A year and a half into recovery. My story.

[betsie]

Hello guys, I have recently came back to check in on members here, and I thought I would share my experience and hopefully pass on some techniques to help those still suffering.

My phobia:

I am 20 years of age. I suffered with emetophobia for as long as I could remember. I was terrified to leave the house, I was compulsively washing my hands until they cracked and bled and still felt the need to use a hand sanitiser. I was having panic attacks 6 times a day, even if I didn't leave my house. I was severely underweight, refusing to eat for fear of it coming back up. I spent every second of every day thinking about sick, and how I felt and what I would do right now if it were to happen. I had no life. I hated my life and was at a point where I couldn't see any reason to continue living. We all know how this feels.

So what did I do?

I sought help. CBT, therapy, councelling and finally; hypnotherapy. My recovery wasn't easy, but it wasn't a hastle. I saw a hypnotherapist who put me on the path to recovery. He helped me to learn how to calm down, to stop thinking about vomit constantly and finally the importance of overcoming this fear and not living the way I do currently.

What I did after hypnotherapy:

After hypnotherapy I had certain ways to cope. Not the unhealthy coping strategies I had before such as; anti emetics, antacids, staying in doors and constantly washing my hands.
Instead, I did this:

1) Firstly, I started eating EVERY day and I ate 4 small meals a day.
2) I then started to exercise. I liked exercise DVD's I could do in my home. Healthy body = healthy mind.
3) I started venturing out of my house. I went for walks to the end of my road and back at first. Then I went further, around my block. I did this until I felt comfortable with being out my house.
4) Once I felt more comfortable, I started venturing to shops, the supermarket, shopping anything. &Again, I became comfortable. So I did the same with other things - pubs, clubs, cinemas ect.
5) I removed the fear of eating out = getting sick. I went anywhere and everywhere to eat. I had the confidence and I did it. I will now happily eat a mcdonalds or KFC where I avoiding completely for the first 19 years of my life through fear I would get sick.
6) I created a routine. I got myself a full time job (this involved dropping out of uni.) I had to go there for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. & I did it. I wasn't scared to leave the house anymore. I had a routine that FORCED me to.
7) I quit my full time job, started working part time and returned to uni. Again, sticking to my routine to ensure I was out my house and doing what I needed to do.

I now live my life to the full, doing what I need to do and when I need to do it. I am not scared of my daily life. I embrace it with everything I have!

My advice:

1) Learn breathing techniques. The one that was most effective for me was breathing in to the count of three, holding for the count of three, breathing out to the count of three and doing nothing to the count of three. Repeat. Increase as you calm down.
2) Find things that you enjoy to do! And go do them outdoors away from your home!
3) Remember this - "Not everyone feels 100% all of them time. &We mistaken NORMAL bodily functions, such as wind, bloating and even hunger as NAUSEA. No healthy person throws up every day of thier life, so why worry about this EVERY single day?"
4) If you believe you feel sick - count the hours since the last time you ate, if its over three then generally what you are feeling is hunger! Have a nibble and see how you feel!
5) Don't give up hope or feel let down if you have a set back. If at first you don't suceed, try and try again.

Recovering from emetophobia isn't a matter of taking anti emetics or anti anxiety medication. You need to push yourselves, using willpower to realise that you are STRONGER than this. Remember that having a phobia is letting your mind take control of your rational mind. Take that control back and tell yourself;

"I CAN DO THIS. I AM STRONG AND I AM GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE TO THE FULL. YOU WILL NOT GET THE BETTER OF ME TODAY."

[tallgirl]

Thank you for sharing your story!! It's really encouraging and lovely to hear that it's possible to get on the right track, I've decided that this year is going to be my year for starting recovery!! :-)

When you were looking for a hypnotherapist where did you look and what did you look for? I've been wondering if this will work for me but not sure where to start looking.

[wordmister]

Congratulations! I'm recovered too but my road to recovery was different than yours. Everyone has to find what works for them but the bottom line is nobody has to live with this fear if they really don't want to.

[ejb199]

My advice:

1) Learn breathing techniques. The one that was most effective for me was breathing in to the count of three, holding for the count of three, breathing out to the count of three and doing nothing to the count of three. Repeat. Increase as you calm down.
2) Find things that you enjoy to do! And go do them outdoors away from your home!
3) Remember this - "Not everyone feels 100% all of them time. &We mistaken NORMAL bodily functions, such as wind, bloating and even hunger as NAUSEA. No healthy person throws up every day of thier life, so why worry about this EVERY single day?"
4) If you believe you feel sick - count the hours since the last time you ate, if its over three then generally what you are feeling is hunger! Have a nibble and see how you feel!
5) Don't give up hope or feel let down if you have a set back. If at first you don't suceed, try and try again.

