EMETOPHOBIA - SICKNESS PHOBIA

Lots of people have never heard of it, in fact I had never heard of it until I realised my daughter had it!! In the beginning, I didn't even know what the problem was all I knew was that she didn't want to go to school, she constantly complained of tummy ache, she didn't like to eat much when we were out and she couldn't bear to be around anyone else who even hinted at feeling poorly. I thought she had problems with her school work, or maybe she was being bullied, or perhaps she had some sort of stomach complaint. I went to the school to talk to her teachers, I took her to the doctor, but just couldn't get to the bottom of it. All this began before I became a therapist. As I trained and learned more about the different types of phobias and phobic responses, it occured to me that maybe she had sickness phobia. I tentatively spoke to her about when she could first recall feeling like that and she told me that in her first year at school a little boy who sat next to her was sick and it went on her feet. This was the start! Then everything clicked into place! Why she didn't want to go to school - someone is always 'sick' at school when children are young. Why she didn't want to eat when we went out - because people sometimes get tummy bugs from things they eat. Then the fear gets bigger and bigger and becomes so debilitating that it begins to control their life. Fortunately, once I was fully trained, I was able to help my daughter and she is now completely free!! She was 9 when I first understood what was going on, she was 4 when the first incident occured - she suffered for 5 years before I realised what was happening. A couple of years ago, my other daughter was very ill and was projectile vomitting constantly - what a turnaround when my previously phobic daughter helped me clear up! She is now 15 and laughs when she recalls how she used to behave. A combination of psychotherapy and hypnotherapy effectively enabled her to unlock her brain from those phobic responses. Why not find out how you could help yourself or your child break free from unwanted fears of phobias.