Fear of swallowing tongue

[phil06]

I have a fear of shallowing my tounge and I get this all the time, my mouth goes completley dry and I find it hard to shallow, I've had this for a week now, had it in the past but it went away...Anybody else get this?

[charlotte07]

hi phil,

i havnt had the fear of swallowing my tongue,but i can relate to what your saying because some mornings i wake up and when i swallow it feels like theres a dry lump in my throat,like a ball cotton wool,if that makes sense,

im sure these things are related to axiety,the more we think about them the more they are there,and the more we panic!!

ITS THE FEAR I FEAR MORE THAN THE EVENT.

[cattttt]

This sounds similar to my fear of my tongue swelling and blocking my breathing, it comes and goes, but I try to rationalise it and see that the chances of it happening are so small it's not worth worrying about (easier said than done). I ride my bike into town and I'm far more likely to get flattened by a truck, yet I do that without turning a hair.The dry mouth caused by the anxiety makes it feel like my tongue is swelling, so I know exactly how you feel
phil.

[danoxford]

I cannot relate personally to the fear of swallowing my tongue, but my friend does suffer with it at times and I can relate to it on an interpersonal level.

All I can recommend is, when it is at it's worst, trying to look at yourself from above and rationalise the situation. I have a very acute phobia and I often find that trying to put it into perspective, trying your hardest to imagine the next day or even next hour when it won't be half as bad anymore, really helps.

And the very most important thing I find is simply talking about it with somebody who you trust and won't belittle your problem and say it's just silly. Tell them exactly how you feel, what you utmost fear and see what they say. It can often help you gain perspective just to verbalise it like that.

[thebadrobot]

i have this fear. it's new. i have the fear that i might throw myself from a balcony. have for a bit but this is new. email me if you wanna chat. i feel anxious about it. i don't have panic-related issues usually. it's not a huge fear but there...



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[mooncrow]

Hi there - I am dealing with this right now. I am always aware of my tongue, feeling like I have to hold it up. When I get stressed I start to feel I am going to swallow my tongue. I'm have trouble eating normally.


Have things been better for you?
Sydne

[tigger1964]

hi

i dont feel like im going to swallow my tounge but it feels like its swelling up its driving me insane i take sips of water as this takes the dryness away, this actually causes me panic cos im so convinced tht my tounge is swelling and that i might choke on it.

[gtrgrl3369]

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time right now, but please be rest assured that you can not swallow you tongue, not even during a siezure. I have had the swelling feeling in my tongue usually because I have not had enough fluid or I have smoked too much. Try sucking on an ice cube or a mint, that should help with the dry feeling. I live in the desert where there is no humidity so I know how it feels to have a constant cotton ball in your throat. You can also try a mouth wash that will keep your mouth moist. When the adrenalin gets going everything dries out and it can be scary. Drink lots of fluid and I hope you feel better.

[Huntj]

I have the tongue swallowing phobia - I know that it is impossible to do but sadly my mind wants me to believe that it is real.....and it plagues me every day....I also have difficulty's swallowing.......depending on the severity.....I get to the point where I am too scared to eat......my anxiety has been with me for 20 years.....and it comes and goes........I eat a very healthy diet......but have found over the years that I do not cope well with stress......I need to keep totally active that way I spend less time thinking about my phobia.......I am currently taking a homeopathic remedy......

[minihaha]

throat constricting and the feeling that my tongue is swelling are the early warning signs for me that a panic attack is imminent if i dont get myself calmed down. First thing i get are flutterings in the chest and a feeling of nausea and then the throat and tongue symptons follow. I also carry a bottle of water with me - this really does help and as proven to be as beneficial as bach's rescue remedy for me. By sipping the water i calm down and then before i know it i am swallowing normally without me even being aware of it. In my worst panic attack i said to my husband, i cant swallow, i cant breathe it felt like an impossibility , however the fact that i was talking and crying, regardless of how unpleasant i felt, meant that the swallowing function was carrying on as normal - it was merely my panic that was not allowing me to realise this.

I also went through a phase of fear of swallowing my tongue, particularly at night. It seems to be a common fear for anxiety sufferers.

Keep well and try and relax
All the best
K x