I came across the Turnaround program online recently while searching for resources related to school refusal resulting from fear of throwing up. My daughter, now 11, has struggled with school refusal stemming from anxiety since she was 8. We had tried many things – two therapists, different books, and various calming remedies (homeopathic/herbal). Things would get better, but then they would get worse again. Her last two years in elementary school were made easier by understanding and accommodating teachers, so her symptoms eased somewhat. However, starting middle school brought back the anxiety big time. It actually took a long time to trace the anxiety to emetophobia – fear of throwing up – and was completely missed by both therapists we consulted with (neither were cognitive behavioral therapists). My daughter’s anxiety was so disconnected from her usual personality – outgoing and kind of fearless – that it made it even more confusing and difficult to figure out.
When I came across Turnaround, I was getting desperate to find something that would help her. She had been having daily, exhausting struggles before school and, once at school, had been leaving class to go to the nurse often and her teachers were concerned. I purchased the digital Turnaround program and the emetophobia supplement. After some resistance to beginning the program (and complaining after the first episode that it was “cheesy”) she quickly came around and would ask to complete the later sessions and diligently worked in the journal. She has now completed the Turnaround program once through and we are beginning to work with her on the supplement. Even at this early stage, I can say that Turnaround has truly been life changing for her. After only a few of the episodes, she completely calmed down and has been almost like a different person, or, more accurately, like her real self but mostly free from the anxiety that has surrounded her these last few years.
We realized as a family that we have been accommodating her fears because the outbursts and avoidance were so difficult to deal with and that we had to help her to face her fears. My husband and I were actually in awe of her transformation back to her spunky self. Her teachers have noticed the change too. One cool moment towards the end of the program was when we asked her casually if she had been to the nurse recently and she replied, “No – and you don’t have to ask me that anymore.” She does the chill tracks every night still and we plan to have her complete the program again and will continue with the supplement, but the change is already marked. She still has moments of struggle – leaving the house each morning and going to school is still a tricky moment for her, but now she stops and thinks and often talks through what is going on with her “whacky thoughts” and how she is talking back to them (“I’m acting like the prophet” she says, for example).
I almost can’t believe that the solution was as simple as this, but the proof is in her turnaround. I highly recommend this program for any child with anxiety. It is thoughtfully designed and really appeals to children – even my child who was on the older end of the age range and was initially dismissive came around to enjoying the story and getting a huge amount from it. Thank you so much for creating this resource. It really is different from everything else that I’ve come across and is relatively easy to implement even in a busy family life. My husband and I also appreciated the parent resources, which laid out the program and how it works and were very reassuring. Thank you again. This has really made a tremendous difference in my daughter’s life.