Going to the drs to discuss this

[sljordan85]

Im finally going to go to the doctors to discuss treatment for this phobia as its currently just in overdrive ruining my life

Everyone has sick bug and my fiance has s&d atm and im just ready to kill myself

So ive decided i need some help i dont care what just something

Ive never told a doctor before about this so any tips on how to broach the subject without embarrasment and so that they take me seriously would be great

please someone reply as no one normally replies to my posts

thank u xx

[orton99]

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time, but in answer to your question about telling your GP...I'm not being funny here at all, but seriously - just go and tell them! This is what I did about two months ago and was recommended to the NHS "Talking Therapies" programme, so I'm currently on the waiting list for CBT.

I'm also seeing a private therapist once a week to try and work out the causes of the phobia (the CBT is meant to be for the symptoms), and again I simply looked up a place near me on the net, sent them an e mail explaining what the problem was ("I've had this phobia since childhood and although I've managed it up until now I now realise it's gone too far and I need to try and overcome it") and set up the first appointment for the following week. That was mid-February and I am getting more idea now on why I think this way and am starting to feel a bit better. This part of it was never meant to be the "cure" though and is instead more "research" so I can go into the CBT fully aware of what exactly I'm dealing with.

Please don't feel embarassed about this, as medical professionals are there to help, will want to help and are pretty much unshockable. For example, say you go and see a private therapist and there you are waiting....see that respectable-looking middle-aged man who's just come out of the room you're about to go into? He was there to discuss his uncontrollable lust for farmyard animals, I promise! Okay, so I'm joking but the point is that, believe me, whoever you see they will have heard at least half a dozen things that day alone more bizarre/worrying/shocking than anything you can tell them about just some phobia...

[becca44]

Ahh poor you! When ive been stuck in a sick household ive wanted to get in my car and disappear! When i went to the doctors with my phobia/anxiety/depression she diagnosed anorexia so i saw a private doctor who diagnosed my problem as anxiety/depression and have been taking Seroxat for the past 11 years which has turned my life around, if i was you id take the anxiety/depression route with your doctor as NOBODY takes you seriously when saying you are emet and have a fear of vomit, in this country i dont think you could even get to see a councillor or therapist on the NHS by saying you have this phobia, its very, very frustrating as my doctor said "nobody likes to vomit" and really didnt understand what i was trying to explain to her that my extreme fear of vomiting was causing all my problems. It is worthwhile seeing your doctor for some medication for the anxiety and maybe getting on the waiting list for some therapy and explaining to them about the phobia as they are probably more willing to understand than a GP. Good luck and remember that if you are given antidepressants they are fantastic but take a good 2-4 weeks to kick in and your anxiety may well be worse during this time so it would also be worthwhile asking for some low dose diazepam just to keep you calm. Let me know how you get on?

[orton99]

Hmmm....as politely as possible and with all due respect, I'm afraid I disagree with most of what Becca's just said - sorry!

I was taken seriously by my GP and the "Talking Therapies" programme is real and on the NHS so saying "nobody takes you seriously" and "I don't think you can even see anyone on the NHS" is, with apologies, just wrong.

Secondly, and it's very much up to you (jordan) what path you take, I'd be very reluctant to take any pills except as an absolute last resort. True, I've never felt the need to take them, but my view is that it's just covering up the problem (the phobia) and not solving it. Plus, when you do try and overcome it, it's that bit harder because this is one more thing you'd have to stop doing and change about your behaviour, so your recovery becomes an even longer road than it might otherwise have been.

If you are so anxious that you feel you absolutely can't function without some help then it's not for me to say you shouldn't take some medication perhaps as a temporary measure, but my advice would be to look at the bigger picture - ultimately, do you want to simply live with this phobia or beat it?

[KaydeeJayde]

I completely agree, Orton. I'm in Australia, but I can't even imagine going to to a doctor and having them laugh or anything. They're there to help and if you've got a problem, it's very likely they'll have seen it before/seen something similar/it just won't shock them.

I agree with the fact that you shouldn't take medication just by itself, but I think it can help as a supplement to therapy, kind of like a buffer of symptoms until you can work through the underlying issues.

