I used to be terrified of the dentist and of eating certain kinds of foods.
I did some EMDR and challenged those thoughts I was having.
For example, I can now trust a dentist of any gender. I started by thinking of when I've had to help kittens and puppies, or my bird, or lizards, or whatever else, medical care. They're always terrified of me, a human. So I talk quietly and assure them that if they cooperate just a little more, it'll be over more quickly and I promise not to hurt them intentionally.
I started channeling that same kind of love at myself while a dentist works and when I had that surprise surgery by a sympathetic doctor (I've had unnecessary "surgeries" as part of trauma, so it was especially difficult...)
After a while? It worked. I get compliments for how still I am. And this time it's not because of dissociating.
I never forced myself to get over anything, though. I just worked with me in a patient way. If I couldn't handle something, then that was that.
It's medical things that I worry about more, like how to get my teeth cleaned. If I didn't like to eat certain foods or eat them certain ways, well that doesn't hurt anything, so just let it be until some other time :)
