this site fueling emetophobia?

[Kazzia]

Hello everyone,


I first joined this site about four years ago (can't remember exactly when, I was a member before the board was upgraded) when my emet was pretty bad. I used to come on here a lot, before I came to Uni. At the time I was suffering from hyperthyroidism, which makes you more anxious generally, and that was having an effect on my emet. Plus my thyroid condition would make me have migranes/nausea which hardly helped!


It was great knowing there were other people just like me (I thought at the time they didn't exist!) and to this day it's still comforting to know that if I'm being irrational about something, you lot on here will understand me where others wouldn't.


When I went to Uni and got a social life (I didn't have one when I was at school) I was so busy and absorbed in having fun that my emet started to fade. It was mind-over-matter. At the same time my drugs for my thyroid condition were working (have been off them for two years now) and I also visited this site less.


I'll say spending too much time here actually doesn't help. It contributes to excessive thinking about emetophobia. However it's just a vicious cycle then and you find you keep coming back for updates, and before long you're obsessed.


Yet that's just my view. Even when my emet was at its worst I wasn't obsessive compulsive in my behaviour, depressed or underweight. It's never affected me like that. However there are lots of people who do suffer from those related side-effects and who benefit a lot more from the board.


It's difficult, but maybe those who are more severely emetophobic should try to limit their visitation of this board, as an experiment? Or maybe even go cold turkey. The biggest problem with this fear is thinking about it. Getting your mind actively involved in an interest or hobby is a good idea, as part of therapy to beat emet.


I'll always pop back to this site. I only came back tonight because I was reading an article on theBBC website about someone with a phobia of peas (oh if only I were scared of peas!!) It's always nice to know it's here when slip-ups happen, and that there will be understanding voices. But I will say overuse is bad, because threads on here would get me thinking too much and I was in danger of going the wrong way. On average I pop in every three months or so, or longer...mainly because my emet is under control in the background (not cured though I stress).


As for being pro-active, I agree there should be more of it, but it's difficult as no one likes to be accidentally insensitive, and there should always be support. It should be left entirely to the poster but positivity is the only way forward with a phobia such as this.

[skintgirl]

i just started coming here and it totally has put bad ideas in my head, ive noticed just in one day i am more conscious about germs and more worried about things...i dont know

[danforth]

If you come here and log off feeling worse after reading some posts, I don't think being an emet is your only problem. This site has done nothing but help and encourage me, as I'm sure it's done the same for many others.

[xroofusx]

This is a tough one, when i first came on it made me think about it more and i suppose i started to feel worse about it, but now im finding its helped me. What helped is people supporting each other when you feel bad, and looking at the posts to see all the support i find helpfull, also thank you to all the people who helped me when i was in times of support, like helping me with what foods to start with when i started eating again, i took the advice and ate the foods that where suggested and my body got used to them. I think people have there own view on this site and its really what your view of things are, if that makes any sense.

[Babydoll]

This is a tough one, when i first came on it made me think about it more and i suppose i started to feel worse about it, but now im finding its helped me. What helped is people supporting each other when you feel bad, and looking at the posts to see all the support i find helpfull, also thank you to all the people who helped me when i was in times of support, like helping me with what foods to start with when i started eating again, i took the advice and ate the foods that where suggested and my body got used to them. I think people have there own view on this site and its really what your view of things are, if that makes any sense.

are you trying to say that there is no reality, only perception? If you are, I agree with that. It all depends on your *own* outlook on life and the phobia.