How can I overcome a phobia?

Question

I have a phobia of vomit and I really want it to stop

Answer 1

They say the best way to get over a phobia is to face it.

Answer 2

All phobias are bought on from earlier memories when something like a big event happens in your life - If you think deep down and back to when you were younger you could pin point where the phobia started and slowly overcome it. If it is a fear of vomit then again just thinking about how it started could help you understand the fear or phobia and allow you to forget about it. That's what I did as I had a phobia of snakes but have recently held a boa constrictor. It wasn't too bad. I'm not saying you should go out and hold some vomit though!

Answer 3

Before anything, you need to make sure that this is a PHOBIA and not the phenomenon of domino effect vomitting. When someone vomits, most people who see, smell or hear it actually vomit or come close to it. this is normal. A phobia is grown from a seed or trigger in your own experiances. You may want to ask yourself or a therapist WHY you fear vomit if that is the case. Good luck!

Answer 4

From experience i would have said that to get better from being phobic, you just have to face it, expect you will be terrified, but do it anyway. That's what i did for a couple of phobias - and although i am not completely free of the fears, they don't rule my life anymore - i can cope with them.

However, with your phobia you cannot really do that as you will not know when you have to face it, and you cannot plan to either. Therefore, i would go and see someone like a psychiatrist and ask for their help.

By the way, sometimes phobias are more extreme if you are suffering from depression. If that was the case, i think you would find that getting treatment for depression would help somewhat, to lessen the phobic feelings. That's what i found.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Let me share with you how I overcame my fears. I saw a psychiatrist and a psychologist and they both helped me. I have really bad PTSD and one of those memories was of surviving a category five hurricane in Miami, FL in 1992. Yeah, I was really afraid of storms for a long time.

Then I was helped by my psychiatrist and my psychologist. The psychiatrist gave me something called Cyproheptadine, which removed the emotional attachment from a memory so that my phobia was easier to face and then my psychologist helped my by helping me to change the way I felt by changing the way I think. Now I look at my fear(s) this way and they are few today. Fear is a reaction to a threat either real or imagined, so I ask myself: Is this a real or an imagined threat? If the threat is real (surgery, outside in a severe storm, etc.), then I have a reason to be afraid and to act (fight or flight). But if the fear is imagined, then I have nothing to fight and nothing to flee. What I have to do then, is slow down my breathing and focus on slowing down my heart rate. This changes the way I feel by changing the way I think. See, it's not a matter of positive thinking. It's a matter of taking specific steps to face your fear and feel better. But do it with the help of a psychologist and/or psychiatrist. Best of luck!

Answer 6

I agree with the others who said the best way is to face your fear. But you need to work up to that with the help of a trained professional. CBT (cognitive begavioural therapy) often has a good outcome for phobias. Maybe you could see your GP and ask for a referral.

Answer 7

Perhaps you should see a professional for further instruction, but until then, I suggest you face the phobia head on.

Answer 8

Emetephobia (not sure thats the right spelling) is quite common. Like most serious phobias it requires trained counselling to lessen it effects

Answer 9

hypnotherapy is a good way to overcome a phobia but only go to a reputable one

Answer 10

Best cure for a phobia is to face your fear.