Newbie here, feeling bad enough I need help!
Hello,
I have had anxiety for several years but have been really struggling the last few weeks, especially around food. I have some oral allergies to certain uncooked fruits and veggies and also react to sesame, but lately I have developed a fear of food. At first i related it to a fear of have an allergic reaction or choking but now it is just eating in general. I feel like eating or drinking is going to hurt me in some way, even with safe foods I have had thousands of times before. I don't know what is triggering this or what to do to get out of it :(
Hey! @Earthchild92
@AnneEyre1 heyy!!
@Earthchild92
I'm sorry to hear you're having such a hard time around food :(
I can't relate perfectly to your situation because I don't have food allergies, but I do have some really bad experiences from several day-long bus trips despite suffering from horrible motion sickness.
I'll explain just in case, but basically I couldn't eat anything before and during those trips because it wouldn't have stayed down. And after the trip I was so incredibly sick to the stomach that I was afraid of eating for several days afterwards, leaving me eating nothing for about an entire week in at least two instances that I can remember.
The best thing to do when you find yourself in a situation where you're too scared to eat, is to take babysteps.
I started with gnawing on pretzel sticks. And believe me when I say that that wasn't at all easy. I was so afraid of getting even more sick than I already was that I was crying for days on end with that stupid snack bag in my hand. But I think what helped at least a little was having some sort of direct distraction from the act of eating. A re-run your favorite tv series is a good start for example. Having a source of comfort is absolutely vital for the healing process.
Remember that eating something, even if it's just a little, or something that's considered unhealthy, is always better than eating nothing.
Also stay hydrated. If you can't eat properly, drink lots and lots of water to make up for it.
I'm not sure if any of this is helpful at all, but I'm still glad you've signed up to talk about your problems and experiences and I hope to see you around.
Best of luck to you 💚💚
