Encouraging thoughts

Hey everyone,

So I just wanted to share some encouraging thoughts, since I know how helpful reading success stories can be.

First of all, I'll need to give some background: I was a severe emet a few years back, eventually grew out of it, and suffered a relapse about a month ago.

For a few weeks I had terrible anxiety. I couldn't fall asleep at night, I could hardly go to my college classes, and I had trouble eating food. I had bouts of mind-induced nausea to the point where I wouldn't go anywhere in the apartment without a trash can under my arm.

But over the last week I've gotten better. Much better. I'm falling asleep with ease, I'm eating normally (and sometimes suspect foods) without worry, I'm hanging out with friends and going to parties (though I don't drink)...

I'm feeling 90% back to normal. I still occasionally get anxious, and I think about v* more than I did back when I was emet free, but I'm getting there.

I just thought you all should know that you can get there too.

Keep an open mind and a positive attitude. Go out and do things. I know it's hard to leave the safety of home but I feel so much better when I'm out and about.

I hope this is helpful, and I'll post more things here as I continue to progress.


Here are a few things I've done in the last few days that would've sent me home crying two weeks ago:
-Held my friends hair as she v* after drinking way too much. I knew it was from alcohol, so I didn't worry
-Cleaned the toilet afterward
-Watched the episode of The Office that starts out by one of the characters v* which make every other character v* because of the site. It's very graphic.
-Ate cookie dough that was made with unpasteurized eggs

If I can do it, you can too. I might have had a quicker recovery time because I'd been through it before, but trust me, it's possible.

Congrats! THat's amazing. I Love reading these because this is how I feel often. I am gratefui that I don't have "it" as bad as most people on here, but I am also grateful when I get to read other peoples success stories, as big or little as they are. Stepping stones are fantastic.
I wish you all the luck in your recovery again, and hopefully maybe this time you can say that you are "cured" in a sense!
Great news!!! <3

I really love reading stories like this where people kick their emet in the teeth instead of letting it push them around. Congrats to you I hope you continue to get better and better.

I love reading things like this! It actually made my day better. I hope things keep going so well =]

I went to see a psychiatrist and he gave me an assignment. I thought I'd share it here in case you want to try (it's been helpful for me so far).

Make a list of things you avoid doing because of this phobia, then rank them from easiest to accomplish to hardest.

My example:
-Leaving hands unwashed after touching public things
-Eating food at restraunts that might not be cooked (sushi, for example)
-Being near kids during winter
-Being around people who are sick
-Being around people who have recently v*

But a lot more stuff in between. Anywho, once you've done this, write down what happened after (chances are nothing).

Slowly work your way down the list and you'll build up your confidence. Avoiding these things will only enable your phobia. You really have to embrace and accept that fact that v* is a normal human activity in order to beat emet.

This is very inspiring. Thank you for those words. Also, you putting down assignments for people suggested by your psychiatrist is amazing too :)

Well done!

DJEskimo, I am where you are! From severe emet to being able to watch it on TV, hear a drunk person v* in the bathroom, fly on an airplane, eat out, go to bars...all without much trouble. I think my next step in full recovery is just to DO it. I have had a stomach bug the last few days, and I am suffering terribly with my own nausea. I can do everything but IT. I think it's time to just let that last piece go. Any words of advice on that one? I'm tired of the fear. I know. It's the worst part!

soluene, I'm glad you're at this level too! If you've had the bug for three days and still not v* I don't think it's going to happen. But if it actually does need to happen - trust me - it's not bad at all.

Just relax, take a deep breath, and your brain will tell you to get near a toilet. Just bite the bullet. You'll feel much better after.

Thanks for your reply! It makes so much sense when I'm not panicking and fighting the nausea, and now that I'm feeling better :). The part I can't seem to do is just relax. To surrender. It's like I don't even know how. So instead, I suffered from N* for about 7 hours last night (with some of it panic-induced, I'm sure). Surely that's gotta be worse than a quick trip to the toilet! But your post is very encouraging. If an emet says it isn't that bad, I believe it!

