Welcome to the International Emetophobia Society | The Web's Largest Meeting Place for People With Emetophobia.
Results 1 to 7 of 7
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2,305

    Default

    Hi Everyone, I have a question for you all, and I would be particularly interested in what Sage and Doug think. I just went to a talk given by Bernie Siegel, that wonderful MD who helps cancer patients have hope and healing. Now he also helps anyone who needs healing, happiness, etc. He told two stories that got me thinking. One was about a woman in chemo. Every time her hubby would pick her up, he had to give her a bag to get sick in on the way home. One day he gave her the bag with a dozen roses in it , and after that she never got sick again!!!Another story, about a boy under going radiation. His dad was driving in the car with him and he got sick in the car. His father asked him why he got sick, and he said because the light turned red. His father asked what that had to to with anything, and he said that the light turned red in the radiation room before he gets the treatment!!!! So I am dumbfounded. Can your mind control that much, so that you may possibly "never" get sick again??? I realize that emets are sick a lot less than others, but can we control this? If I thought I had control, I think I would feel better. I keep thinking I have NOOO control over it. I also realize that there is a V* center in the brain that gets activated..... can we control this? What do you all think? Thanks, Andee </font>

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1,666

    Default



    I believe that you can control it to a point, but I think that if it really needs to happen then it's going to happen. Trust me I'll do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to keep from getting sick but sometimes you just can't help it.


    ~Monica
    David Duchovny I want you to love me
    To kiss and to hug me, debrief and debug me
    David Duchovny I know you could love me
    I\'m sweet and I\'m cuddly-I\'m gonna kill Scully!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    5,096

    Default



    Hi Andee,


    I have not written much about chemotherapy in my FAQs, but I am aware of research that says that much vomiting that happens with chemotherapy is psychosomatic or heavily influenced by psychic things. For example, chemo patients are frequently given antiemetics before their treatment. There is an IV antiemetic which is almost 100 percent effective, but some people were vomiting after it was given because they thought it was their chemotherapy agent and that they were supposed to vomit from it! Thus, the antiemetic only became truly therapeutic when people were told what it was.


    Another article I read focused on the stimuli that accompany chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. These are highly influenced by surroundings. One child patient threw up after her first treatment just as the car passed a certain intersection. Even after she was at the point where her vomiting should have been under control, she would continue to puke whenever they got to that intersection. The doctors persuaded her father to take a different route home, and she never vomited from chemo again.


    Some of this can relate to regular emets too. It explains how some of us can have anxiety over the cup that we drank from, the pajamas we were wearing, the sheets that were on the bed, song that was on the radio, etc., even though these things defy rational expectations.


    I stated in my "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Emetophobia"that emets can practice "mind over matter" to keep themselves from vomiting. I believe this in part because the mind is so powerful in causing vomiting. It is true that emets eat a lot of the same foods and breathe in the same viruses as other people but are much less likely to vomit as a result. The daily cogitation that emets put into preventing vomiting no doubt keeps it from happening.


    Doug
    To learn more about emetophobia, see
    To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


    To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,866

    Default



    What you are talking about, with the person vomitting due to a certain stimuli or association, is called conditioning. The boy who vomitted when he saw the red light is no different than Pavlov's dogs salivating when he rang a bell (Ivan Pavlov was a scientist who did experiments involving humans and animals- in this case he associated food with the ringing of a bell, to the point where the dogs would salivate if he rang a bell, even if no food was present). Essentially, pairing two stimuli (in this case the bell and the food, or in your example the red light and radiation treatment), can bring about an association, and an conditioned response (salivating/vomitting).


    This is also part of the reason why we "learn" to develop this phobia. Our bodies become conditioned to associate nausea and vomitting as horrible, something to be avoided, etc. This is why Cognitive-Behavoural therapy is a good treatment option, because through this, you try to re-organize thought patterns, and work to change the negative associations.


    In short, yes, to some extent you DO have control over the vomit-centre of the brain- this is why so many emetophobics can go for very long periods without being ill. However, this control isn't infallible, and there are some cases (especially in relation to the consumption of alcohol, tainted food, and other materials which may be harmful to the system), where it is beneficial that you vomit. Also, most of this control is subconscious- it is done automatically as a "knee-jerk response", not necessarily something you have conscious control over.


    KNowing that you have some control over this doesn't mean thatit will alleviate your fear- emetophobics who go for a long period of time without vomitting, then vomit and realize that it's not that bad, often still get scared when they feel nauseous, or are around someone who is sick, even though they logically know it's not as horrible as they think it is.Their body responds automatically, ignoring what their mind is telling them.


    It is the associations that you mentioned in your post Andee, that make the fact that you know you have some control over the vomit centre of your brain not all that important. You are still conditioned to associate nausea and vomitting w/ fear, pain, or even in some cases death. Even though the logic side of your brain may be saying "hey, chill out, we have some control", the events which made you develop and maintain this fear have conditioned your body to automatically react (ie- fear and anxiety) and ignore what your logical mind is telling you.


    That is why I think professional treatment (or really good workbooks if treatment isn't an option just this second) is an excellent option for people who really want to get over this, because it helps to reprogram the associations you have developped relating to vomit and illness. If you don't address these, or work at changing them, any knowledge you gather won't help, because your body will still automatically respond when faced with a vomit-related situation.


    Man.....it is WAY too late for me to be online, lol. If this didn't make much sense (which is likely- finished my psych degree a few years ago and am a bit rusty), I'm sure some of the resident psychies (Sage, Babydoll, or others) will correct me.


    *amber*Edited by: crimgoddess

    To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts
    4,577

    Default



    Yes, the brain is very powerful indeed. There are some Buddhist monks who can slow their hearbeats down to one per minute. I've even seen a video once of some other sort of monks who can sing a chord (that was the most amazing thing ever!) Everything in our body is controlled by our brains. So yes, you can prevent yourself from vomiting with enough mind control (or even anxiety)


    But I think that the lesson to be learned from that this this: you can control your mind, therefore you can control your fear. Your brain is powerful enough toovercome this! Every emetophobic's goal should be tonever haveANXIETY again, not to never vomit again. Because even though you never vomit again for the next 80 years, you will still be terrified the whole time, "feel sick", not enjoy your life, etc. What's the point in that? Better to be reassured that your brain can work to stop you from feeling fear. Then your life will be peaceful, joyful, wonderful. And if you vomit for 6 seconds once every 10 or 20 years, what difference does that make to your life if the other 19 years, 364 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes and 54 seconds are glorious and phobia-free?
    For more info about emetophobia and treatment:

    To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
    DISCLAIMER ~ Any advice I give on this forum is well-intentioned and given as to a peer or friend or for educational purposes. It does not in any way constitute psychotherapeutic or medical advice. Please discuss anything you may learn from my posts with your doctor and psychotherapist prior to making any decisions or changes or taking any actions.



    To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2,305

    Default

    Right on, to you all! Everything you said makes so much sense. It is great to know that there is some control there, but the ultimate goal is to obliterate the fear and anxiety, which is there more often than the v**. Thanks everyone, anyone else, I would love to hear from you too!</font>

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Posts
    317

    Default

    well, i heard some stories that some people can, but I cant do it.

 

 

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •