Podcast : I suffered with Emetophobia for almost 50 years - Now I’m cured!

Anne’s belief became ‘if someone else is sick around me ill, be sick too’. Anne recognised how low her self-esteem really was, and how much she hid her phobia from others because she feared their judgement. Her phobia prevented her from pursuing a career as a primary school teacher, because the germs and school trips felt too overwhelming for her to handle. Now she is Emetophobia free, Anne recognises that she created nausea by feeling so anxious.

This feeling followed Anne throughout her adulthood. Travel and Emetophobia: On Anne’s 50th birthday, when travelling to Paris, her friend became ill at the airport. As a result, Anne to almost completely withdrew from the trip. This was Anne’s final straw for wanting to overcome her Emetophobia. Anne began alternative therapy, but was aware she needed this to be Emetophobia specific. From here, she came across the Emetophobia-Free Programme!

The programme was so impactful for Anne, that she was then able to book her 2nd Paris trip because she now had the skills to cope with experiences outside of her control! Despite seeing someone being unwell on this trip, Anne was able to use her skills to override the anxiety, and choose to take back control over it by gaining perspective. Emetophobia as a mother: Anne now recognises the fixation she had on her children’s wellbeing. She would often ask them how they felt, which she realised may have encouraged them to create anxiety about how they felt.

During pregnancy, Anne experienced morning sickness, however the control aspect regarding sickness increased for Anne when her children began going to school. If a bug was going around, Anne became anxious, and her children’s father would need to handle the childcare which impacted how effective and confident she felt as a mother Anne prevented herself from eating when her children were unwell, and despite knowing she was okay when she was poorly, her beliefs remained that being sick was the worst thing in the world because she hadn’t developed the skills to tackle her thinking!

When experiencing her phobia, Anne didn’t want anyone to recognise she had it, and spent a lot of time trying to cover it up. Despite this, it remained all consuming within Anne’s mind In Anne’s words, “Don’t wait 50 years to get rid of your Emetophobia!”.

If you are suffering with Emetophobia and are contemplating working on it, do not hesitate for another second!

This episode of The Emetophobia-Free Podcast with Thrive Programme Coaches Michelle Johnson & Anne Best