Vomit Phobia – Fear of Vomiting (Emetophobia)
Flu season will be quickly upon us and with it comes an unfortunate increase in the likelihood of experiencing fevers, coughs, runny noses, vomiting, and the like.
Although no one enjoys being sick, this time of year poses particular challenges for individuals suffering from “vomit phobia”, or emetophobia, the fear of throwing up.
The … (read more)
Fear of Saliva Swallowing & Choking: Treatment & Symptoms (OCD)
Question: I have sensorimotor OCD, and I’m suffering from conscious swallowing. My main fear is that I’ll choke or swallow my own saliva whenever I’m speaking or singing. Any tips for how to tackle this fear via exposure and response prevention (ERP)?
Great question. Consistent with general exposure and response prevention (ERP) principles, your … (read more)
OCD & Contamination: Washing & Cleaning Compulsions/Rituals
OCD: Common Compulsions
In my last post about OCD, I discussed reasons why people do rituals. This time, I’ll identify specific rituals that are common in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by a fear of germs, contamination, diseases, and other health-related ills.
OCD: Hand-washing Rituals/Compulsions
Hand-washing is a very common ritual and typically involves prolonged … (read more)
OCD & Contamination: Reasons Why People Do Rituals/Compulsions
In my last post, I identified several idiosyncratic feared outcomes in OCD that are associated with contamination/health-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Obsessions are intrusive, recurrent, and distressing thoughts, impulses, or images related to these feared outcomes. Today, I’ll discuss the function of compulsions.
Why do people with OCD do rituals?
Compulsions, or rituals, are the … (read more)
OCD & Contamination Fears: Feared Outcomes (Example: HIV/AIDS)
In my last post, I identified several types of obsessions that are associated with contamination/health-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These include the fear of:
- Germs and getting sick.
- Making others sick.
- Developing an incurable illness in the future.
- Experiencing extreme and uncontrollable disgust or distress.
- Other unwanted negative outcomes related to the spread of germs, contaminants,
Contamination & Health-related OCD: Obsessions, Fears, & Worries
What are common obsessions in contamination/disease/illness/health-focused OCD?
OCD: Fear of Getting Sick
Contamination- or health-related OCD is associated with persistent worries about one’s health or the health of loved ones. Common obsessions in contamination-related OCD include the fear of getting sick with a serious illness like rabies, ebola, H1N1 (swine flu), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, mad cow … (read more)
OCD isn’t just about anxiety. Although anxiety is certainly a prominent feature of the disorder, clinicians who only attend to anxious symptoms can easily overlook some of its other core features. As a psychologist in Palm Beach, Florida, I work closely with kids, teens, and adults throughout the greater Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and … (read more)
