Emetophobia and Eating Disorders Recovery - must-see videos...

Here at Emetophobia-free, we have many testimonial reviews, both written and recorded testimonies, left by happy, thriving people who have achieved emetophobia and eating disorders recovery after completing our programme. Here you can see a small selection of these video reviews, each one a personal, honest account of the journey to being emetophobia-free. Click on any video to play it...

The Essentials of Emetophobia and Eating Disorders

Generally, emetophobes can usually think in a calm manner about ‘worst-case’ scenarios in many areas and aspects of their lives but not around the issue of being sick. In relation to vomit they always worry and brood about what might go wrong - the current sickness bug going around, drinkers coming out of the pub late at night, levels of hygiene in public places and the home, and the food they eat. This is why emetophobes can often develop eating disorders alongside their emetophobia.

Eating disorders essentially involve unhealthy attitudes towards food. These attitudes can be expressed in vastly different ways from bingeing through to avoidance (overindulgence to underuse). As a result, there are several well-known eating disorders which have very contrasting behaviours, processes and outcomes for the sufferer. All of these disorders can be life-threatening if left untreated.

Anorexia and Emetophobia

Emetophobes with anorexia will frequently have a very distorted self-image which can be the catalyst for their desire to keep their weight at unhealthily low levels. They can develop rigid methods of minimising their intake around what they will or won't eat as well as where and when they will eat. Alongside this eating regime they may also over-exercise, make themselves sick (contrary to their emetophobia) or misuse laxatives in order to get rid of the eaten food.

ARFID and Emetophobia

An acronym of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, ARFID is a condition that is characterised by the sufferer avoiding food types, whether that is a specific group of foods or simply all food types as a whole. This particular eating disorder is extremely commonplace amongst emetophobes who may have experienced severe fear and anxiety around the consequences of food and eating. Many emetophobes will restrict their food intake to perceived 'safe' foods.

Binge Eating and Emetophobia

Binge eating is the process of eating large quantities of food in a short time. Emetophobes who binge eat tend not to, unlike sufferers of bulimia, get rid of the food after consumption. It is possible that binge eating emetophobes may fast (avoid food) for long periods in between bouts of bingeing. Far from being 'overindulgence', binge eating can be extremely distressing with the sufferer often ingesting far more food than they would normally want or need. Episodes of binge eating are more likely to be habitual or planned than simply spur-of-the-moment urges.

Bulimia and Emetophobia

Bulimia ordinarily would not appear to be a symptom that sits neatly alongside emetophobia. Bulimics generally would perform a cycle of behaviours where they would over-eat (as in binge eating) and then purging (as in anorexia) to expel the ingested food, something that emetophobes generally avoid. However, purging may not necessarily mean vomiting and bulimics have been known to purge themselves with fasting, laxatives, diuretics and over-exercising to rid themselves of the calories. As with anorexia, bulimics place strong emphasis on their weight.

The Causes and Recovery of Emetophobia and Eating Disorders

Let's get one thing clear - emetophobia and any eating disorders that accompany it, are complex issues that can't be either explained or cured in a paragraph or two. However, in essence, there are a number of psychological components that lay at the heart of these symptoms, such as beliefs, behaviours, control etc. One of the more significant components is self-esteem which has a critical impact on emetophobia and eating disorders.

The Relationship between Emetophobia and Self-Esteem

For many people self-esteem hinges on their physical appearance and how attractive or slim they feel. They believe that being in control of their weight means that they are in control of how others perceive, value and like them. Those with emetophobia and accompanying eating disorders however, will often attribute how bad they feel on their appearance when in actual fact these negative emotions are the result of low self-esteem and negative self-talk. Anorexics for example have a very distorted view of themselves and will then act on these negative feelings as a method of trying to gain some control over the emotions.

Those with these eating disorders will binge eat and/or starve themselves in order to alleviate those negative feelings when in actual fact these behaviours are mere outlets or releases that provide only very short-term relief. Due to the excessive worrying that they do, they tend to possess strong 'perfectionist' streaks and unhelpful 'black and white' thinking, and most are compelled to exert tremendous control over their emotions and their lives. It is this strong desire to over-control all aspects of their lives, whether internal emotions or external situations, that cause many emetophobes with co-symptoms such as eating disorders, anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Examples of Safety-Seeking Behaviours

emetophobia and over checking food packaging

Over checking use-by and sell-by dates

Excessive hand-washing

Avoidance of 'danger-foods' such as eggs or chicken

Worrying about sickness bugs going around

Emetophobia and Eating Disorders Recovery

Nearly 20,000 people worldwide have overcome Emetophobia and their accompanying symptoms such as eating disorders using our unique programme. Based on clinical experience, scientific research and applied psychology, we will explain how your emetophobia was created, and how you can - safely and carefully - get rid of it completely.

Although Emetophobia and eating disorders are serious phobias you should not feel disheartened. Over the past 30 years, we have successfully helped thousands upon thousands of sufferers - of all ages, from all walks of life and from all over the world - to completely overcome their phobia and take back control of their mental health.

We've created an easy-to-follow, 6-8-week, step-by-step programme that anyone can go through to overcome emetophobia completely and permanently.

The programme manual + support videos are inexpensive, easy to access and are inspiring and empowering from the very start.

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