Have Any of Your Fears Ever Come True?

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

As an emetophobe for many years, I can't tell you how many times I've driven myself crazy with worry, scared out of mind, because I had either eaten something "iffy" or come in contact with someone who was sick, or terrified of a symptom or pain or feeling in my body.... all the usual fears associated with emetophobia. As I look back, I realize that not ONE TIME has anything I worried about actually happened. What a waste of time and energy that all was!

What about you? Have any of your emetophbic fears ever actually come true? I read so many "panic posts" on this site daily, and I wonder if any of them ever got sick as a result of whatever they were worried about.

[sage]

Great question, butterfly. I was just reading an academic article about emetophobia that suggested these are the vitally important questions for treatment. For some reason, emetophobes cannot make the logical, rational connection that what everyone else sees a just "normal gastro-intestinal sensations" do not lead to vomiting. Keeping a daily log of what GI symptoms you feel, and what was the outcome (nothing) can be a helpful visual aid.

[lisalulu]

I have been doing one of those logs for a couple weeks and finding it really helpful. I noticed a pattern to my uncomfortable feelings of hunger, exhaustion, fullness, need for a bowel movement, cold, hot, ect and can read them better for what they are.

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

Yeah I used to mistake the normal healthy sensations of digestion with something being wrong with my stomach which would, of course, lead to vomiting haha. Now I hardly ever notice it.

[turbokinetic]

Yeah I used to mistake the normal healthy sensations of digestion with something being wrong with my stomach which would, of course, lead to vomiting haha. Now I hardly ever notice it.

YEAH that was one of the most important changes I made to my mindset to get past this. Did you read my thoughts on this on that other thread yesterday?

David

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

Not sure, David... which thread?

[turbokinetic]

Not sure, David... which thread?

This thread: http://www.emetophobia.org/showthread.php?t=26565 To save you having to read down all the way, here is what I wrote. Once I got myself to start thinking this way it made a big difference.

.....

I would awfulize the feelings in my body. Any noises or feelings in there had to be a bad omen of impending doom! I read about things that can go wrong. Then I'd fixate on all the "disturbing" things that could make my belly do that. It would stir me up worse. Of course, at night there's nothing else to think about - so it could be a real problem.

Then, we started to go over body systems at school. The more I learned about what is happening when things are working well, the less I awfulized my feelings. Gradually, the sounds and feelings fit in with the explanation how our bodies work when everything is well - not when things are going wrong.

Now it has a whole different light to it. I don't think I might V. I see it for what it is - soaking in the good things from my food, to give me strength and nourishment. I feel good all over when I get full or hear belly sounds. What used to cause anxiety has changed. Now it's comfortable warm life energy; totally relaxing, like it should be!

Hope that made some sense - it's really helped me out.

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

Oh yes, I did read that! I love how you say that now it's a comfortable warm life energy.

[turbokinetic]

Oh yes, I did read that! I love how you say that now it's a comfortable warm life energy.

Thanks! I really do feel that way. It's so positive for me.

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

David, I really appreciate how the focus of a lot of your posts is on recovery. That helps me a lot. So thanks for that.

[turbokinetic]

David, I really appreciate how the focus of a lot of your posts is on recovery. That helps me a lot. So thanks for that.

Thanks! Reconvery is a journey that I've been in for several years. As with everything I've been successful with, I get a lot of satisfaction of sharing it and hoping others follow.

I love to make others feel good, and I can relate to what we've gone through. It makes it worth coming back tomorrow when folks say I helped in some way.

As far as the original question? My worst emet fear would be getting genuinely sick, becoming overwhelmingly N* and eventually V'ing in a place with other people that I could not avoid. That would be the most bad situation that comes to mind. And thankfully, i have not had to endure this.

There've only been 2 times I 'spewed' in front of others. Both of them were not "real" V either. They were from caughing too hard / 'choking' on something I didn't like the texture of. There was nothing wrong with my stomach, it just got too much pressure on it momentarily from the caughing. I felt completely normal afterwards. Thankfully there was still food left because I had to start over and eat dinner again!

For some reason my phobia was only centered around nausea-induced V and things that could lead to that. When stuff like the above happens it really wasn't that bad.

Odd I know!

Later,
David

[iggypiggy]

Well, what scares me most, lately, have been the aftereffects of seeing someone. I don't like acting like Hulk infront of people. I know I hurt them. I suffer a lot when I have to control such mood swings. I fear the things that cross my mind, and it's creepy, I keep running away from them. Because those thoughts, those images, as a human being, they hurt me a lot. And then the emptiness... spiritual emptiness. It drowns me.
That one comes true... and the last one did came true when the episode almost happened but ... didn't, but still....it sent me to the floor.

And well, the obsession of mom leaving the car all dirty for weeks because of my sister's fault that argfh for weeks, drnit the mess all displayed in a side of the car. I get furious, nut, insane. I still can't explain what. I'm scared of losing control and hitting my kindergarten sister. I love her a lot. I still haven't hurt her... physichaly.
Yeah, that makes me also fear seing it "displayed", and that comes true pretty often. for weeks!! whatsd the pointtt!!?? it annoyes the arghh out of meee

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

If I peel back the layers of my fear surrounding emetophobia, what I find is that my biggest fear is losing control. Sure I absolutely HATE more than anything else, the feeling of nausea and vomiting - who doesn't? But when I think back to the times that it actually happened, and not the times I drove myself nuts THINKING it was going to happen, it wasn't THE WORST thing. The worst is that feeling that when you're vomiting, it's like you lose control... it can happen anywhere, anytime, for any reason. And the emetophbia tells me that it will be never-ending. With physical pain or anything else, I "see" it ending. With vomiting, I can't see that. My emetophbic brain tells me I'll projectile vomit to infinity and beyond LOL. But I'm getting SO much better than I was because now I'm able to push past all those crazy thoughts that are not true and be more realistic -- except at the dentist's lol but I'm working on that. THAT is my last big hurdle. If I can conquer my fear of vomiting at the dentist's then I'll consider myself 100% cured from this stupid emetophobia. And it IS stupid!

[hairyfairy]

I don`t believe that Ving can happen for any reason at any time, at least not for me because the only reason that I`d get sick is from drinking too much, & a SV, which I avoid like the plague. Of course, there are people who do it regularly whenever & wherever they feel like it, but I keep away from those sorts of people.

[StaceySGMW]

My sister and a friend took me to Blackpool Pleasure Beach a few weeks ago, and there was one ride 'Valhalla'- basically an underground water ride in the dark. There was such a steep drop and we went down backwards, I hate not being in control of my body, but anway, there was another drop later on, almost vertical, I almost v* and felt n* for the rest of the ride. I could say that it's actually scarred me that experience.

And only yesterday my sister fell ill and I managed to hold it together to look after her, so yay for that!

And on a completely unrelated note, but happiness on this thread...I met my lifetime idol ala favourite actress yesterday! :-)