Help

[VickyT]

Hello.
I've Been suffering with anxiety for years. My therapist has suggested that I might be emetophobic. I'm finding it increasingly hard to eat anything at the moment. Because of this I'm losing weight and my bmi is about to drop below 18.5.
I'd just like to hear suggestions from anyone. I'm Stressing a lot about this.
Thanks.

[vixki]

Hey.
Do you think you are emetophobic?
There's a section on this site with information and that about it, maybe read through it and see if you agree with your therapist.
What is the reason you find it hard to eat? Is it because you are scared it may make you ill? Or because the anxiety makes you feel ill? Or... you tell me!
My BMI once dropped to 13 because of my emetophobia, because nobody (not even myself) recognised what it was and could treat it properly, with emetophobia it's very important to have specific treatment - my therapists thought I had an eating disorder and tried treating me for that, of course that didn't make any difference to me!
If you're finding it hard to eat, if you can, don't eat the whole 'three meals a day' thing.
If you're worried it might make you ill, then eat something small, give it half an hour or an hour and say if it hasn't made you ill by then, eat something else. Continue doing this through the whole day, so you're spacing out you're food intake and giving your body time to digest.
I hope this helps some!


Emma

[VickyT]

Hi, sorry for the late reply.
I honestly didnt think I was emetophobic because I had assumed I would have an aversion to seeing people on tv being sick. I just assumed it was part of my anxiety problem. I just started seeing a new CBT therapist who after an assessment seesion, asked if I had heard of it. She sent me some reading material on it and Ive had a look at the info on this site, and I must say its like someone wrote it about me. All the crazy stuff Ive been doing for 10 years that I put down to a health anxiety is part of this phobia.
As for why I find it hard to eat. Its a vicious cycle between feeling nauseus, then anxious because I feel nauseus and then more nausea.
I have to eat very small amounts and as you say wait to see if its settled before I try something else. At the moment Im managing to increase this slightly and it feels such a weight has been lifted from me knowing I have this problem.

I wonder how people here cope with the nausea? Is there anything I can do to lessen the impact?