Emetophobia Success Stories

Each of the following Emetophobia Success Stories are from genuine people in the Wolverhampton and West Midlands area who have given full permission for the publishing of their stories.

We have helped in excess of 100 people to overcome Emetophobia (The Fear of Being Sick or Vomiting) all over the World using our advanced programme of Tranceformental CBT.

Thrive Programme no longer available

Tranceform Psychology no longer offer the Thrive Programme which is cited in a number of these emetophobia success stories.

Paul was a Thrive Consultant since the inception of the programme in 2011 through to 2021.

Since becoming a Master’s level Psychologist in 2020 Paul has gone onto to create a more up-to-date programme of Psychosocal therapy based around the theories of Self-Determination, Social Psychology and Social Constructionism called “Tranceformental CBT”.

Louise’s Emetophobia Success Story

“I Cured My Emetophobia with Thrive” – October 2016

When I met Paul I was feeling very low. I have had ‘emetophobia’ for around 20 years and I’d always thought that was just the way my life would be. I thought about sick (being sick, feeling sick, others being sick) all day, every day and carried out many safety behaviours, thinking I was preventing myself from catching a bug or becoming sick.

I didn’t let my phobia ruin my life or stop me from doing anything I really wanted to do but it certainly ruled my life and had a big part to play in the choices I made.

When I felt nauseous (which was often a daily occurrence) it would send me into a panic attack, worrying, overthinking and shaking in anxiety. I thought I was a positive person – I had re-trained and secured my dream job and lost weight both of which I thought would change my life but having achieved both I realised they didn’t.

The light bulb moment was an anticipated visit to the dentist. I knew I would have to have some work done. I was anxious for two whole days and I tried to explain to my sister (through tears and high emotion) why I was so worried – I thought the dentist would make me sick. She gave me the kick I needed and suggested I visit the doctor to try to sort my problem out.

So Monday morning I just about got myself into the dentist chair and he managed to file my tooth down. Afterwards I burst into tears and was about to go to the doctors but I told myself that they would probably see me in this state and prescribe anti-depressants which I certainly did not want or need. I went home and searched the internet for an alternative option when I came across the Thrive Programme.

I watched some of the testimonials and thought this was exactly what I needed, so I ordered Rob’s book from Amazon. Further research on the website while waiting for the book to arrive lead me to Paul’s website. Rob tells you that you can work through the book yourself but I thought ‘If I’m going to do this then I want to do it properly’ so I contacted Paul and set up an initial consultation later that week.

I started the Thrive Programme the next week and anxiously returned to Paul’s practice, not knowing how this would go or what to expect. That first meeting Paul explained the relationship between the Locus of Control, Self Esteem and Social Anxiety and completed a quiz to see where I sat on all three. My self-esteem was very low and my social anxiety very high. I became very emotional that I had such a low opinion of myself.

Throughout the weeks I have worked through the book a chapter at a time, completing the actions and then talking about them and the rest of my week with Paul at the end of the week.

Eight weeks in (with two to go), I believe that my ‘emetophobia’ is gone (in fact, I’ve learnt that it wasn’t real to begin with!) I have dealt with situations I’ve been presented with in a calm manner where before I would have panicked and brooded over them, knowing I now have the skills to deal with anything. I have challenged and stopped carrying out my safety behaviours and I have tried so many new activities in addition to working through the book that I wonder what I was doing with my time before I started! My self-esteem has soared and my social anxiety has lowered dramatically.

Like most things in life it hasn’t been easy but it is most definitely worth it, I’ve had to put in time, hard work and effort to look at my limiting belief systems and unhelpful thinking styles and changing them to more helpful, positive ones.

Paul has been an incredible support, challenging me when I needed it and listening, offering additional suggestions and examples to help me to understand things. Since that first week I have looked forward to my weekly visit knowing I was on the path to a better, happier, more confident life, ruled by me and not my horrible fear.

I turned 40 this year and I can honestly say ‘Life begins at 40!!’

I would recommend Paul and the Thrive Programme to anyone with ‘emetophobia’

Rachel’s Emetophobia Success Story

Rachel’s Experience: July 2014

I first came across the Thrive Programme in October 2013 in a last desperate search for help and support for my fear of  being sick.

At the time I was a new mom and had just experienced my first round of the Noro-Virus with my Son and Husband.

The fear of being sick was consuming me because unlike before I couldn’t escape from the responsibilities of being a mom.

For as long as I can remember I had a fear of sick, always thinking I was the only person in the world with this fear and constantly being told by others that it was a ridiculous thing to be frightened of which as you can imagine did nothing for my self confidence either.

Coming across the Thrive Emetophobia by Rob Kelly book online is one of the best things that has ever happened to me!

