my cause and my treatments

[Margaret]

Hi all!


I'm going to a new therapists since a few weeks. He is intriged with my whole problem and is trying to link all of my issues together. I must say he is doing a really good job. He is even planning to start a 'case' about me for other therapists to read. I am starting to understand why I have emetophobia! This is his theory:


I've become sensitive about vomiting because of my mothers and sisters migriains. My mother had a migrain (which ment an whole day of vomiting) every month when she had her period, sometimes even more often (a while every week) from when I was born till I was 17. And I heard my sister vomiting every month from when I was 13 till I was 17. I used to hate that happening andthinking (subconsious): "I hope nobody sees me that way ever". This and some vomit experiences in school when I was 10 and kids in the class were suddenly vomiting gave me the believe:"It happens a lot and it can happen to anyone at anytime". All the ingredients for emetophobia werethere.


When I was 18 I started to have a lot more stress than usual because of my first sexual experience which hurt (and a boyfriend wanting to do it more often than me because of that). This stress I felt as it was nausea as tightness in my troat. I think my troat is my weak point, because of the way my birth went (I was blue when I was born) and I had my tongsels out on a really young age because it was a problem area.


So the stress (which felt as nausea) at 18 triggered the phobia. I was convinced: now it is going to happen to me. It can happen any moment now. The vicious circle was born.


So my therapist is making a plan to help me. Surprisingly he said that exposure therapy which I did with my last therapist probably won't help me, even do the opposite! He says looking at pictures of people vomiting only tells me that I am right that it happens a lot and can happen to anyone at anytime. That explains why that never really helped.


He is now planning to do EMDR (Sage!!!) and exposure therapy for agoraphobes:making me go to places I avoid.


Furthermore I am now going to a physiotherapist for relaxation therapy.Which I think is a bit scary. She is going to learn me how to feel and to relax. She said that some feelingscan come up while we work on it. So I asked if that could mean I had to gag or vomit from it and she said "that is possible" like it was no big deal! [img]smileys/smilies_03.gif[/img]Well, I now tell myself only people with weak stomachs will do that there. But it was not something I wanted to hear!


Anyhow, I feel like I've come a step further and wanted to share it with you guys.Edited by: Margaret

[trickyvicky]

that sounds great margaret,I'm so pleased u have found a therapist that is not only willing to understand and help u but a therapist that wants to doa case on your phobia to help other people.The relaxation thing is nothing to worry about as u won't gag or anything, what they do is get u to be familiar of certian sensations in your bodyand know that they do not always mean u are going to be ill and use them in a positive way,I don't know what she means about u might experience the gag or vomit feeling but maybe i have got the therapy wrong....But try not to worry about it until u go as i think u will be pleasantly surprised.I always feel great after a relaxation session like i'm mellow and could tackle anything and it's a very peaceful place too be....That sounds like they are going to send u to another planet LOL...What i mean that the techniques they use to get u into relaxation state is a very nice experience and if u feel scared speak to the therapist before.But i always imagine being in a secret garden with a water fall and birds,bees and beautiful flowers...A bit like the book THe Secret Garden..... I hope it goes well and keep us updated that would be good....


Take care vicky xx

[sage]

Hey Margaret! It's so GOOD to hear from you. I'm so glad you're finding some answers and unlocking a lot of that old stuff - that will be tremendously good for you, I'm sure. Your new therapist sounds very sensitive and clever. I agree that exposure especially if it's not done in the right context can be unhelpful on its own. The deeper issues are more important. The time exposure worked well for me was after (long after) I was very confident (cognitively) thatvomiting doesn't happen often, and especially not to me. So that would be a good thing towork on first. Also, I hope you have success with EMDR. I found that it helped a lot in the context of a larger, overall therapy involving other things such as what you describe...it wasn't like all of a sudden after an EMDR session I was cured or anything. But it really helped me get at the root of a lot of the issues - and a lot faster than other conventional therapies.


So - woo hoo -keep us all informed of how you're doing, ok?


Love Sage.

[Leopardess]

Oh my. I was just reading your post, Margaret, and something went click.


My phobia is kind of the opposite end of the scale from yours, as my dominant fear is of others being sick rather than myself, and I haven't v*edsince I was a child- but there's a common theme here.


I also had birth complications concerning my throat. My umbilical cord became wrapped around my neck during labour, so they had to accelerate the birth and warm my head up pronto. I still have my tonsils, but they get infected a lot and I find that one of the most disturbing and upsetting illnesses that doesn't involve feeling sick.


Yet the thought of having them out - having SURGERY on my throat- is horrible. And you made me realise how sensitive I am about my throat. I don't evenlike it to be touched except by people I trust very much. And when I see something related to v*, it's my throat that I feel uncomfortable about, not my stomach.


So now I have this idea about fear of losing control in the area of my throat. About the loss of control causing me to v*.Ringing any bells? Or maybe I'm just barking up the wrong tree. [img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]


As far as relaxation therapy goes, it is a Good Thing! As the name suggests, it's about learning torelax in situations you would normally be all tense and anxious in. Supposed to be a stress-free therapy.[img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img] Good luck with it and your other therapy!

[Margaret]

Hi Leopardes, your phobia is not that opposite, because I fear both myself being sick (especially in front of others) and seeing others being sick.


It took a while that I came aware that when I say I am nauseaus that it is different from other peoples nausea: my nausea is tightness of the troat, not the stomach. And as you I really hate when people want to touch the area around my troat! So you could be right that vomiting is bad for us because it concerns the troat. That explains why I hate gagging too! And I think seeing others vomiting or other gross things give me the feeling of disgust, which is also a weird feeling in my troat.


Wow - I just had to search for the translation of the Dutch word 'walging' and it said 'disgust, nausea' as it is the same thing!


And Trickyvicky and Sage: thanks for the support!


Edited by: Margaret

[Jenneh]

sounds like you are moving forwrd ... so pleased for you.


good luck with it all hope it works out for you... keep positive eh


Jen xxx

[Melikasa]

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That is awsome Maggie. It really inspires me to seak out some professional help myself. It seems like he will be very helpful for you.
Its funny I am the same way about my throat. It feels sometimes like it is closing up and that just swallowing can gag me and I end up somehow swallowing a bunch of air. I can't STAND tight turtle necks, button up golf tees that are tight in the neck area, anyone touching my neck and especially hate dentists and there hands and tools in my mouth ANYWHERE near m throat.
BIG hugs to you and best of luck with yout new therapy</TD></TR>
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[soluene]

Margaret, so glad to see you here! [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]


You know my opinion: You won't gag or v* from the relaxation therapy - as it is only when you are stressed that you get that feeling. Just take it slowly and if the therapy starts to feel like too much, you can stop it or slow it down for the time being.


Good point about the exposure therapy, too. I find that if I watch v*ing on TV or in a movie, it usually doesn't bother me. But I have a hard time looking at pictures - and I just realized that doing so tells ME one ofmy greatest fears: that it is a perpetual event that is never over - when in fact, it is over in a few seconds. Thanks for that!