Feel like I'm regressing :(

[FluffyScout]

I feel like I'm regressing back to my old, horribly emetophobic self. Recently I've been doing really well; a few months ago I went on a long vaccation overseas, stayed at many different places and ate out at a lot of restaurants, even went on planes etc,,! I felt like I was no longer feeling panicked about things, just a little worried. But now I've read some threads on here about s*ness and v*ing, and my friend's friend got sick the other day, and I saw someone v* in their yard, and I honestly just feel like it's all coming back down. I don't know what to do, I just keep envisioning s*ness and stuff, and just feel all anxious

[AoD]

Are you seeing a doctor or a therapist about the phobia? It could help to avoid it getting further downhill. The forums can have that effect when read while in a state of panic/anxiety already, take it with a grain of salt, a lot of people here overdramatize (it's normal, they're worried, it's the phobia talking).

You could benefit from just talking to a therapist, or even medication. The best thing you can do now to avoid the phobia getting worse is getting professional help. A health professional can assess your current state and make recommendations that will help you get better. An early intervention is much more likely to be successful than if you wait. Also keep in mind that pretty much all of us go through phases where the intensity of the phobia varies significantly, so what you are experiencing may only be a short-term relapse.

[FluffyScout]

@AoD
thank you for the reply! <3 I don't take medication, but I did see a therapist for a while. I'm definitely considering going back. I'm actually going to seminar on anxiety tomorrow as well, so that will be good. I really do hope it's a short-term relapse, sometimes it feels like my general emetophobia gets worse when I'm already anxious about something. Thanks for the reply again

[Afdpt]

How did you get to the point you were at before? I'd go back to doing the things that worked for you then because they're likely to help now.

I went through something similar in the past few weeks where I felt myself wanting to go back to old coping techniques and avoidance behaviors but I just decided I was not going to let that happen again and I started the old exercises that had helped me get better before.

If you address it now, you're going to have a better chance at stopping it in it's tracks and getting yourself back on track with recovery!