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15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

vomiting

Wow, that's strangely comforting :) I also am here because of emetophobia. I'm 23 now and have been terrified of vomiting since I was 8 or 9 at the latest. I'm glad I'm not the only one here!

I've started doing exposure therapy: pictures! There's a really great and gradual and SAFE site (ie. each picture is behind a link that explains exactly what you will see in the picture, and there are no surprises)on the web. I hope that helps some of you too.

Take care and God bless!

Faith

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

Newbie! Any other Christians here??

Hi everyone,

I don't have generalized anxiety disorder / agoraphobia like most people here seem to have (I've been lurking around reading a bit on these boards!), :) but I still thought the Panic Centre Program might help me as I've been having frequent panic attacks lately due to a specific phobia.

You probably won't believe this, but I used to envy people who "just" had random panic attacks or generalized anxiety disorder, because working through a specific phobia, something you've been totally specifically terrified of for most of your life, in my case, is so difficult and scary in itself - every level of the exposure therapy seems like it's the hardest you can possibly handle. After reading some posts on here, however, I am beginning to think that they might be more comparable than I thought! So I admire all of you who are able to deal with not knowing what situations may tempt you to panic - I know exactly what will tempt me to panic, it's just that it's impossible to avoid it!!

On another note, I wondered if there are any other Christians here on the boards. Anyone? :) I have been considering a few things lately about fear, one of which (#1) you may agree with but no one else will, I imagine:

1. My fear is a sin. It amounts to not trusting that God has everything under control and has planned every trial I will have to face in my life. "God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Cor. 10:13).

2. My fear is a habit. It's taken years to get this bad, but habits can be broken and/or replaced with better habits!

3. My fear is a choice. Jesus said in Luke 21:14, "Make up your mind not to worry." That means we do have a choice, and that has been really hard for me to accept, along with #1, because for years I assumed that I had no choice about whether or not to panic in my phobic situation - it "just happened." But it's so liberating to begin to realize that that isn't true! We DO have the choice, even if it seems to be hiding somewhere!

Anyway, I'm glad to "meet" you all and I wish you all many successes in overcoming whatever it is you face! :)

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

Newbie! Any other Christians here??

Thank you birdie and Breanne!

My phobia is of vomiting, and I posted in one other (old) thread about it - I'm glad to know I'm not the only one on here :)

I started the program last Tuesday and have been recording my anxious thoughts and panic attacks since then. So I guess tomorrow I should start Session 2, right? I think I will keep recording things, because for some reason it really helps me to see how my thoughts get away with me. I've also noticed it's often at the same times of day, too, that I worry the most.

I agree, birdie - if we were perfect, we would never get caught up in worry, but since we're so far from perfect, we still do sometimes, and some of us more often than others! Everyone has at least one specific weakness I think. And I TOTALLY agree that this has brought me closer to God and is therefore a good thing in a way! I added you to my instant messenger thingee, I hope that's ok - I don't really know how to use it yet though, hehe.

I'm reading a really good book right now called Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety, written by a Christian lady, Elyse Fitzpatrick. I highly recommend it. In fact I would mail it to you if you wanted to read it after me, it's so good!!

Thanks again for the warm welcome :)

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

Newbie! Any other Christians here??

Birdie: I've told quite a few people about the phobia - my parents/sister/cousin, my husband, his sister and mom, and a whole whack of friends/teachers/people from my church including my pastor. All of my good friends know. It affects me so much that I can't imagine trying to hide it from anyone I spend a lot of time with or am really close to. A few people have also found out by accident - ie. people I wouldn't really have told - like a previous landlady, a nurse, who found me panicking one day. I had to tell her what was going on because she was worried, and she said she had never heard of emetophobia before! Alas, it is so little-known.

I hope the thing at your church goes well! I'm sure it will be one more step in your recovery.

And thanks for the welcome, minnesota! :)

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

Oops

Welcome! I just got here too! I wish you well in your recovery. :)

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

How do you upload avatars?

Hey everybody, I can't figure this one out!

I figured out how to start a blog, but not how to add an avatar or a video. Any help??? :)

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

Therapist

Hi Miki,

I also think therapy can be helpful. Even with a person I didn't quite trust, I got quite a lot done. But I stopped going to him about a year ago I guess, or just over maybe, and I'm starting with someone new in September. I hope it works out! A bit part of it is whether you trust the person and are comfortable with them. I hope you find someone! :)

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

Self harm

Is anyone else tempted to self harm when they start panicking? I've struggled with that since my phobia began, which was about 12 years ago.

Lately I've picked up a couple of those stress balls that feel so nice and squishy, and when I'm tempted to use my hands to hurt my body in various ways, I squish them instead! It helps more than I thought it would to have something else to do with my hands when I'm anxious.

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this! Thanks! :)

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

How do you upload avatars?

Hooray, thanks CM! :)

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

Hi All~New Here

Welcome honeyB! I just got here too, about a week ago, and everyone is ever so friendly!

Don't worry about taking what you feel is a long time to get over things - some things are really hard to get over! I wish you all the best in your recovery.

And life is beautiful! Sometimes, I know it seems corny, but if I just start listing the things I'm thankful for . . . "counting my blessings," if you like . . . I'm amazed at how long the list is and it cheers me right up :)

Take care!

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