Deconstructing Emetophobia:

Unveiling the Components of Emetophobia with The Thrive Programme

Boy, I hate defining so much of my past with this stupid thing. It’s not even a real “thing”, like, a set of beliefs about an event that I created anxiety over shouldn’t have that kind of power, you know? What has helped me the most, actually, is realizing that. It really was all in my mind. But…if someone had attempted to explain all this to me before I completed the Thrive Programme, I definitely would have given them some lip. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. You think because you’ve researched all about your fear and read blogs, forums, and support group comments that no one can tell you anything new. I remember thinking what is inside this manual that is going to ACTUALLY cure my suffering.

My coach strongly urged me to basically stop finding all the reasons it wouldn’t work, stop resisting, and to trust the predictability and evidence behind the programme. I needed that push back and you may as well.

The way I think of emetophobia now is much like how I conceptualize other mental health problems: as a set of symptoms in a particular order built up from a foundation- like a Lego house. Or we might think of Emetophobia as created with a recipe or formula that is almost exactly the same for everyone. This is how Rob explains it and the moment a lightbulb in my brain lit up. All the bits and bobs must be in place for symptoms to start appearing, and it is only when they appear in a certain order together that we label the set of behaviors or symptoms according to their usual manifestation.

This information is crucial for your recovery because you have no reason to fear the unknown because Rob has pulled apart, through decades of face to face work and research, what makes emetophobia…well emetophobia. It isn’t some big scary monster in your closet waiting to attack you at any moment. It was created. You don’t even need to take the time to figure out how it was, just do the programme and it will begin to dissipate week after week as you feel more and more empowered and happier.

The way symptoms are created and maintained is PREDICTABLE. This is a big relief for someone who is struggling with something so debilitating and has only heard the following from doctors and even psychologists: “Emetophobia, I’ve never heard of that. What is it?” When you hear this, especially as a young person desperate for help, it feels like a kick in the gut. If the professionals have never even heard of what this is that I am experiencing, then how can they know what it is and worst of all…how can they have the remotest idea about how to treat it!? This often leads to more feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness for the sufferer.

Furthermore, it also places parents of suffering children in a state of ambiguity, leaving them feeling lost and hopeless for their child’s well-being. Now what? I want to talk more about it later but side note, exposure therapy is not typically successful for Emetophobia so if you’re a parent reading this please do not go that route as it can make the symptoms worse thereafter.

If one understands just how emetophobia is created and can visualize the components like boxes with labels on them, it becomes reasonable that we can deal with those boxes as individual bits. One at a time or sometimes a few can be dealt with by one piece of education—whether they need to be disassembled, reworked, challenged, or changed in some way, thus allowing us to “correct” what was built wrong. When you change your beliefs about the phobia, the thoughts begin to cease and lower in quantity very quickly, why, because you are not keeping the belief alive and therefore are not keeping the thoughts alive. Once the big scary powerless thoughts and what if scenarios cease then the anxiety and stress do as well. It is a chain reaction in a good way.

Emetophobia comes with all the wonderful complexities like potential collusive parenting, disgust propensity, black and white thinking, high desire for control but low coping skills, negative thinking styles, and more. Mental health is built upon 26 key blocks or components that, if optimized and used in helpful ways, we will no longer create symptoms, i.e., things like anxiety/OCD behaviors and even headaches. Yes, it is that simple and that is a beautiful thing.

It is surprisingly simple but not always easy. When we are in the dark throws of how an emetophobe thinks, we can understand why it is harder to get started. You see, like I was doing before I began the program, emetophobes use almost all those component parts in unhelpful ways, which can make it more difficult for them to get started. Their high desire for control is a component which can delay or impede them from overcoming (this is addressed in the programme which is why we say-JUST DO IT-once those unhelpful thinking styles resolve the journey becomes easier and smoother. More about that later.

Learning this basic understanding of how emetophobia is created gave me hope. That’s why hearing Rob Kelly speak was like a breath of fresh air. That’s why the testimonials are so powerful. They are real, they are down-to-earth, and genuine. These are others like you and me who have suffered, some even for 70+ years, only to find this gift. This freedom…

This and many more tools I learned in the Thrive Programme gave ME the power back. I had the potential, (and so will you when you take your Thrive journey) to grab the reins back and control my life and my mental health. This is more than a psycho-educational program. It is a gift. It is a lifelong “cure” because what you learn is molded into your cognition much like learning to ride a bike…you can’t unsee it…you can’t unlearn it, the worst case is you may need a follow up session to understand more how to apply what you’ve learned already to a new scenario. That isn’t a worst case actually, it’s a great thing because learning and growing and applying the programme in new ways is always helpful and beneficial.

I’ve seen some critique the programme without fully completing it, slacking on the exercises, not putting the right kind of effort, not putting in the right amount of effort, expecting to just overcome with a lack of passion or discipline…no you must study it like your life depends on it, like you’ll be tested for a life or death scenario! Once you really study/know/apply the manual, there is NOTHING that will stop you from OVERCOMING. I am urging you, if you are suffering from emetophobia (or your child is), do the programme, start next week!! Don’t suffer another day. You deserve better. You deserve Your Life Better!