After reading the book at home I just knew it was the start of a new life, however something wasn’t quite clicking and I felt I needed extra support.

After emailing and then attending a free consultation meeting with Paul I just knew working with him would be the final step in understanding why I had this fear.

Over  the course of 10 sessions I have completely changed how I look at life.

Above everything else I have learnt to treat myself with respect and have confidence in the fact that I am capable of taking control and that it is me (and only me) who is in fact the catalyst for my unhelpful thinking styles which create my fear.

It has been an emotional roller coaster for me and also very interesting to explore my learned behaviours and how i’ve created a bubble that I have been living in for all these years including avoiding social situations, taking risks, vomit avoidance tactics and a complete reliance on others when it comes to my own child and vomit but the biggest challenge was learning for the first time how to cope with this overwhelming and unusual happiness I was experiencing.

The mind is an extremely powerful tool.

Thrive will help you to retrain how you think and look at life.

Its hard work and takes dedication.

Its something you must apply yourself to every day but I know that its impossible for me to go back to how I was when I first walked in to Paul’s office.

If you have any phobia which is consuming your life like Emetophobia was for me then I would 100% recommend Thrive to you.

Having been through different types of therapy through most of my adult life its nice to know I can finally stop searching.

I am eternally greatful to Paul for his support and guidance and so proud of myself for how far I have come today.

Ricardo’s Emetophobia Success Story

Riccardo’s Experience: July 2014

Before I met Paul I was in a bad place, I wouldn’t leave my house or do anything because I lacked confidence and also because of my Emetophobia.

The thrive programme has made me realise how to control my thoughts and made me realise how I was the one creating the fear, not only has it helped me overcome my fear but also its changed me as a person.

I’ve quit my job and I’m now pursuing a career as a gardener, which I want, this is because Paul and the programme have given me a burst of confidence.

It’s helped open my eyes to many things and not only just my fear.

I’m now able to manage my thinking and control it.

I would recommend this programme to everyone; even those without phobias etc.

It really has opened my eyes to a new life, a better me.

Thank you Paul and make sure you keep in touch

Riccardo Woolcock (RIP Riccardo)

Miss J’s Emetophobia Success Story

Miss J’s Experience

I first contacted Paul as I suffered from a number of things – which were really affecting my life. Low self esteem, social anxiety, no confidence, panic attacks but most of all emetophobia.

All of the above affected my life in a big way.

I wouldn’t eat out unless completely unavoidable, I wouldn’t travel if I wasn’t the driver, I wouldn’t go out on my own or with friends except for lunch break. I wouldn’t eat new food, I would only trust 2 people to cook for me (my mom and my partners mom) I didn’t go on holiday, I wouldn’t speak in front/to people I didn’t know well face to face.

I would panic to the point where we would nearly have to call an ambulance if I felt poorly, I wouldn’t stay in the house on my own, be around anyone with a bug or who had been in contact with someone who had been poorly and as for babies – that was a no go!… The list could go on forever.

Paul suggested a course in Changing Limiting Beliefs. (Now called the Thrive Programme)

With Paul and at home, I worked through my course book completing all exercises and talking through my issues at weekly sessions.

Since I have completed the course – now 8 weeks ago I have improved a lot.

I have completed 2 presentations with work one where my boss drove me to Wycombe and one in my office. Both in front of around 15 people.

I didn’t get embarrassed or panic when I felt sick with nerves.

I have been to Leeds for a supplier meeting. I have been with my Nan through her fight with cancer – even through the sickness!

I have sat with my sister during her morning sickness and my friends children when they had the dreaded winter sickness bug!

I went to a charity comedy night in a packed pub been to the cinema with my partner and Christmas shopping to Merry Hill 3 times (once on my own!).

Not once panicking that I couldn’t see the door. I have even been promoted at work and now run a small team.

I let my partner cook tea and have even started to eat a wider variety of food.

I stay on my own at home when my partner does the night shift and I haven’t had a panic attack in over 3 months.

I have dealt with my own sickness – not being sick but feeling sick.

I have come to learn that my emetophobia is an obsession and by learning new ways of thinking I can overcome it.

I am still not keen on the thought of being sick but I no longer go into complete melt down. I get my hot water bottle, put the TV on and distract myself.

We have even been talking about having children in the new year!

I never thought I would of got this far and if it had not been for the help and support I got from both family, friends and Paul I don’t think I would be where I am now.

Paul makes talking through your problems easy.

He does not judge or call you stupid, he listens and helps you manage your thoughts/beliefs/fears better.

The course was definitely a good choice for me.

I still have things to change and develop and I still work from my book at home but I am getting there – my life has definitely improved for the better.

Miss N’s Emetophobia Success Story

Miss N’s Experience: May 2013

I first came to see Paul in October 2012 with my Fiancé about my ’emetophobia’, as at the time I felt the whole process was too delicate to deal with alone.

