My therapy ended a few weeks ago. It was useless, to be honest. I know that this is because the therapist just didn't get it though, had I been working with a therapist experienced in emetophobia, I think I would have felt more positive about the whole thing. The last few sessions literally just went round in circles with her telling me patronising things like "But if we vomit, it's because the body needs to get the bugs out of our system, so it's helping us". Oh really? But how do you think you telling me that is helping me? It isn't. I am perfectly capable of rationalising, just the same as you are, but PHOBIAS DON'T WORK LIKE THAT. It's like when people say to someone who's scared of spiders "But it's far more scared of you than you are of it" *facepalm*
Don't get me wrong, she was a really nice woman and we got on well but my time with her was a waste.
So what will I try next? I think it's going to have to be exposure therapy. The thought of it makes me grimace. I'm probably ok with pictures, it'll be the videos that freak me out I think. I don't think I know of anyone who's ever had exposure therapy so I've got noone to ask advice from. A close friend of mine is a mental health nurse so I may ask her if she's any information on it.
Tomorrow is my 35th birthday, I'm going out to eat. I'm going to EAT MEAT and NOT WORRY ABOUT IT.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The inane and irrational ramblings of an emetophobe on a mission to recover...
Welcome to my blog... I hope you used hand sanitizer before entering!
I didn't find CBT very helpful either. My therapist showed me some pictures that weren't too bad, but still. In the last session, she said - "you can either stay at home and feel sick or go outside and feel sick". Helpful.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great birthday!
CBT was a waste of time for me as well. My therapist had a silly way of trying to make me feel like being sick wasn't bad. She would ask me what I was scared of, and I'd say for example 'Being sick on a train'. She'd then say 'And what's so bad about that?'. We'd repeat that process for half of the session and get no where because for myself, and I'm sure others, emetophobia is deep rooted in the subconscious mind so how on can saying 'whats so bad about being sick' help!!!?
ReplyDeleteI really hope the exposure therapy works for you, I think it'll be an interesting route to take. Happy birthday :D
I've just started a course of tablets that basically prevent the feeling of sickness and actually vomiting they seem to be doing ok at the moment but because I just have a fear of vomiting it reassures me xx
ReplyDelete