Stories of being cured of emetophobia

[kaiyla]

I have finally entered therapy (will be attending my 3rd session on wednesday). I have read Sage's story SO many times for inspiration..I actually feel stronger and more motivated to get where she worked so hard to be, I am hoping to not only see more success stories on here but hopefully be one myself.

[peteruk]

I’m new to this forum and just wanted to share with you all my experiences as I am so pleased with the outcome.

I’ve suffered from the fear of being sick most of my life; I’m 34 and have not actually been sick for nearly 16 years. Whenever I have felt sick I've always tried everything to stop me.

Things got worse a few years ago and I completed a 12 session of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) arranged by my former employers, this did not really help me as my first session my therapist suggested that at some point he would make me vomit!!!

In addition to the pressure from work, 2 weeks after the course ended I was signed off for a total of 9 weeks with severe anxiety to the point I could hardly leave the house as the nausea was still there.

I'd had tests completed at hospital to see why I always felt sick.

In 2008 I had 4 hours of hypnotherapy to try to sort my fear out once and for all, well not much happened here either. The theories around understanding and breaking my irrational thoughts were all well and good until the day came when I actually thought I would be sick and then I would go straight to panic mode again.

Finally after referral from my GP and waiting for a few months I started another course of CBT over 16 weeks, my therapist was great he worked with me all the way and helped me to understand the process of thoughts in my head. The sessions ended in August 2009 and I came away feeling happier, I found I could tolerate other people being sick, and worst of all I didn't go into the panic state when I heard other people being sick, when my little boy was sick I had to deal with it head on as I was alone at home with him. However I still had the problem of when I felt sick, I would continue to take my anti sickness tablets wherever I went and took them at the onset of nausea.

I did stop analysing whether I would be sick and started to try to get to grips with the thought of being sick. Since therapy ended I have felt quite nauseas on a number of occasions and some panic was still there.

The major turning point was Last week, I was finishing a driving lesson (im a driving instructor) and towards the end of the lesson I felt really ill, my wife had texted me after this to say she had been sick and was not at all well, when I got home the churning got worse and at one point I thought I was going to pass out.

I took myself off to bed and lay there panicking then pacing the floor as I had this horrible feeling I wanted to be sick but I just couldn’t cope, I lay from 7pm until around midnight constantly getting hit with "waves" of severe nausea, I had taken my second anti sickness tablet but still the feeling was there. At around 3 am I ran to the toilet thinking this was it, but just could not do it, then after falling asleep about 4 am I woke up coughing and then from nowhere I was sick twice. It lasted for no more than 2 minutes and all of a sudden I felt fine! The hours of nausea had gone, I lay there with thoughts running around my head of everything from therapy and analysed that "was that it" "was that all after doing everything for 16 years to stop myself being sick I had just been sick and that was it"

The relief was unbelievable I could not believe I had been sick, the panic immediately stopped, I lay there thinking for a while then got some sleep. The next day I stayed relaxed and calm and sipped sugared water all day without worrying that I was going to be sick again.

Now one week on, I can now move on in my life and stop worrying that the world will end if I am sick. I know that it’s my body’s way of getting rid of a toxin that had to be removed to avoid me being seriously ill.

I wanted to share this with everyone else as I know exactly what you are all suffering and I hope it will go someway to help others understand that it’s not as big a problem as your thoughts make it. For the sake of 2 minutes of being sick to 24-48 hours of fee