Fear of being sick helped in Cambridge and London with Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy and applied psychological techniques
The strong and persistent fear of being sick/ vomiting is known as emetophobia. Emetophobia is also known by many other names (emetephobia, phagophobia, vomitophobia, vomit phobia, sickness phobia, fear of vomiting, fear of gagging, fear of swallowing, fear of choking, globus hystericus), but whatever you call it, this condition can affect sufferers deeply. There are also a number of other fears that can be associated with a fear of being sick:
- Seeing others being sick
- Gagging
- Choking on food
- Pregnancy (due to the possibility of morning sickness)
- Drowning
- Social phobia
- Fear of other situations in which you feel ‘dirty’ (e.g. going to the toilet, feeling sweaty)
I receive many enquiries from emetophobes - it is a common condition and is often extremely debilitating and disabling. Many of my clients have already sought treatment - to little or no avail. Pure Hypnoanalysis is entirely different to other treatments that you may have tried as it enables you to resolve the root cause of your problem.
According to the International Emetophobia Society, emetophobia is the fifth most common phobia. A typical emetophobe is probably female (although men can suffer from this condition as well) and below average weight.
If you have emetophobia you will know only too well that this phobia can severely limit your ability to really enjoy life. Emetophobia is rarely spoken of – partly because of the nature of the subject – you probably feel that it is unpleasant and 'dirty', and are acutely embarrassed. You may have wasted years avoiding situations where either you or someone around you could become ill. Many emetophobics suffer panic or anxiety attacks when they imagine the slightest hint that they may vomit.
Due to the link between eating and potentially being sick, you may be a little obsessive about what, where and with whom you will eat. You may avoid eating out at restaurants and when doing may be very choosy - avoiding spicy or unusual cuisines. Some emetophobes will go hungry rather than eat in public places. You may be teetotal or heavily restrict your alcohol consumption and avoid pubs or clubs where others may drink heavily.
You may find that you take excessive time off work or school because of your fear of vomiting or being exposed to people who can pass on germs that will cause you to vomit. Crowded places are, also, often avoided. You may avoid public transport, preferring to travel by car and driving yourself. It is, also, common for emetophobics to avoid flying and travelling by boat, especially to foreign countries for fear of being sick.
If you are a female emetophobic it is possible that you have denied yourself motherhood for fear of morning sickness. Alternatively you may have children but become consumed by worry about them being ill. You may find that you find yourself completely unable to look after your children when they are unwell as your fear of vomit is so intense.
Emetophobia consumes a great deal of the time and energy of the person who suffers from it. There is the constant mental stress of worrying when one will vomit next.
Nearly all the sufferers I have helped have also had 'Social Phobia', an intense fear of being judged. Click here for more information about social phobia.
Treating Fear of Being Sick with Pure Hypnoanalysis
Many emetophobics that I have treated have already sought help elsewhere with little or no success. It is quite possible that you feel (understandably) that your emetophobia can never be resolved – you have been promised help before yet nothing you have tried thus far has helped at all. Pure Hypnoanalysis is entirely different to any other therapies you may have tried.
A Phobia is "an external symbolic interpretation, of an internal anxiety". Phobias are almost always formed in the childhood (although the symptoms may not appear for many years) and are caused by the sufferer bottling up some strong emotions in response to an experience. These emotions are then symbolically projected onto an object/situation creating a phobic response. Although some Phobias seem to serve an obvious purpose (fear of fire, drowning etc) some appear to make no sense at all! Rest assured though, all phobias serve a purpose. Phobias are created in an attempt to warn a person not to get into the originating (or any similar) situation again. They may seem to make no sense, as the originating experience has been completely hidden from the person's conscious mind.
The only way to CURE a phobia - to banish it completely - is to release the bottled up emotions that are causing it. Most other types of therapy cannot gain access to these 'locked away' emotions and experiences – Pure Hypnoanalysis can.
The process of Pure Hypnoanalysis requires a strong bond of trust and rapport being created between the therapist, and the client. Over a period of about 6 to 12 sessions, we slowly link thoughts and memories back through time (using a process of 'free association') until we come to the bottled up emotions. When we release these emotions, the phobia is resolved forever.
Click here to read more about why Pure Hypnoanalysis is so successful.
Video testimonials from an Ex-Emetophobic!
