Responses to Sage's story

[sage]

Hi Everyone,
My original story is apparently twice as long as what is allowed in our new forum. I will ask Rich to post it somewhere and provide a link here. Meanwhile, you can read it at: http://emetophobiahelp.blogspot.com/...etophobia.html
Sorry but you have to have to cut and paste the link for now.
Take care and thanks for the replies,
Sage

[harmonygirl72]

Just wanted to add that I just finished reading her book, and it's great! I highly recommend it!

Mary

[speedie24/7]

YOU GOT CANCER?! Why are all the nicest people cancer victims?!

[sage]

lol...
thanks!

[natalie184]

I know I sent you an insanely long message but I just have to say that your story gives me hope. Thank you. I can not believe it is possible.

[singlemammy]

Wow, firstly I have to say I finally feel normal! Well normalish, I have suffered with this phobia for as long as I can remember, I have no recollection of what triggered it. My younger brother was a bit sickly as a child but other than that I draw a blank.
I am a nuse and worked with sick peopl for a long time. I know that sounds crazy but I can nearly cope with the phobia if I can control the situation and the positives from nursing out weigh my phobia, or so I tell myself.
I read this website and so many things rang true with me. You have given me hope that I can deal with my phobia, it has stopped me from taking some fantastic jobs that I would have loved but I have a bigger problem now in that I have a 2 year old boy who gets travel sick and I need to help him and not let my phobia affect him. Also winter vomiting is a huge problem in the UK and I usually go into hiding when it starts hitting friends and family, but with a little boy going to school, what am I going to do.
Not even sure if this is the right place to post tis, I'm new to internet forum, but I'm so glad I found this website and your story xx

[gems]

its so hard being a single parent with this phobia and dealing with your sick children alone. my eldest son was ill quite a lot when he was little and i called my mum countless times during the night in tears begging her to come and help me deal with my sick son, but people just dont understand what the fuss is about, my mum used to tell me ive got to learn to deal with it! but thats easier said than done!! im now a single parent again to my 4 year old and i rely on my elder son to help me when he gets ill which is not very fair on him but i just cant deal with it. my family all live in the isle of wight and my son has no contact with his dad so im completely alone really. my eldest son goes to his dads every sunday night so im alone with my youngest son on that night, i spend it absolutely terrified!! im more worried about scaring my son with my reaction when he vomits than anything, i would hate for him to develop this phobia because of me. i have tried many councillers but am still trying, maybe i will one day be free of this. wish you all the luck with your son, and also with help getting over this. know what your going through. x x x also apologies for posting in wrong place, im new to this to!!

[s_bgood]

I honestly admire you Sage. You have got to be one of the most amazing people ever in my eyes. To be able to conquer cancer and a phobia, holy crap. I could never imagine. You're god to all emets. -.- *bows down* Honestly, I really do think you're amazing. Thanks for sharing your story, I about cried reading it haha. I'm so emotional.

[jubidyjub]

[img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img] that story brings tears to my eyes. thanks

[savannah7165]

Hi. Im 18 years old, and i've been emetophobic for the past 8 years.
Unlike your story, there hasn't been anything in my life so far which has
caused me to throw up *knock on wood*. Working with a therapist all last
year helped a bit. exposures, and the like. it finally came down to try
self-induced vomiting, because i couldn't get my hands on any Syrup of
Epicac.(that way, i wouldn't be able to back out, and i wouldn't be in
control any longer. I am TERRIFIED of being away from my house or in
front of anyone when i throw up.) However, when we tried, i got as far as
gagging really hard with strong stomach convulsions, but, no throwing
up. i tried for 45 minutes to make myself throw up in my therapist's
office, sticking the back of a spoon down my throat, but, it didn't work. it
was a culminating moment, and one which gave me a HUGE let down at
the end. although i had gone farther than i'd ever gone before, i still
hadn't gone over the peak of actually throwing up, living through it, and
putting that fear behind me.

I have tried to find a hypnotist, to maybe see if that will work, but i have
yet to come up with any results.

I get EXTREMELY anxious on busses, being around so many germs which
may carry the flu, which might make me sick, which might make me
vomit. I feel compelled every time my hands touch something someone
else has touched, that i immediately need to wash my hands twice for 20
seconds in warm water to get rid of any "flu causing" disease that MIGHT
be on me.

I also HATE being in crowded spaces, because it SEVERELY heightens my
fear of not being able to escape if i might begin to feel nauseous, or if my
anxiety starts up, or anything...i hate not being right near the door.

Being in class is a problem too, cause i need to know that i can "escape"
any time i need to. I can't sit in the middle of a row of chairs in a lecture
hall, cause that would draw attention to me if i suddenly just got up and
left because im extremely anxious.

Every time my stomach hurts, (and its a lot, cause im almost ALWAYS in a
constant state of anxiety), my mind immediately jumps to "maybe im
going to throw up", or "will i throw up", or, "have i caught the stomach
flu??"...which instantaneously triggers my panic button, and i feel sick the
rest of the day.

Being around guys makes me uncomfortable because i don't know how
they would react if i suddenly told them i needed to leave, and i like to go
to the bathroom a lot, to calm myself down, and im so self-conscious of
what any guy would think of me, that i hate being in any situation like
that. Which is why im 18, and have never been on a date or never kissed
a guy.

