16 deep questions to ask yourself when you feel disgust

  1. What is the difference between feeling disgusted because of trigger event and feeling disgusted in general (e.g. seeing a worm on pavement)?
  2. What are the thoughts/feelings of disgust that get triggered when I am triggered by this trigger event?
  3. What triggers my disgust?
  4. Who do I usually feel disgusted by and why?
  5. When do I not experience disgust?
  6. When do I experience disgust most often?
  7. What is the most disgusting thing I experienced today?
  8. When did I first feel disgust?
  9. What was the trigger?
  10. What memories come to mind when feeling disgust?
  11. What is my emotional state?
  12. What associations come to mind when feeling disgust today (such as dirty or rotten)?
  13. How do I feel physically?
  14. Have I eaten anything today?
  15. Did I see anything that made me feel this way, such as a shocking image on the television or a traumatic scene in a movie?
  16. Did I notice any smell or taste in my mouth?

7 tips on how to deal with disgust

  1. This may seem simplistic, but it is important to calm yourself down as often as possible. Stress release can help you feel less overwhelmed, and more in control of your life. Try some simple breathing exercises, take a walk, read a book or watch a movie.
  2. Quell stress. This may seem simplistic, but it is important to calm yourself down as often as possible. Stress release can help you feel less overwhelmed, and more in control of your life. Try some simple breathing exercises, take a walk, read a book or watch a movie.
  3. Identify where disgust is coming from.
  4. Get real. Everyone has moments where they feel disgusted, so talk to other people about your experience. Be warned though: this is not an easy feat for some people, so keep an open mind and be gentle with yourself if you are hesitant to reach out.
  5. Clean up after yourself. Change your clothes when they get dirty and/or smelly. Disinfect surfaces and objects that are contaminated.
  6. Change sheets and pillowcases on your bed often to avoid sleeping on dirty sheets or with someone else's hair on your pillowcase.
  7. Always wash your hands before preparing food, eating, or touching anything that will enter the body. Wash hands thoroughly, especially before touching sensitive areas of the body like face, nose, mouth, genitals, or open sores.

How disgust affects you

There are many things that could make a person feel disgusted. Some people might feel disgusted because they found a dirty object that was touching their food, while others might feel disgusted after eating something that made them sick. A person may also feel disgust because they are reading about something very disturbing, such as the rape of a child.