Purge yourself????

[christianbeauty]

When I was in my highest forms of the phobia, I thought it was me afriad of others being sick...but my counselor soon told me that I was fearing myself getting sick the most.


Lately, I can honeslty say that the counselor and I did a good job of helping me get over my fear of others being sick...what he told me was that the only way I was going to get over my fear of being sick is if I purge myself and he told me that If I was ready to do that then I should come back to his office and he can help me and guide me. He said it was a black or white situation and either I make myself sick or not...will determine me fully getting over the part of myself getting sick.


Now, this to me seems pretty insane, but it makes since at the same time. It has been almost 2 months since I was out of therapy and I can say that I honestly thought that I was okay with myself getting sick...but realized that now i am not. I am cured of others getting sick....I can actually say I would rather see another get sick rather than me getting sick


Has anyone ever been told to make yourself sick so that you can be cured of this phobia of yourself getting sick???Edited by: christianbeauty

[sparky2004]

I have been told this many times, and thought at one point that it's what I need to do. In a sense, it is, but I also need to deal with the emotional reactions that come along. One day I will get sick and I will have to face it. But I also need the support from my doctor and others to deal with the phobic reaction. A lot of us are highly sensitive to seeing or hearing people get sick, so that sensitivity needs to be lowered dramaticlly in order to move forward.

[christianbeauty]

I totally agree with you,


If I were to get sick one day, I am going to need the support of a therapist or a friend who can help with the phobic reaction. Knowing how strong my phobic reactions can get, I might eventually stop breathing then it can become fatale....

[guineaash]

Oh my goodness.. making yourself purge as a part of therapy? That's not something I ever had to do in therapy. I know it would undo anything I accomplished because I would know that I was getting sick just to prove something. Oh my, just the thought of this makes me feel very anxious!!!

[sage]

I think this is completely insane - and I just answered another post about it not long ago. My supervisor agrees, and he's a highly acclaimed psychologist - one of the best in the country. I asked his opinion because I thought mine was coloured, perhaps - yet he completely agreed with me. Noted cognitive therapist James Pretzer also agrees - I consulted him online with the same question.


I wastotally cured without ever doing this, btw...and when other therapists suggest it to people I care about, such as everyone on this forum my blood boils. My supervisor and I agreed it's like telling a sexual abuse survivor to be sexually assaulted again in order to get over it - it is a gross violation. Do those who fear flying need to be in a plane crash? Do people who fear heights have to fall from a ladder? The other point is that everyone I've ever spoken to or read about who has tried this has NEVER gotten better - only worse. Italmost always results inretraumatization.


Sorry to be so blunt, but my anger gets the better of me on this topic. I would suggest telling your therapist that you are not willing to do that, but you still need his help. Ask him what else he would suggest to help you, or find another therapist.


Of course, after I rant and rave on...I still completely respect everyone's opinion on this forum...if they want to make themselves sick and do so quite willingly in order to get better. I'm not angry about some people making a conscious choice, and doing so happily. I'm angry about therapists who can't think of anything to do to treat the disorder, so they suggest this and then blame the client when they aren't willing to go through with it, suggesting she is "avoiding", "resisting" or "non-compliant".


Please feel free to print this post out and give it to your therapist. At least it will give the two of you something to discuss in a session..and hopefully that discussion will be fruitful.

[christianbeauty]

I totally agre with you sage...


For me I thought it was kind of weird that my counselor would even sugest it because I felt as if there had to be another form of treatment...but then again I could not go to really expensive counselor. I went to a free one at my college and I am not saying that all counselors who are free are bad, but we were not available to all the resources out there for me to get help. We had to use things within the campus and so we had to work with what I had and what he had.


I think i should go to a counselor who I can pay where there are more resources available to me because the idea of making myself sick is utterly scary indeed. Thinking about it makes me cringe....MY counselor made it seem like there wasnt any other treatment out there except to purge and for me, since everything else worked, I naturally figured maybe he was right.....over the past month it seemed wrong and unhelpful.

[holly18]

i went to a counseller once and he mentioned the word flooding and i never went back because i didnt trust him. Do not feel pressurised to do this, it was wrong of your counseller to ask you to do it because it could just refresh your memory of past V* experience. I would suggest only go through with it if you feel ready to yourself, not because your therapist said so.

[christianbeauty]

Holly I totally agree with you


My counselor told me to do it only if I was ready...but I do not think i will ever be ready for that.

[sage]

christianbeauty,


you're right that not all free counselors or even "cheap" counselors are bad. it works both ways, unfortunately. some of the most expensive psychologists are complete idiots, while some peoples' rabbis or ministers ("free") are absolutely brilliant and helpful. and there's everything in between.


on another note, (and this is to everyone) - be sure to discuss what you think of your counselors' suggestions with them before running away to someone else. they may not have a clue how their words or ideas affected you...and could very possibly completely understand once you explain it, and then take another approach. as i said, therapist and client should work together on the problem...this is the feeling of empowerment or "shared power" in the relationship that is a must. If you don't have that, whatever you have won't work as well. always give this a try before running off to someone else. at this point with my own therapist, there is nothing i couldn't tell him, or tell him how I feel about what he's said or suggested. i would not go to someone else no matter what he suggested, because i can totally trust that i can be open and honest with him, and he will still support and care for me, and help me with whatever i need.


lots of luck to you on your journey.