Going to the GP about my anxiety was the best thing I ever did. We have a thing called the Mental Health Care plan here which the GP sets up for you and I get priority sessions of CBT (so I get to jump the queue, essentially) and I can claim back some of what I pay for sessions It's a good system.

Good luck, I hope the doctor can get the ball rolling with overcoming your anxiety.

[sljordan85]

im sorry im not optimistic but ill NEVER beat this fear - im 26 and had it since i was 4 and its getting worse and worse - ive tried anti depresants and anti emet pills its the thought of others getting a bug and being sick near me at the moment that is freaking me out the most - last night i was shaking that much i thought i might go into full blown shock and all i could do was hear my partner throwing up i was no where NEAR him! imagine if i was next to him i prob would have passed out

do i take someone along with me to the drs like my partner? he was the one who said its time to see someone because its just too much to see me crying and shaking all the time xx

[aurora0917]

I think that's great that you're going to talk to a doctor about this. I would consider doing the same but i'm too broke to see a doctor at the moment. I would suggest being as honest and straightforward with the doctor as possible. He or she will probably recommend you see a therapist or psychologist for some form of treatment. But it's good to get referrals.

[asianeko]

I think it's awesome to speak with a doctor about this. Telling my doctor about my emet (before I knew it had a name) possibly giving me anxiety nausea is what ultimately led me to this site AND all the steps toward recovery I've taken.

Just remember there are many options. Some people swear by medication, some people detest it. Some people swear CBT is the only way, others feel it made them worse. Some people say hypnotherapy is a load of crock, some feel it's the only thing that saved them. Your treatment is up to you. What works for some may not work for others. Your doctor (and therapist if she refers you to one) should be able to help you out.

As far as explaining the fear, let your doctor know how it effects your daily life. What exactly you are afraid of, and how it makes you panic. If you have anxiety problems associated with it, explain that it is only directly involved with your fear. Many doctors write it off as OCD. While I think many emets also suffer from OCD, not all do. Try to be open, and give as much truthful information as you can so your docto can help you in the best way possible!

[derm_st]

My Dr. has never laughed at me regarding this and has treated me with utmost concern. I have been treated since I was 5 though and Im almost 40. There are a lot of doctors who are not familiar with this at all and it might be a good idea to maybe print some information from this site to take with you for him to learn about it. Just be honest. Tell him how you know its so unrational but then your mind takes over you can't control your thoughts. Thats what a phobia is. Irrational fear of something,...and whether most admit it or not,...everyone has something that comes close to a phobia. Tell him Matt Lauer has this and there are some sights you can copy about his struggle as well. I think you will be suprised at the help he will have to offer you. Prayers your way,.....

[olschesky]

i agree with derm.......and i'm 59 lol.......i printed off the q & a section and the description from this forum and showed it to my dr. he found it quite interesting....had never heard of emet before.......but now atleast i can talk to him about it when i go for visits......i didn't know that the feelings that i had were emetophobia....never knew it had a name until just a few years ago. the dr. had put me on prozac several years ago for my anxiety and also was having a hard time going to work or anywhere for that matter......it's been a real life saver for me.......sometimes these thoughts are caused from chemical imbalances in our brains and meds will help stabilize it......you just never know..........but like derm said they don't work instantly....

good luck......positive thoughts

[becca44]

Hmmm....as politely as possible and with all due respect, I'm afraid I disagree with most of what Becca's just said - sorry!

I was taken seriously by my GP and the "Talking Therapies" programme is real and on the NHS so saying "nobody takes you seriously" and "I don't think you can even see anyone on the NHS" is, with apologies, just wrong.

Secondly, and it's very much up to you (jordan) what path you take, I'd be very reluctant to take any pills except as an absolute last resort. True, I've never felt the need to take them, but my view is that it's just covering up the problem (the phobia) and not solving it. Plus, when you do try and overcome it, it's that bit harder because this is one more thing you'd have to stop doing and change about your behaviour, so your recovery becomes an even longer road than it might otherwise have been.

If you are so anxious that you feel you absolutely can't function without some help then it's not for me to say you shouldn't take some medication perhaps as a temporary measure, but my advice would be to look at the bigger picture - ultimately, do you want to simply live with this phobia or beat it?

