Emetophobia Forums Won"t Help Cure Emetophobia
That is a little bit of a bold statement I just made: "Emetophobia forums won't help you cure emetophobia.
" I believe there is a large danger involved in heavy participation on emetophobia forums.
To be more accurate, this danger exists in any sympathy-heavy environment in which emetophobes interact, but online forums are perhaps the most prominent example of this.
Surely forums and similar interactions can be beneficial to your struggle with emetophobia, but I want to also make you aware of the danger that they can be, and the ways in which they can actually harm your goal of overcoming your fear.
Forums are great for sympathetic feelings Everyone loves to hear sympathetic sentiments from time to time and that is a normal part of our social experience as human beings.
There are many cases where interaction with other emetophobes through a forum (or other means) can be beneficial: * Asking advice about hygiene * Asking how to deal with anxiety, nausea * Asking for advice in dealing with spouses, significant others, or loves ones * Learning about others' experiences with CBT and/or other forms of treatment The problem is that these benefits can be easily overshadowed by the huge danger on these forums.
The danger is very subtle in nature, so it is also extremely difficult to participate in these forums without having this danger take a toll on you in some degree.
Catering to Your Phobia Much like censoring words like "vomit," social interactions with other emetophobes, particularly on forums, often serve to reinforce your phobia.
The advice and interactions you take part in can make you feel like the non-phobics are the bad guys, and that your logic and fear is sound and reasonable.
Consider these statements you might hear through interaction with other emetophobes: * "Oh I'm so sorry! What was that guy thinking when he puked in public, he should know better and be aware that people don't want to see that.
" * "It's totally understandable to have freaked out during that movie, that seen with the vomit is really gross" Trying to cure emetophobia is an active struggle; a fight against your own desires and reason.
This means that you must always keep in mind that your desires and reasoning are illogical.
But that is the exact opposite of many of the messages you receive through forums or other social interactions with fellow emetophobes.
Many of these messages actually suggest that your logic is okay, catering to your phobia, suggesting it is normal, which without you realizing it, can do tremendous damage to your resolve to cure emetophobia.
It is for these reasons that you need a planned treatment program to cure your emetophobia, as opposed to trying to cure emetophobia personally with help only from the emetophobia community.
Other struggling emetophobes might be able to be sympathetic and motivating, but they can't help you make the daily, personal decisions that you must make to cure emetophobia, and often their sympathy can be detrimental to your ability to make those decisions.
" I believe there is a large danger involved in heavy participation on emetophobia forums.
To be more accurate, this danger exists in any sympathy-heavy environment in which emetophobes interact, but online forums are perhaps the most prominent example of this.
Surely forums and similar interactions can be beneficial to your struggle with emetophobia, but I want to also make you aware of the danger that they can be, and the ways in which they can actually harm your goal of overcoming your fear.
Forums are great for sympathetic feelings Everyone loves to hear sympathetic sentiments from time to time and that is a normal part of our social experience as human beings.
There are many cases where interaction with other emetophobes through a forum (or other means) can be beneficial: * Asking advice about hygiene * Asking how to deal with anxiety, nausea * Asking for advice in dealing with spouses, significant others, or loves ones * Learning about others' experiences with CBT and/or other forms of treatment The problem is that these benefits can be easily overshadowed by the huge danger on these forums.
The danger is very subtle in nature, so it is also extremely difficult to participate in these forums without having this danger take a toll on you in some degree.
Catering to Your Phobia Much like censoring words like "vomit," social interactions with other emetophobes, particularly on forums, often serve to reinforce your phobia.
The advice and interactions you take part in can make you feel like the non-phobics are the bad guys, and that your logic and fear is sound and reasonable.
Consider these statements you might hear through interaction with other emetophobes: * "Oh I'm so sorry! What was that guy thinking when he puked in public, he should know better and be aware that people don't want to see that.
" * "It's totally understandable to have freaked out during that movie, that seen with the vomit is really gross" Trying to cure emetophobia is an active struggle; a fight against your own desires and reason.
This means that you must always keep in mind that your desires and reasoning are illogical.
But that is the exact opposite of many of the messages you receive through forums or other social interactions with fellow emetophobes.
Many of these messages actually suggest that your logic is okay, catering to your phobia, suggesting it is normal, which without you realizing it, can do tremendous damage to your resolve to cure emetophobia.
It is for these reasons that you need a planned treatment program to cure your emetophobia, as opposed to trying to cure emetophobia personally with help only from the emetophobia community.
Other struggling emetophobes might be able to be sympathetic and motivating, but they can't help you make the daily, personal decisions that you must make to cure emetophobia, and often their sympathy can be detrimental to your ability to make those decisions.