Im terrified of crowded spaces, places where i can't get out of easily, and
of vomiting and vomiting publicly. This being my first year in college, im
having a REALLY hard time. I take Ativan, to calm myself down, but its
stopped working. im also on Prozac for my Anxiety. (yea, on top of my
Emetophobia, i also have General Anxiety).

I need to start seeing someone again, cause after i moved down from my
home to school (about 2 hrs. away), i don't see anyone anymore. i was
doing ok at the beginning of the year, but, now that we're in flu season
(yes, im VIGILANT about getting a flu shot every year, and would even get
2 or 3 if more would make you more resistant), my anxiety and panic and
phobia have flared up SUBSTANTIALLY and TERRIBLY!

I feel like im getting more and more reclusive, and less inclined to go out
and make new friends. being a freshman in college, thats whats
important. im meeting my best friends in the whole world, but cause im
so terrified of being aro

[kandykaye]

How can I find this book?

[sfindlay]

I am going to take this article and show it to a professional--as I am on the hunt for some effective therapy and I feel one of the best ways to introduce my problems is by showing a professional this article first.........wish me luck.......I wish there was a sticky about how to best present psychological issues with/pertaining to vomiting. I hope this works.

[gidget_acb]

i dont remember ever not being afraid of vomiting. i hate
myself for it sometimes. this story gives me hope and i cry
when i write this because i am scared not just of throwing
up but of actually being cured that maybe being cured will
make me throw up more. i live in the fear every day and my
fiancé doesnt understand... no one i know does i just wish
that i could talk to someone like me in person... share
"war" stories things like that... just to know for a fact
that i am not stupid or irrational. i mean i know my fear
is irrational but it feels right to me sometimes... i have
almost become comfortable with it when i know i shouldnt. i
just wish... [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]

[turbokinetic]

Mis Andrea - Yes Sage's story has brought hope to many of us! She's an inspiration!

Never ever fear being cured! I have overcome emetophobia to where it is merely a memory 99% of the time.

In spite of my carefree ways now; I still never get sick and have gone 20 years without getting sick.

Welcome and hope everyon here can help you have less anxiety. BUT remember never fear being cured!

Sincerely,
David

[aaronsd]

gidget, I can understand part of that fear of being cured... I think its there for me even though I want to be cured more than anything else... I think its because of a fear of the unknown. But what helps me is I know once I'm cured v* won't be a big deal to me, so I won't mind if I do it more... if that makes sense.

Btw, welcome to the site... I think you'll find this a great place for support!

[gidget_acb]

What kind of treatments are out there that i can not be
afraid of i.e. not inducing vomiting? I have read quite a
few success stories and they only make me cry I do wish I
could be better... but it is a fear of the unknown and i
know i want to have kids someday. I dont think that my fear
would keep me from wanting to have kids but it does make me
nervous.
thanks for your understanding i know that only fellow
emetophobes could understand and help.

[turbokinetic]

What kind of treatments are out there that i can not be
afraid of i.e. not inducing vomiting? I have read quite a
few success stories and they only make me cry I do wish I
could be better... but it is a fear of the unknown and i
know i want to have kids someday. I dont think that my fear
would keep me from wanting to have kids but it does make me
nervous.
thanks for your understanding i know that only fellow
emetophobes could understand and help.

Well - that's a hard question. It all depends on what aspect of the phobia affects you worse.

My phobia is a fear of humiliation and loss of control. I did induce V* by myself in private and it did not help my phobia, and it did not hurt either.

You can defeat this without having to induce V*. You can get it down to a level where it does not affect your life every day.

For me, I still feel bad when I feel really, seriously nauseous. The good thing is that I rarely ever get that way.

The rest of the time I don't think about it much at all.

My overcoming of this phobia is based on trusting my body and understanding what goes on and what I can tolerate without V*'ing. I built up willpower and a good mind-body connection. Now, I am confident I can keep from V*'ing long enough to get to a "safe" place. I found there is more control over V*'ing than many folks beleive.

As I said it's been 20 years with only a couple reeal nausea episodes during.

Thanks!
David

[aaronsd]

gidget, some CBT includes exposure therapy, some does not.... no good treatment makes you induce v*... however they may do things like make you sit next to someone as they v*... but the most important thing about therapy for it to work is you have to be comfortable with what it is and does. CBT is probably, in my mind at least, the harsher therapy, but it is also tried and true... there are other therapies like EMDR and Hypnotherapy that are more experimental but have also produced good results. Of course there's also medicine as well... both an SSRI (zoloft, prozac, celexa, lexapro, etc) and/or a benzodiazapine (xanax, ativan, etc) can be used to lower the overall anxiety level.

Check out the treatments section on the forum... you'll find more information about the ideas I've listed there. I hope that gives you some ideas!

[gidget_acb]

It does effect my life everyday but i control it well. i am
on paxil and have been on it for about 6 years. i like it
and it helps me not to have as many anxiety attacks and
"nervous nausia" as i call it. it has helped me so much i
can hear the v word as they call it and even watch someone
vomit on television... it is only when it has to do with me
or it directly effects me is when i freak! i cant stand me
throwing up even thinking about it makes my heart race... i
have a lot of breathing techniques that help me to relax
and not have my mind on it. i use to be so bad but a
combination of paxil, zofran, God, and my family has helped
a lot.

[aaronsd]

im glad to hear that you have some treatment.. have you considered talk therapy or any other sort of therapy... CBT etc?