Sufferer Anxiety, panic attacks and vomiting!

[RoadtoHappy]

Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum. I generally just read posts and never post but today I decided the time has come to sign up as I really need advice and cant find the answers online.

I have PTSD from being assaulted and raped at 14. I am now 30!!! I have always ran from it but in the past 5 years it took control of my life and after my wedding this year I could not escape from it anymore. After numerous therapist I found an amazing T 6 months ago and we have been doing very intense work. My problem is that when I get very anxious I vomit and obviously sitting in her office with my head in her bin is not really helping me to process my emotions. We have been doing CBT and CPT and Talk therapy now for 6 months and while I have seen huge improvements on my panic attacks (from 4+ a day to maybe 5 per week) and I can now talk about certain things without going into panic mode, I cant understand why I am still getting so nauseous and vomit and some things still send me into full panic attack.

Is this normal after doing CBT to still be having these symptoms or am I the minority that the treatment is not working for? Does anyone else experience vomiting when anxious especially during therapy? My T keeps telling me to accept my story, its in the past and part of story but I dont know how to do that.

I am so stressed and feel so foolish when sitting with my T and freaking out. She is amazing and very supportive but I feel I will never be cured from this!

All advice and stories are welcome. Thank you.

 

[Sandstone]

Welcome.
I think you have made admirable progress in only 6 months, and should be celebrating it, not feeling bad that not everything is fixed. I don't know if you have had treatment with the NHS, but I think they can foster the idea that everything will be fixed in a few sessions. It seems reasonable t me to need longer to work on something that has had such a big impact on your life.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from you about what has worked.

 

[MrMoonlight]

You aren't alone and it's not uncommon to get nauseated. It happens to me...not all the time but no doubt I have vomited from anxiety. Maybe this could also be filed under somatization? A very real reaction...or I have read something about blood supply and the gastrointestinal system...I believe anxiety and PTSD systems can have an effect on this...so nausea, vomiting could be the physical cause.

In any case I sure wish you the best in you discovery. I'm just starting myself..

 

[EveHarrington]

You’re only 6 months in.

Not surprising that you’re still having bad symptoms.

 

[shimmerz]

I consider vomiting to be a 'release' of trauma. Coughing, diarrhea, choking, twitching, shaking, all of these things, to me, are good signs.

 

[UnKnown-Self]

Welcome to the forum @Sarah12 !

This is an excellent place not only for working things out but for learning. Not only about PTSD in general but in how it relates to you.
There are some wonderful people here who will be supportive and understanding in a way no one else can.
You are lucky you have a T you are connected with. It sounds like you are doing great work.
I'm sorry you have such difficult physical symptoms. Practicing the tools you are learning with your therapist will help if you just keep working at it.
I wish you all the best on Your Journey.

Alice

 

[RoadtoHappy]

Thank you so much everyone for your responses. I am so glad I have finally signed up here. I suppose I need to be more patient but I just feel like I am failing when I am still having such anxiety and getting so emotional, yet I rarely cry, most of the time its before I go to my T's and she will say to me as I walk in, have you been crying? and then she tries to get my emotion out in her office but I just cant touch with it. Is it normal to do 6 months of processing and CBT and still feel that I am not fully connected to my pain? I worry she will think I am fully nuts or that its not working and she will not work with me if I am a hopeless cause. We do have some days when I go in where we laugh and I am not in panic mode but the last few weeks have been tough and I am so embarrassed walking into her office, a 30 year old woman having a panic attack and not being able to breath and all from something that happened so long ago and I was able to cope with (to an extent) but now I cant.

Is this similar or does it make sense for any of you?

I would love to hear more about your journeys and experiences with Therapy and processing the trauma.

I wish yo all well.

Sarah.

 

[UnKnown-Self]

Hi @Sarah12

I would just say there is no normal timeline. You survived a terrible, terrible thing that you have been holding in for 16 years.

*I mean no offense to anyone with my following analogy.*

Let’s say you’ve been binge eating for 16 years on all the worst unhealthy foods. Then one day you decided to go to a dietitian and get healthy. Do you think you would lose the weight gained in 6 months following a healthy diet?
Look for articles on here that you feel relate to you. You might want start with one about the inner critic. There are other articles as well that will give you some insight. Discuss everything with your therapist.

We are here for you too :)

Alice

 

[Justmehere]

Normal is just a setting on a washing machine.

What you are going through is very common for trauma survivors with PTSD. :hug:

 

[UnKnown-Self]

Hahahahaha @Alice in Wonderland :woot::roflmao::roflmao:

Yes I am laughing at myself!!!
When I first read @Justmehere last post. :roflmao::roflmao:

I thought it said normal is sitting on the washing machine.
I thought, creative but normal?

Old eyes and a dirty mind Alice has yes. (Said in Yoda’s voice)

 

[Scarlet13]

So, I can get nauseous with panic. I do not vomit but can feel my throat closing up.
The thing that worked the best for me was acupunture. There are points that target nausea and anxiety combined.
I felt immediate relief when after the treatment I had anxiety but the panic/nausea just did not happen.
The other thing that helped me immensely with these types of panic attacks was acceptance of the attack. Can your T do ACT?
I noticed how my panic attacks gradually got less and less if I basically let them happen without judgement.
I can see this pattern starting to happen with you. Your panic attacks are growing less and less. This may even out and you won't have any for a while.

 

[RoadtoHappy]

Thank you so much everyone. I feel a bit better about my situation.. basically not as abnormal as I was feeling. This forum is becoming a life saver and the support on it for everyone is amazing.

My T is amazing. When I am sick and tell her how mortified I am and that it is beyond embarrassing she always reassures me. She also sits beside me rubbing my back and sometimes holding my head. All I want is the floor to swallow me up but at least she feels sorry for me and I dont think is judging me or thinks I am too much of freak. I feel she must hate our appointments wondering if I will vomit today. It really sucks because its hindering my progress in feeling the feelings.. All I feel is panic and nausea although I am starting to feel some anger towards my attacker so baby steps I suppose. At least I now I'm not the only one in the world #PTSDSUCKS