Positive thoughts for the day:

1) My mom isn't a clean freak. In fact, she's not even close. She eats suspect food all the time, she washes her hands only when completely prudent (bathroom, touching raw meat etc...) and she's a doctor. That last fact seems impertinent, but it's not.

My mom hasn't v* in 4 years. Before that, it was 14 years. She's not an emet, and she has a normal immune system. She's even around sick people all the time.

Most people don't t*u* very often. You can live a normal life and still not get sick.


2) If you're feeling down, listen to happy music. Seriously. It sounds stupid, but it really works. If I'm anxious, I'll put on my iTunes "Happy" playlist, and just relax.

Here are some songs that always make me smile:
I'm yours (Jason Mraz), Ooh La La (The Faces), Rise (Eddie Vedder), Tougher Than It Is (CAKE), See the World (Gomez)

I'm sure you know the type of songs that make you feel good - listen to them!


3) Watch funny shows/movies, go to comedy shows... just find a way to laugh.

Laughing is the best medicine. Seriously. Everyone has a sense of humor, so find the things you think are funny, and then laugh your butt off.



I hope these help. I don't mean to sound like some born-again preacher type, but it's how I feel. I know how terrible emet is, and no one should have to suffer through that. If you have any questions, please ask me.

What a great thread - all of you!

I hope it's ok that I moved it to the "Positive Success Stories" section. If you really want it private then PM me right away and I'll move it back (it just didn't seem to have any Private info in it and lots of people post here cuz it has the most traffic.)

You're all right on with the idea of making a list and working up from the easiest to the hardest - I also like DJEskimo's psychiatrist's idea of writing down what happened to you afterward (nothing).

Some people might say - but something might happen. Yes, but just because something happens rarely doesn't mean you should be afraid of it all the time. We could die in car accidents but we don't fear driving in cars all the time...think about it!

So I thought I should do a quick update.

So far so good. Today I at fried chicken from my local deli - it was being stores under a heat lamp, and who knows how long it was there for.

Perhaps despite most peoples' good judgment, I at three pieces. Didn't freak out about it, and didn't get sick.

I feel like a normal person, to be honest. I never felt that way before. It's quite nice.

Yay!

(I'm supposed to put in 10 characters at least so....here they are....but I really just wanted to say "Yay!")

can i ask though, have any of the "recovered" emets actually vomited since they have been doing better? and if so, how did it make you feel and were you anxious before it happened?

i am a fairly functioning emet, as in i fly on planes, i have a job, i eat okish. but im still anxious ALL the time while doing these things and i still worry about being sick ALL the time.

LOVE THIS THREAD!

DJEskimo...I clicked on your "don't worry be happy"<---THANK YOU! I'm walking around the office humming that allll day now =)

Hey all,

I'm trying to come to this site as much as possible, but to be candid, I haven't been thinking about v* and emet nearly as much (which is a good thing).

I'm still going to my psychiatrist just so I can fully rid myself of this phobia, and prevent any future relapses.

Quote:

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can i ask though, have any of the "recovered" emets actually vomited since they have been doing better? and if so, how did it make you feel and were you anxious before it happened?

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(Maybe a little graphic)
When I got the s*f (before I had my relapse) I v* several times. I wasn't anxious, I just knew something was off.

When I did v*, it wasn't bad at all. I mean, it's not something anyone wants to do a bunch, but it's really not that hard. I didn't even feel that gross.

I was a little anxious about wondering if I was going to v* again and if I should stay in the bathroom, but I just went back in bed and slept. I did wake up periodically, got up and v*, but I always made it to the toilet, and by the end I didn't even mind. I just kind of did it.

The day after I was completely fine. I didn't feel sick, but I ate pretty carefully. And then my life went back to normal.

Unfortunately my emet relapse happened about a week later, and my psychiatrist thinks it was from external stress. But I'm much better now.

Honestly, every time I've ever v*, it's always been easier than I'd remembered. This was actually the first time I'd had an illness where I v* more than once.