Unfortunately my doctor did not take my phobia seriously at all despite weighing just over 6 stone (im 5,3) and there was no way she was going to refer me for therapy on a "dislike of vomit" you apparently have been very lucky and have more success than i have. Also the antidepressants calmed my anxiety and got me out of a hole that i felt i could not myself do at that time, they enabled me to start living a normal life and for that i am truly grateful. They do not mask the symptoms of the illness which is indeed a mental one and SSRI's have been proven to be very helpful with a lot of people, i personally do not think that i will ever be totally cured with medication or therapy, i have times when my emet is managable and not a big issue but other times it almost takes over my life again, i have accepted that it is just how i am and will always be. As for the meds dont knock it until youve tried it and depending on personal circumstances can be very beneficial. My GP would NOT refer me for councilling based on my phobia alone and that is a sad fact im afraid.

[asianeko]

Unfortunately my doctor did not take my phobia seriously at all despite weighing just over 6 stone (im 5,3) and there was no way she was going to refer me for therapy on a "dislike of vomit" you apparently have been very lucky and have more success than i have. Also the antidepressants calmed my anxiety and got me out of a hole that i felt i could not myself do at that time, they enabled me to start living a normal life and for that i am truly grateful. They do not mask the symptoms of the illness which is indeed a mental one and SSRI's have been proven to be very helpful with a lot of people, i personally do not think that i will ever be totally cured with medication or therapy, i have times when my emet is managable and not a big issue but other times it almost takes over my life again, i have accepted that it is just how i am and will always be. As for the meds dont knock it until youve tried it and depending on personal circumstances can be very beneficial. My GP would NOT refer me for councilling based on my phobia alone and that is a sad fact im afraid.

It sounds like you need to visit another GP!

[orton99]

Re Becca. I'm sorry you had no luck convincing your GP of your phobia, but as for the medication question I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree. I can see how drugs could help if someone absolutely could not function without them, but as for long term use and whether or not I'd want to do so, well, I stand by what I said in my post yesterday.

I've been phobic about this from the age of 10 (37 now) and yet genuinely had no idea that there even were such things as anti-emetics before I joined this forum last month! And that's where I'm coming from, as my view is that I've lasted this long without them so I'm not about to start taking them now as I'd see it as an acknowledgement that my phobia's getting worse whereas the aim of seeing both a therapist now and doing CBT in the near future (waiting list permitting) is to try and make it better.

[becca44]

It sounds like you need to visit another GP!

I did eventually but she is still my family doctor as she is absolutely amazing in other ways (her views are very black and white, mental illness is a grey area to her i think) After my son (hes Down Syndrome) was born she contacted me as soon as she heard and went above and beyond to be supportive and has been for the last 5 years, id even say she was a friend but she has this attitute of "pull yourself together, dont be so silly" which isnt always so easy........

[becca44]

Re Becca. I'm sorry you had no luck convincing your GP of your phobia, but as for the medication question I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree. I can see how drugs could help if someone absolutely could not function without them, but as for long term use and whether or not I'd want to do so, well, I stand by what I said in my post yesterday.

I've been phobic about this from the age of 10 (37 now) and yet genuinely had no idea that there even were such things as anti-emetics before I joined this forum last month! And that's where I'm coming from, as my view is that I've lasted this long without them so I'm not about to start taking them now as I'd see it as an acknowledgement that my phobia's getting worse whereas the aim of seeing both a therapist now and doing CBT in the near future (waiting list permitting) is to try and make it better.

Sure i agree to disagree but i wanted to tell the original poster my experience, i have no problems using medication and will take Seroxat for the rest of my life as i will always have anxiety problems, i was even anxious as a child so i think its just "me". I was very OCD, anxious about public places, viruses, even going into my daughters school, my life was full 24/7 of worry and anxiety, not every person on here is the same, some have emet only and some have much more deeper issues as i have. I would also not use anti-emetics on a daily basis but i have no issues with other people using them whenever they want if it calms their anxiety/nausea. I have used Motillium for extreme overindulgence at Christmas and it worked a treat! I became phobic at about 7/8 and im 34, my emet is connected to other issues too so meds work well for me but i agree that there not for everybody. Good luck with your therapy and i hope you overcome your phobia.