stuart39
12-05-12, 10:36
A new TV program is due to start on British TV soon called "Secret Eaters" and although the show has very little to do with my own swallowing condition the program title did strike a chord with me.
do you suffer in some way that makes you prefer eating alone?
we all know about binge eating and vomiting associated with Bulimia and Anorexia but Im not talking about these conditions. i am talking about GERD, swallowing disorders, reflux problems and the like that may affect the speed at which you have to eat, how much you can eat in one sitting, whether you avoid certain meals or foods, do you always have to have a drink nearby to help food go down?
do you hate eating in front of work colleagues? has your condition affected you career and advancement? how has it affected your relationships with customers or suppliers if for example you might otherwise take them out for corporate entertainment? Do you just avoid it?
what about loved ones or even your partner or friends? have you lost contact with them or even cut them off out of resentment or other abnormal feelings?
do you avoid office parties, nights out or meals out for fear of being watched and/or criticised and/or judged while you are eating? Are you embarassed about chewing your food excessively and thus taking much longer to eat than those around you?
do you always order the easy safe food option when you have no choice but to eat with others?
Men - do you feel less masculine due to your condition?
have you told anybody about your fears and/or the underlying condition thats makes you want to stay away from certain activities or foods?
why do you have these feelings of avoiding in public? what is the underlying condition that causes you to live in a social bubble?
how did it start and where are you with it all now?
One example for me was I hated eating sandwiches at the office (we had low partitions and i was surrounded by colleagues who could all see me eating) - some days were better than others but on a bad day to stop my stomach rumbling in the afternoon and it being heard by those around me i would smuggle a chocolate bar into the toilets with me and eat it in a cubicle - how utterly insane is that ? i would sometimes get to 3 or 4pm and my stomach would start grumbling so i would have to drink lots of water in addition to the usual tea or coffee rounds just so i had something inside to keep my stomach quiet! Madness isnt it?
I have avoided weddings, meals out, countless Christmases and birthday events, social events and works outings, meeting new people and potential partners, my parents and other relatives have all been blanked out.
how different do you think youre life would be if you didnt have the condition?
It would be good to read up on others experiences and perhaps have a discussion going.
do you suffer in some way that makes you prefer eating alone?
we all know about binge eating and vomiting associated with Bulimia and Anorexia but Im not talking about these conditions. i am talking about GERD, swallowing disorders, reflux problems and the like that may affect the speed at which you have to eat, how much you can eat in one sitting, whether you avoid certain meals or foods, do you always have to have a drink nearby to help food go down?
do you hate eating in front of work colleagues? has your condition affected you career and advancement? how has it affected your relationships with customers or suppliers if for example you might otherwise take them out for corporate entertainment? Do you just avoid it?
what about loved ones or even your partner or friends? have you lost contact with them or even cut them off out of resentment or other abnormal feelings?
do you avoid office parties, nights out or meals out for fear of being watched and/or criticised and/or judged while you are eating? Are you embarassed about chewing your food excessively and thus taking much longer to eat than those around you?
do you always order the easy safe food option when you have no choice but to eat with others?
Men - do you feel less masculine due to your condition?
have you told anybody about your fears and/or the underlying condition thats makes you want to stay away from certain activities or foods?
why do you have these feelings of avoiding in public? what is the underlying condition that causes you to live in a social bubble?
how did it start and where are you with it all now?
One example for me was I hated eating sandwiches at the office (we had low partitions and i was surrounded by colleagues who could all see me eating) - some days were better than others but on a bad day to stop my stomach rumbling in the afternoon and it being heard by those around me i would smuggle a chocolate bar into the toilets with me and eat it in a cubicle - how utterly insane is that ? i would sometimes get to 3 or 4pm and my stomach would start grumbling so i would have to drink lots of water in addition to the usual tea or coffee rounds just so i had something inside to keep my stomach quiet! Madness isnt it?
I have avoided weddings, meals out, countless Christmases and birthday events, social events and works outings, meeting new people and potential partners, my parents and other relatives have all been blanked out.
how different do you think youre life would be if you didnt have the condition?
It would be good to read up on others experiences and perhaps have a discussion going.