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ARTICLES
what is emetophobia
what causes emetophobia
treatment for
emetophobia
emetophobia and the norovirus stomach bug
emetophobia case histories
client emails
about us
contact us
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The fear of being sick receives little attention compared with
other irrational fears, yet it is the fifth most common phobia,
according to the International Emetophobia Society. Type 'fear
of being sick' into search engine Google, and you get nearly 29
million websites. It is an extremely debilitating and
disabling condition. Victim's lives are dominated by irrational
thoughts and actions. Sadly, some women even deny themselves
motherhood for fear of morning sickness and some sufferers
become housebound. Emetophobia is rarely spoken of partly
because of the nature of the subject - it is unpleasant and
'dirty' and victims are acutely embarrassed. Also, fear of being
sick is often 'cloaked' by another phobias. Many people come to
me for help with fear of flying, but during therapy, it emerges
that their fear is not of flying, but of being sick and
embarrassed. Courses to conquer fear of flying often concentrate
on the safety of planes. But reassurances about the physics of
flying and the mechanics of the plane will not help a person who
fears vomiting.
Claustrophobia and social phobias are other examples of fears
that 'cloak' emetophobia. I ask: "Why don't you like crowded
rooms?" and patients sometimes reply: "If I feel sick, I can't
get out in time and I'll throw up in front of everybody!"
I have been treating
emetophobes for seven years at my hypnotherapy clinic in
Harley Street, London. Most sufferers are female who have had
symptoms since their youth. They have wasted years avoiding
situations where either they or someone around them could become
ill. Because of the extreme lengths they go to avoid sickness most
of my clients have not been sick since childhood. Indeed most boast
how long it is since the last time they were sick. Those with a mild
phobia have anxious thoughts while eating. Some suffer so severely
they refuse to leave their home. Some sufferers experience
discomfort almost all the time, others just in response to direct
stimuli. Sometimes the phobia hides for years until something
triggers it to show itself.
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FREE WEBINARS
David will be holding regular webinars over the next
few months. If you will like to
take part, please
click here |
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SEMINAR FEEDBACK
Hi David, I am still buzzing from the seminar! I have
never felt so relaxed in an atmosphere, subject of which
would normally have me panicking! You and your wife made
the whole experience far less daunting than I could've
imagined and I could have stayed there all day.
I was amazed to see so many people and immediately got
comfort from that. Also knowing that there are varying
levels of fear going on is helpful to know. I feel like
I already have a bit of a clearer knowledge of how the
mind works now and realise how the therapy would help me
in overcoming this fear.Thank
you!
Vanessa
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