Helping Fear of Being Sick Through Changing Limiting Beliefs
Changing limiting beliefs with my newly developed DREAM Technique is an alternative way of banishing your emetophobia. It is particularly suitable for anyone who may, for whatever reason, find going through a course of Pure Hypnoanalysis particularly difficult or impossible. For many emetophobics the constant fear and worrying surrounding being sick takes up a great deal of thought and energy. You probably feel that you have very little control over these limiting thoughts and feelings and that they completely run your life. The DREAM Technique is a training program, which teaches you how to take control of these thoughts, feelings, emotions, doubts and worries. This short training program is able to completely change the way you think and feel about yourself and challenging situations – enabling you to live a happier, more successful and positive life.
Click here for more information about the DREAM Technique.
Phobias - Questions and Answers
Q. Can I do anything myself to help control the Phobia?
A. The best way to live with a phobia, is to ignore it. I know that is easier said than done, but the more you think about (say) your fear of being sick, the more fear and anxiety you create and the worse your phobia will become.
Q. Is it not a good idea to read books about my Phobia then?
A. In the short-term you will feel a little bit better (because you understand a little about yourself - and this gives you a sense of control) but in the long term, all you are doing is spending more and more time thinking about your phobia - and hence dragging up more emotion.
Q. How come different therapies have different success rates in tackling Phobias?
A. Most other forms of therapy are an 'intellectual exercise' - you are relying on the insight and experience of the Therapist to guide you though what he or she THINKS is causing your phobia. The problem is, THEY DON'T KNOW!
How can they possibly know what's going on in the back of your mind? They don't.
So, in many cases, therapy is focussed on what your (Neurotic) Therapist decides is what's going on in your (Neurotic) mind. No I am not being rude, we are all Neurotic (we all have unresolved emotional conflicts). A Phobia is an outward SYMBOLIC interpretation of an internal anxiety. It is Symbolic. Your mind has symbolised your fear and projected it onto something external - no one can intellectually decide what is causing your Phobia. If you got 100 ex-agorophobics together in a room and asked them what was causing their agorophobia, you would get 100 different reasons/causes.
Q. How come you have such a high success rate?
A. The reason why Pure Hypnoanalysis (as taught by The I.A.P.H.) is so successful in treating Phobias (as well as many other problems) is because it safely and naturally gets to the root cause of the problem - you are not relying on 'guesswork' or 'therapists insight'.
Testimonials From Some Ex-Emetophobics
Hi Rob
Just to let you know, I have just completed your online research survey :)
Now, about my emetophobia....... it's completely bloody gone!
I'm sorry I doubted you, and I'm sorry I was a difficult client, but you are a genius. I had tried everything to try and get some relief from the fear that was crippling my life, and now it is completely gone - and it's amazing. I read your testimonials page before coming to see you, and I remember thinking 'God, I would love to feel like those people do" - well, now I do, and I couldn't be happier. I can eat anything I want, I can drink anything I want, and all my other anxieties have now completely gone. Thank you so so much, you have given me a life.
Sara Carter
PS Big bottle of JD on it's way!
Rob
My life was being ruined by my huge fear of being sick - which I had tried EVERYTHING to resolve: NLP, CBT, Medication, Counselling etc..... I am VERY pleased to say that my phobia is now completely gone. I cannot thank you enough for the time, patience and understanding you have shown me - you have given me back my life. I would recommend Pure Hypnoanalysis to anyone.
Diane Barker, Prudential, Cambridge
Click here to view some further testimonials and comments from people who have experienced hypnotherapy at the Cambridge Hypnotherapy Clinic.
How Do I Make An Appointment?
The Cambridge Hypnotherapy Clinic is open from 9a.m. - 6p.m. Monday to Friday.
A completely confidential and free initial consulatation is offered so that you can discuss your emetophobia with me and we can decide whether a course of Pure Hypnoanalysis or the DREAM Technique Training Programme would be the best treatment option for you. This consultation also allows you to ask me any questions that you may have.
To book a free initial consultation, call me on my direct line : 01223 301577 or mobile : 07971 006747
Or e-mail me at: rob@rck.net
The Cambridge Hypnotherapy Clinic - est 1988 - at
The Beechwood Medical Centre, 41 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1NT
