Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for a Patient Diagnosed with Emetophobia - case study.

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the application of cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of emetophobia. The fear of vomiting (emetophobia) is a specific phobia, the mild form affects over 3% of the population, predominantly women. The main symptoms are associ- ated with the fear of experiencing nausea and other gastrointestinal sensations. These sensations are interpreted as a signal of impending vomiting, leading to discomfort and avoidance of eating and social situations. The symptoms may resemble other somatic and psychological disorders and can co-occur with various mental health conditions. The therapy requires an individualized approach and may be more demanding compared to treating other phobias. The article includes a description of the therapy process with an adult patient struggling with emetophobia. Diagnosis was conducted through an interview and the EmetQ-13 questionnaire. The applied therapeutic techniques are presented, along with an understanding of the symptoms considering therapeutic models explaining the development of emetophobia and the mechanisms sustaining it. Key processes playing a crucial role in dysfunction were identified. After 10 sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy, the patient no longer met the diagnostic criteria for the fear of vomiting, overcoming avoidance behaviors.