B]

this is such good advice and im pleased your getting better one step at a time. i can echo the breathing and eating advice too. that has helped me a lot.

one thing i advise too is to try not to catastrophise too much and make things into dramas when they really dont need to be. thats one reason i dont come on IES a lot - i dont want to read how awful it was to see a pile of vomit in the street etc. yes its gross but we have to walk on and forget it - it doesnt have to be a big deal.

i dont know if that makes sense...what i mean is that when im worried or anxious about being sick now, i try not to make it a big deal - it only kind of justifies my fear. its hard though of course.

ok im rambling on now.

one thing ive found helps tons, crochet and keeping busy!

[harmony18]

Hello guys, I have recently came back to check in on members here, and I thought I would share my experience and hopefully pass on some techniques to help those still suffering.

My phobia:

I am 20 years of age. I suffered with emetophobia for as long as I could remember. I was terrified to leave the house, I was compulsively washing my hands until they cracked and bled and still felt the need to use a hand sanitiser. I was having panic attacks 6 times a day, even if I didn't leave my house. I was severely underweight, refusing to eat for fear of it coming back up. I spent every second of every day thinking about sick, and how I felt and what I would do right now if it were to happen. I had no life. I hated my life and was at a point where I couldn't see any reason to continue living. We all know how this feels.

So what did I do?

I sought help. CBT, therapy, councelling and finally; hypnotherapy. My recovery wasn't easy, but it wasn't a hastle. I saw a hypnotherapist who put me on the path to recovery. He helped me to learn how to calm down, to stop thinking about vomit constantly and finally the importance of overcoming this fear and not living the way I do currently.

What I did after hypnotherapy:

After hypnotherapy I had certain ways to cope. Not the unhealthy coping strategies I had before such as; anti emetics, antacids, staying in doors and constantly washing my hands.
Instead, I did this:

1) Firstly, I started eating EVERY day and I ate 4 small meals a day.
2) I then started to exercise. I liked exercise DVD's I could do in my home. Healthy body = healthy mind.
3) I started venturing out of my house. I went for walks to the end of my road and back at first. Then I went further, around my block. I did this until I felt comfortable with being out my house.
4) Once I felt more comfortable, I started venturing to shops, the supermarket, shopping anything. &Again, I became comfortable. So I did the same with other things - pubs, clubs, cinemas ect.
5) I removed the fear of eating out = getting sick. I went anywhere and everywhere to eat. I had the confidence and I did it. I will now happily eat a mcdonalds or KFC where I avoiding completely for the first 19 years of my life through fear I would get sick.
6) I created a routine. I got myself a full time job (this involved dropping out of uni.) I had to go there for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. & I did it. I wasn't scared to leave the house anymore. I had a routine that FORCED me to.
7) I quit my full time job, started working part time and returned to uni. Again, sticking to my routine to ensure I was out my house and doing what I needed to do.

I now live my life to the full, doing what I need to do and when I need to do it. I am not scared of my daily life. I embrace it with everything I have!

My advice:

1) Learn breathing techniques. The one that was most effective for me was breathing in to the count of three, holding for the count of three, breathing out to the count of three and doing nothing to the count of three. Repeat. Increase as you calm down.
2) Find things that you enjoy to do! And go do them outdoors away from your home!
3) Remember this - "Not everyone feels 100% all of them time. &We mistaken NORMAL bodily functions, such as wind, bloating and even hunger as NAUSEA. No healthy person throws up every day of thier life, so why worry about this EVERY single day?"
4) If you believe you feel sick - count the hours since the last time you ate, if its over three then generally what you are feeling is hunger! Have a nibble and see how you feel!
5) Don't give up hope or feel let down if you have a set back. If at first you don't suceed, try and try again.

Recovering from emetophobia isn't a matter of taking anti emetics or anti anxiety medication. You need to push yourselves, using willpower to realise that you are STRONGER than this. Remember that having a phobia is letting your mind take control of your rational mind. Take that control back and tell yourself;

"I CAN DO THIS. I AM STRONG AND I AM GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE TO THE FULL. YOU WILL NOT GET THE BETTER OF ME TODAY."

Thank you for this helpful advise,at the moment im doing cbt and i have hypnotherapy once a week..hes tought me breathing methods to..the count to 3 breath in..hold the cound..then breath out 3..also the breath how babys do and how dogs do..which is with your stomach not your chest..How meny sessions did you have of hypnotherapy?