Coughing/gagging tapes: need support

[kel12347]

I'm starting on the coughing and gagging tapes today. Actually I just finished my first round with the coughing one. I need help dealing with the anticipatory anxiety I'm getting before starting the session, and the ant. anxiety that I get before starting the tape over. I know it will get better as I get more used to the tape, but any tips to help me cope in the meantime?

[sage]

Kel,


My advice is that if the anticipatory anxiety is too high, then you're jumping steps on the hierarchy, and need to break it down into smaller steps somehow. Perhaps try listening with the volume OFF, then YOU control the volume or something.


Good luck!

[kel12347]

Thanks Sage! I think I'm going to try listening with the volume VERY low, and gradually increase it as my anxiety goes down. I'm also going to pamper myself and do extra relaxation stuff.


Thanks for the advice.

[japa]

Well, where did you get gagging tapes? I think that I might like to desensitize myself to those more. Sometimes gagging sounds are pretty harsh.

Originally Posted by kel12347

Thanks Sage! I think I'm going to try listening with the volume VERY low, and gradually increase it as my anxiety goes down. I'm also going to pamper myself and do extra relaxation stuff.


Thanks for the advice.

[kel12347]

My fiance made up a couple of sample tapes of what I wanted the coughing and gagging to be like, and I gave those to my therapist, and he had one of his co-workers do them. We thought it would be a bad idea if I used the tapes with my fiance on them.

[japa]

Ahhhh, wow, that's really interesting.

Originally Posted by kel12347

My fiance made up a couple of sample tapes of what I wanted the coughing and gagging to be like, and I gave those to my therapist, and he had one of his co-workers do them. We thought it would be a bad idea if I used the tapes with my fiance on them.

[sage]

are they on mp3 files? could they be converted and emailed to me? then I could post them on the exposure site...

[kel12347]

They're on regular cassette tapes. I'll ask my fiance if they can be uploaded somehow...he's much better at that stuff then me. I'll warn you, though, the tapes are YUCKY!!!

[sage]

no worries! I can handle yucky!

[kel12347]

My fiance said he can convert them into mp3 format. After my first night listening to the tapes, I chickened out, and haven't been able to listen to them since. I have been looking at pictures, though, and doing well with those. I can't wait until therapy tomorrow, maybe we can figure out why sound bothers me so much.

[kristi425]

Ooh, that sounds really scary. I'm still too afraid to do that. I can look at pictures as long as I can't hear it and it's nobody I know personally.


I know you can do it if you talk yourself through it. Just try to keep in mind that the people on the tapes aren't really v- in real life. It's just noise! When you think about it, it can be kind of silly. Imagine somebody trying to pretend to gag in a tape recorder. I kind of laugh at that, imagining a scenario where their boss walks in and can't figure out what they're doing. Just know that it's not real. The people on the tapes aren't even really sick. And...it's on a tape recorder too. Nothing can jump out and get you, you don't have to look at *it* or smell *it* or anything but listen.


You will be okay! I know it! Let us know how it's going and good luck!

[lizzo]

Could I see the exposure website?

[purpleteacher]

I would love to download mp3's of people gagging or V* because the sound is one of my biggest triggers. I can look at pictures fairly well, but the sounds.. ugh... nope.

[sage]

lizzo - go up to the top of this thread and click discussion forums - then scroll down and click Treatments. It's a sticky post at the top.

[lizzo]

Thank-you.


I talked to my mom, and I got nervous in a scene when we were watching Wedding Crashers where a guy is unknowingly fed eye drops to make him sick. And he repeatedly vomited over and over again, and was shown to be very nauseated and upset. I watched the scene and I was fine, but I did get a little nervous. My mom said it's not just me that everybody get's a little bit nervous, that nobody is really completley unperturbed by vomit, regardless of their age or exposure to it. Which made me feel not totally crazy haha!