Surviving Emetophobia: Manage your Life with Emetophobia

It's the most wonderful time of the year, right?

Emet's know Christmas and New Years equal Facebook posts full  of people coming down with the stomach flu and scaring the senses out of us.

Now is a great time to work on surviving life with emetophobia.

As I have said numerous times, I really do not believe that their is a cure for emetophobia. All of the shiny "cure-all" books are basically a waste of your money.  They might give a sense of hope that one day you will be rid of the fear, but it is doubtful that it will truly all go away.

What you can do is manage it, and manage it to a point where frankly, you are not thinking about germs and vomiting every single day of your life. How?  Well it takes a lot of work, and time, and energy, but here are a few tips.

1. Get a good therapist. Do your research and find someone who has dealt with emetophobia before with some results. This will take a lot of calling around and internet research, but it can be done. If therapy is helpful to you do it. It works and can provide your with some amazing coping techniques to get you through the emet related panic attacks.
2. Consider medication. I know to some it is taboo, something that you would rather live without, a stigma that you can't go through your day without a little pill. For me I can't. I find that having two children who are busy bees and surrounded by germy other little ones is somehow manageable with my 50mg of Zoloft a day.  I am not ashamed that taking my pill every night helps me and allows me to give my kids the life they deserve because with it I am not anxiety ridden over leaving the house.
3. Do one thing out of your comfort zone every week and pretty soon you will be amazed at how your little rituals melt away. Honestly I would not eat salad at any restaurant regardless of my love of fancy dressings. I sucked it up, started ordering salad again after a ten year lack of lettuce, and I have not gotten sick once. This also applies to letting your children play in those play areas in restaurants. I don't want to let them, but I do. You know what, other then a cold they have not caught anything.
4. Love yourself. Know you are not alone, and there is nothing wrong with having this phobia. It doesn't make you a freak and it is not something to be ashamed of. It defines you and makes you unique. It makes you who you are. 
5. Embrace some form of relaxation and do it often. It could be meditation, Yoga, or knitting. Have on thing that relaxes you. I personally love running (although I am the worlds slowest runner). I go outside and I am free to breathe the amazing fresh air, listen to my ipod, and rock a 14 minute mile (which is really more of a slow jog/fast walk, but whatever). I love races, the atmosphere, the fun, the medals at the end (or at least t-shirts). Do something and enjoy the heck out of it.

Here is to another wonderful year of Living with Emetophobia and rocking the heck out of it!