Coach Lauren Singer

How Emetophobia “Made Me” Catastrophize Everything!

Dedicated to my lovely client Niina, AR

“Nothing can make us anything.”
(Said in your choice of over-the-top accent: mafia boss? Downton Abbey duchess? Dramatic Shakespearean villain? Pick your poison. The point is, I digress.)

Right (said in definitely a British accent) but here’s the thing.
When you’ve got emetophobia, you have to be looking through a catastrophizing lens. You’ll swear,

“No, no, it’s just about throwing up! I’m totally confident in everything else, I promise!”


You might feel powerful in a few areas of your life but to have a phobia like this, there has to be a catastrophic style of thinking running underneath everything. Think of it like hardware we can tweak. Trust me, I’ve lived it. I used to catastrophize almost everything. Scroll down to see examples of what it sounds like in your head…

Car breaks down?
Doom. The end. Panic city.
What if I’m stranded? What if I get murdered by a rogue raccoon? What if the tow truck driver is a serial killer in disguise?

And don’t even get me started on relationships.
Ever caught yourself using language like:

“I’d rather die.”
“Worst day EVER.”
“It’s so hot I might melt into the pavement, pass out, and meet my untimely death in the ER.”

Same…that is until I learned to Thrive!

And then there’s the control thing…weather, plans, people’s moods… Do you obsess? Hyper-analyze? Do you assume what others are thinking and spin it into a full-on soap opera in your head?
I used to be a pro at this. I could tell you at 3am without a warning if there was going to be a tornado touch down…even if it was 5 states away!

Hindsight really is 20/20. Now as a Mental Health Coach, I’m calm, grounded, and honestly kind of blissfully meh when challenges come up. In my head, I now hear, “That stinks, but you can cope. It’ll be alright.” And just like that, I start creating a productive game plan…something I never could do when my mind was full of catastrophizing white noise. The vastly unhelpful “Emetophobia Fuzzy Brain”

That chaotic inner voice? It doesn’t have to run your life anymore. You can absolutely train your mind to stay calm, clear, and in control just like I did and my clients do. In fact, check out Rebecca’s response below months after working with me…

Because emetophobia? It’s not just about vomit.
It bleeds into everything.
It’s the spider on the wall you cannot sleep near unless it’s escorted out or obliterated.
It’s the yogurt that’s one day past expiry and is now basically toxic waste.
It’s the traffic jam that obviously means you’ll never make it home again.


Here are 10 everyday catastrophizing phrases and 10 classic emetophobia-style thoughts. If your inner voice sounds like this, it might be time to reach out.

10 Everyday Catastrophizing Phrases:

  1. “This always happens to me.”
  2. “It’s ruined. Everything’s ruined.”
  3. “I literally can’t handle this.”
  4. “This is a disaster.”
  5. “If one more thing goes wrong, I’m done.”
  6. “Why does this stuff only happen to me?”
  7. “I’m going to lose it.”
  8. “It’s over. My life is over.”
  9. “I knew this would be the worst day.”
  10. “This is the beginning of the end.”

10 Classic Emetophobia Catastrophizing Thoughts:

  1. “If I feel even a little off, I’m definitely going to vomit.”
  2. “That person coughed…what if they have a stomach bug…I better hold my breath around them?”
  3. “What if I get sick on this trip and can’t get home?”
  4. “I can’t eat that. What if it makes me sick?”
  5. “I touched a doorknob…oh no…what if I picked up a virus?”
  6. “What if I throw up in public and everyone sees?”
  7. “What if I wake up nauseous in the middle of the night?”
  8. “What if I never get better from this fear?”
  9. “I can’t be around kids…they’re basically germ factories.”
  10. “If I get a stomach ache, that’s it. I’m going to lose control.”

Breathe.
Laugh.
Remind yourself: that tiny dramatic voice in your head? It’s not you.
It’s just a habit. One we can reconstruct together. I did. My clients do everyday and you can too.


Message me on Instagram directly (for a fast response) if you want to start learning how to live a calmer, saner, way of thinking 💛

Having a head full of fearful thoughts is no way to live, I know exactly how it feels and what it feels like to no longer have them controlling you. There’s no reason to keep suffering when we know how to dismantle this fear. You can absolutely overcome it and a lot quicker than you’ve probably been told. Believe it is possible and reach out to me today with the word PEACE and we’ll get you started on YOUR emetophobia free journey #emetophobia #thriveprogramme #emetophobiarecovery #emetophobiaawareness #emetophobiahelp THIS IS EMETOPHOBIA RECOVERY IN REAL TIME 💪 Watching you take on challenges with confidence is incredible. I’m genuinely proud of you! Keep working hard and pushing yourself daily… This is why I’m a Thrive Coach who now specializes in emetophobia. I have lived it. I know what it feels like to be isolated, misunderstood, and judged. Learning to Thrive gave me everything back, including my self esteem, self worth, and the self power to know that I could handle anything and cope with whatever might happen. It helped me stop living with restrictions and you can too. Emetophobia Tip: Look at this young lady’s progress! 💪We had just talked about how her brother might get sick and how much she wants to show up for him and be the calm and in control. Only a few weeks ago, she had taken herself to the emergency room, panicking, and now look at her go! Even though the chances were small, he did end up getting sick. Then the whole family caught the flu. And she handled it with so much calm, confidence, and control. She managed her emotions beautifully and took care of the people she loves. If you’re watching this and quietly thinking, “I wish that could be me…” There was a time when emetophobia completely ran my life. I tried everything. CBT. Talk therapy. EMDR. Even transcranial magnetic stimulation. I spent so much money, felt so desperate, and still nothing truly helped or stuck. My parents didn’t know what to do and thought it might just be a phase. Inside, I felt hopeless. This client came to me struggling with severe emetophobia, restricting her eating and even drinking water at times. When we first met, it was hard for her to leave the house or even get out of the car. And now, just weeks later, she has come so far and it truly shows 💪 If you’re feeling stuck in your emetophobia recovery, it doesn’t mean anything dramatic. It simply shows there are still a few ingredients in your mental health that need tuning. That’s normal. You’re not broken and you haven’t failed. It just means your mind needs more of the right input, consistency, and intention to finish the job.

https://www.instagram.com/emetophobia_free_with_lauren/

Comments

3 responses to “How Emetophobia “Made Me” Catastrophize Everything!”

  1. Avatar
    Anonymous

    love💕 very spot on!

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    1. Lauren Singer Avatar
      Lauren Singer

      Thank you, I appreciate your comment:) I hope they are relatable!

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    2. Lauren Singer Avatar
      Lauren Singer

      I’m so glad you found this helpful! Thank you for your comment!

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