Hypnosis for the treatment of emetophobia

Written by Ran D. Amber, MD, Amy Chambers, FNP

Emetophobia can be defined as an extreme fear of vomiting, seeing someone else vomit, or encountering vomit (Faye et al., 2013). Emetophobia can cause many problems in a patient’s daily life. Feeling unwell may cause you to panic or avoid situations where you might be exposed to someone who is sick. Emetophobia is also often associated with recurrent episodes of nausea and abdominal pain.

Emetophobia is reported to affect 0.2% to 7% of the general population (van Hout & Bouman, 2012) and is one of the most common phobias for which patients seek treatment. is often associated with. obsessive compulsive disorder disorder (OCD). Children are often affected by this phobiaOn average, it begins around age 9 (Lipsitz et al., 2001).

Emetophobia has been successfully treated with OCD and exposure-response prophylaxis (ERP), which is considered the gold standard for treatment of OCD. anxiety (Gillihan et al., 2012). ERP involves gradually increasing exposure to the substance that triggers the phobia until the patient can tolerate the fear.

For example, in treating emetophobia, the patient may first be encouraged to calm down while someone next to him is vomiting while the patient is repeatedly taken to a room. If you can tolerate this condition, you may be taken to a room where someone in the same room has said it makes you feel nauseous. A more intense exposure occurs when patients are asked to taste substances associated with vomiting. ERP has been shown to reduce fear and associated nausea in patients with emetophobia (Philips, 1985).

However, patients may be reluctant to participate in ERP because exposure to it causes fear and is very uncomfortable. Additionally, after ERP, they are instructed to continue to be exposed to the trigger, but they often avoid doing so because of the associated discomfort.

as an alternative treatmentin this blog, subconscious mind Very effective in treating emetophobia in children and adolescents.

Our patients are first introduced to this concept. subconscious mind After learning to calm yourself using hypnosis. hypnosis is “your imagination The purpose is to help oneself, and the subconscious mind is defined as the part of the mind that is not normally conscious. For young children, use the label “inner advisor” instead of “subconscious.”

Interaction with the subconscious mind can be carried out as follows: in various wayshave your subconscious mind answer questions through finger movements, speak to the patient’s voice, or write on an imaginary whiteboard.

Internal ERP

Internal ERP (iERP) was developed because patients often avoid situations that could expose them to its triggers, such as after ERP treatment. In iERP, once the subconscious mind shows the intention to help the patient, it is obliged to show the trigger image to the patient at a random time every day. The patient does not know when the image will occur and will no longer be able to avoid it. The patient’s job is to endure the image. Similar to ERP, the subconscious mind is instructed to gradually increase the intensity of the imagery over several weeks.

During this time, we saw patients weekly and subliminally checked the frequency and intensity of their iERPs. Patients report that their subconscious mind uses trigger images 2 to 10 times each day, including during sleep. dream. Patients often report that they are not always conscious of images and sometimes feel anxious for no apparent reason. The subconscious mind asks if the patient is ready to increase the intensity of the image and invites him to increase the intensity if he is ready.

In 10 of 12 patients (age range 7-24 years) who used iERP, their emetophobia resolved within 4-9 weeks.

Red light/green light system

After securing the cooperation of the subconscious mind, the patient becomes accustomed to the technique of having the subconscious mind show red and green light. For example, you can ask your subconscious mind to show you the green light “in your mind’s eye.” It has been suggested that this may look like a traffic light or other type of green light that the subconscious mind selects. The patient is asked to recognize when the subconscious mind has indicated this and to verbally explain it. For example, you might report, “It looks like a traffic light” or “It’s just a green light.” The patient is then instructed to show the same red flag in their subconscious mind, to recognize when it occurs, and to ask them to describe it verbally.

Patients are then instructed to ask their subconscious mind about typical concerns related to emetophobia, such as “Is my stomach okay today?” or “Will I feel good at school today?” Additionally, you are instructed to ask your subconscious mind any time you feel unwell, develop a stomach ache, or are worried about throwing up. It is believed that the subconscious mind responds by showing red or green light.

A green light indicates that the patient is healthy and “all right.” At this point, the patient is told that the concern is no longer needed and can be let go. Most patients readily accept this suggestion and often express a sense of relief. When a red flag appears, the patient is instructed to ask his subconscious mind what he should do to calm his stomach and follow its advice. Then, I was asked again, “Is your stomach okay now?” This process repeats until your subconscious mind gives you the green light.

All 10 patients (age range 8 to 12 years) who used the red light/green light system reported that their emetophobia became manageable or resolved within 4 to 6 weeks.

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Certain hypnosis techniques that tap into the resources of the subconscious mind can help improve or resolve emetophobia in patients.

Amy Chambers, FNP provides pediatric hypnosis and counseling in La Jolla, California.