Has anyone out there overcome Emetophobia?

Hi there, I have had the above condition for a very long time and had it well under control for many years until December 2016 when I had a tummy bug. I coped extremely well with the bug and was really proud of myself and thought that would be it until the following month where the person I was working for became increasingly difficult. He had been difficult on and off for many years but during January and May 2017 he was really bad so much so I took voluntary release and left. That, coupled with my husband breaking his ribs in October 2017 seems to have made me very anxious again regarding tummy bugs so the Emetophobia is back big time!!

I was following the Thrive Programme and the Programme makes a lot of sense but I am struggling to make it work for me. You can follow the Programme with therapists but 1. the nearest one to me is about an hours' drive and 2. it works out to over £700 which is money I don't have. What I have done is been to the doctor and asked to be referred for CBT and have my first appointment on 6 April.

What I'd like to know is, is there anyone out there that has, or knows someone who has overcome this phobia? I am getting desperate now to rid myself of this awful phobia as I know it's all in the mind.

Thanking you all in anticipation.

[Onlyfools84]

Hey I have Emetaphobia as well and similar to you I had a tummy bug 3 months ago and since then it has got so bad. I’m at the point where it is affecting my everyday life. I convince myself that I feel sick everyday and therefore do end up feeling sick to my stomach for hours on end and obviously not eating. I’m struggling to function and I can’t seem to see a way out at the moment as I’m going round in circles. I’ve had CBT before but it really didn’t help me very much. I’ve been prescribed an antidepressant that helps with anxiety and ocd but am so worried about taking it as I really didn’t want to go down the medication route but I don’t see another way. I’ve had Emetaphobia for as long as I can remember and have been up and down with it but right now it’s at its worst. I wish I could reply to you by saying that I’ve overcome it and give you a simple quick fix for you but unfortunately I don’t think a ‘cure’ even exists. Sorry for the long reply but I don’t find many people who even know what it is let alone how it affects me or how I feel. I really hope we can overcome this and be happier x

[Hidden in reply to Onlyfools84]

Hi, I really feel for you as well. I think with me it was having the tummy bug and then having someone I used to work for treating me badly, he was a bully. He has been like that for quite a long time but from January to May last year he was at his worst so I have now left.

Emetophobia does affect my every day life and if I think about it I will sometimes end up with nausea. I am eating and I think that's down to the amount of exercise I do as I exercise most days. It's not easy to get the 'get up and go' but I know if I don't exercise I'll feel worse.

I am taking my Thrive Programme book with me when I see the therapist as I think they really need to read it, I know following it properly will end up curing me as I know it's all in the mind but it's having the support whilst I follow the book. I am on two Emetophobia groups on Facebook and on one of them someone was feeling much better by seeing a therapist and I asked her what she was doing and she took her Thrive Programme book to the therapist and they said to her that was the kind of treatment they were using. She finished by saying she is feeling so much better.

I will definitely report on here as and when I find a cure as I want everyone that has this awful phobia to experience being cured.

All the very best to you.

Take care x