I was so down about my ‘emetophobia’ that coming to see Paul was my last resort, after having a course of unsuccessful CBT on the NHS. After this had failed, I really didn’t see a way of me getting better.

Along with my ‘emetophobia’, I had picked up other traits that were really bringing me down, such as anxiety, panic attacks and low self esteem.

‘Emetophobia’ put my life on hold in many ways. I never felt I could tackle things on my own, such as simple every day things like eating a meal out, and on very anxious occasions, even in my own home, purely because I feared I would be sick.

I would find it extremely difficult when I went on holiday, as I feared the foreign food would make me ill.

Being around people who were ill would send me into a complete anxiety attack, and I would quarantine myself to ‘protect’ me from the ‘sickness bug’.

Before I came to see Paul, I never imagined myself ever having children, as the whole thought of going through a pregnancy, and then having to look after a baby/child when it was ill, was just unthinkable.

Paul knew just the programme for me called the ‘Thrive’ programme, a programme I read and completed at home, and would then come to him weekly to review my progress, that unbelievably, we began to notice improve really quickly.

Paul increased my confidence so much, and because of that, the effort I put in to getting myself better increased.

Through working with Paul, I have come to realise that I don’t, and even never have had ‘emetophobia’ (hence the quotation marks around that word every time I mention it) instead; I just have badly managed thinking and limiting belief systems.

It was thinking that I had ‘emetophobia’ that kept the ‘fear’ going.

It’s amazing how much you actually relax once you realise the phobia isn’t effecting you, but instead your own thoughts and limiting beliefs are.

When I have unhelpful thoughts crop up in my mind, I am able now to control them, and when I say to myself that its me who’s creating these thoughts, no one else, and certainly not the thing called ‘emetophobia’ it puts things back into perspective, and I can soon go back to getting on with my day-to-day tasks.

Eating out is now a pleasure, not a massive worry, and I can happily eat out with people who I’m even not that close to.

However when I do have the OCCASIONAL blip, I know now that everyone can have a bad day, and that it’s ok to feel it sometimes, it doesn’t mean I’m taking a step back.

Since meeting Paul, I’ve set up my own small business making balloons and couldn’t be happier.

Eventually, I’d like to quit my day job and do it full time.

It’s since my self-esteem has grown that I’ve been able to do this.

I travelled over an hour away from my home on my own, motorway driving, to attend balloon classes, and when there, did not have any panic/anxiety/’emetophobic’ thoughts, because I was doing something I absolutely loved, but of course before I met Paul, this wouldn’t have been possible.

I also have better relationships with my friends, as before I found it very hard to become close to anyone other than my fiancé.

Through limiting beliefs, I never thought I’d get on with other girls, but since starting the programme with Paul, I have amazing relationships with my friends.

I went shopping for a whole day with my friend, something I previously found incredibly intimidating and anxious, but I had a wonderful time, and the friendship between us grew even closer. I’ve even been asked to be a godmother to one of my friends daughters.

Paul’s been fantastic, we’ve laughed more times than I’ve felt down, and in a therapy session, that’s pretty unheard of.

Before I came to see Paul, I couldn’t actually say what I wanted to do with my life, I couldn’t imagine my future.

Now, I know exactly what I want to do, where I want to be, and the thought of starting a family further in the future no longer scares me, but actually excites me.

Thanks a lot Paul, keep in touch.

Paul’s Emetophobia Success Story

Paul’s Experience: Feb 2014

Life Changing!

I had suffered from ’emetophobia’ and anxiety since I can remember (I’m 26 now) and at the start of 2014 I decided to do something about it.

After looking online for help I came across the Thrive Programme and did some research into it (I was sceptical after going through counselling, CBT and Analytical Therapy and not really improving) and I found Paul’s site.

After reading through it about 10 times I decided to give him a call and arranged my initial consultation.

I can honestly say Paul is one of the nicest people I have met and he made me feel relaxed and calm straight away.

During our consultation we talked about the programme and what it involved and I knew there and then that it was something I wanted to do.

I have currently had 5 sessions with Paul and my life has completely changed, I am more confident, relaxed and happy.

I have overcome many of the ‘issues’ I had when I started the programme and well on my way to beating others.

This programme is challenging but in a good way as you learn about who you are as a person and that we all have the power in us to change and thrive gives you the skills and confidence to ….. Thrive.

I would advise anybody who suffers with emetophobia, anxiety or any other issue that is stopping you living your life to do this programme.

Cheers Paul

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Contact Paul

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Tel: 07434 776125

paul@tranceformpsychology.com

Contact Joan

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Tel: 07434 776504

joan@tranceformpsychology.com