EMDR Therapy in Specific Phobia of Vomiting (SPOV)

Abstract

Specific phobia of vomiting (SPOV), commonly known as emetophobia, is a subtype of “Specific Phobia” (other type) in the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals with this condition have a persistent and disproportionate fear of vomiting that runs a chronic course limiting their social-, occupational-, and leisure-based functioning. There are several case reports of SPOV demonstrating positive therapeutic outcomes and a single randomized controlled trial demonstrating the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy incorporating exposure work and imagery rescripting. However, a large internet survey also suggests that most SPOV individuals would not try exposure treatments. This article provides the readers with an overview of SPOV followed by the application of the standard eye movement desensitization and reprocessing protocol supplemented with the flash-forward technique as a treatment for SPOV using a single-case example. Client outcomes were monitored for 20 months with a self-rating tool, the SPOV inventory, and associated comorbidity assessed using a patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) and generalized anxiety disorder rating scales.