Episode 5 · The Emetophobia Podcast
Emetophobia — why exposure therapy doesn’t work
‘Marginally better’ is not good enough when it comes to this phobia.
Exposure therapy — gradually exposing yourself to a feared situation — has some benefits for sufferers of most phobias, but not those with emetophobia. Why is emetophobia mostly unresponsive to exposure? What are the likely side-effects of exposure therapy? Why should you undertake Emetophobia-Free instead?
What is exposure therapy?
Exposure therapy focuses on exposing the individual to the stimuli — in this case, feeling, being or seeing sick — and forces the individual to tolerate the presence of those stimuli. It’s normally delivered by a therapist, psychologist or specialist. The idea is that once an individual has been exposed to and tolerated their phobia, they will overcome it.
“In one of the largest studies on graduated exposure therapy, participants were reported to be ‘marginally better’.”
Rob KellyWhy doesn’t exposure work for emetophobia?
In one of the largest studies completed on graduated exposure therapy, participants were reported to be ‘marginally better’ with regard to their emetophobia symptoms. In this episode it is explained why ‘marginally better’ — and even ‘90% better’ — is inadequate when it comes to overcoming emetophobia. Those who recommend exposure therapy for emetophobia are probably those who have never had emetophobia, never undergone exposure therapy, or are professionals who have a poor understanding of emetophobia and of the desire for control and obsessive thinking styles that come with it.
What does the programme do differently?
The Thrive Programme is different on the basis that it teaches you how to cope, think and feel in a way that is powerful, resilient and helpful. If you are subjected to the stimuli of your anxiety without adequate preparation, and without the knowledge that you can cope, you are more likely to reinforce your anxiety, the learned helplessness and the panic you have associated with it.
In order to overcome mental health issues, especially emetophobia, a person has to gently move forward, take back control of their life, gently build a confident skill set, and then in a safe and controlled way address the erroneous thinking that caused their symptoms in the first place.
This episode featured discussion between Joe Manuel and Rob Kelly.