumof2]

Sage, I've looked that up on amazon, is it by Edmund j Bourne? And does it give you things to fill in? If I thought I would help I would definitely work at it.