choking phobia

[joanne30]

Hi

I am new to the forum, and I have bad anxiety which started 14 years ago. I have a fear of choking on food and liquids which I have had for the 14 years. It is very debilitating and has stopped me doing a lot of things that I would like to do.
Does any one else have this phobia or any similar symptons? I am sorry to have gone on so much, but I am feeling very isolated and feel that I am on my own with his awful anxiety.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

All the best

Joanne30

[chucklehound]

Hi Joanne and welcome to the forum

Take care

Chuckle

xxxx

[geordievic]

Hi Joanne,

I have a phobia of thunderstorms, and it really does control my life, i know how frustrating and upsetting it feels when you are unable to do what you want because of a fear which no one around you really understands. I've had my phobia all my life (i'm 19)! I had Cognitive behaviour therapy last year, although it has not cured me, it helped a lot, have you thought of trying anything like this?

Vicki
xx

[polly daydream]

Hi Joanne and welcome to the forum.

Best wishes,

Polly

[Mateyface]

Hi Joanne,

I also have a fear of choking which started in my twenties, coming up to 36 years old now!

I have also felt isolated in the past with this particular anxiety.

Feel free to pm me if you fancy a chat.

Take care
Sans :)

Sans

[mary51]

Hi I too have a severe fear of choking .I have been like this for thirty three years. It basically has control of my life. i choke on even liquid. I can not even be around family for holiday dinners in fear of some body choking.I have turned blue on sips of water,so indeed know what its like to live with this kind of fear.

[t0rt01se36]

I have a choking fear too and also a small mouth which makes things worse. I'm 32 now and have had choking fear for over 16 years. It's not just a phobia. I choke sometimes even at home and it's got to the stage now, when I'm aware of what foods I tend to choke on, like salads and small foods.

When I was young, I was scared I'd choke and it might stem back from when I was less than 11 I think and I choked on fish. Since then up to my mid teens or not much older than that, I went to restaurants etc with my family but hardly ate there. I just had teacake or soup or just a dessert.

Now I daren't eat in public and it affects me so much that when I look for work, it has to be in between meal times ie part time work.

[MM_II]

Yes, I have fears of choking as well. When I am in a restaurant I just pause and breath heavy thinking I could choke on this food right now. Or if the food just feels different going down because I am stressed. I have never chocked though.

[Blondie23]

Hiya all.....i have only just joined.....you should be able to see my post on this phobia in the introduction bit....if anyone would like to pm please feel free, i would love advice from people with this who have managed to eat in public places as i am yet to overcome that, but also would love to pass on my advice on how i managed to get from liquids to massive meals xxxx

[harthadavis]

Choking phobia is characterized by fear and avoid eating, liquids or pills. Most people with this phobia are afraid, then all the sudden episode of suffocation with food. The fear of choking appears to be a bit more often in women than in men and childhood onset of varying ages to the old. Its prevalence is unknown. Choking phobia seems to respond to panic, and some cognitive and behavior.

[loveletter]

Have had this for over 20 years.
I do eat soft food most days now but when the problem is bad will liquidise food.
I have weighed 6 stone 4lbs for a number of years.

I also have a problem with drinking liquid's as well and am really scared to have a drink once it is dark and this has not been a good thing this summer as its been quite hot and so many nights have gone to bed so wanting to drink but just to scare to

[Thumbelina]

I have this one as well...

[Maybe_Baby]

I actually just posted a topic about not been able to swallow food, due to everything feeling like its stuck in my throat.

I am fine with liquids, but i can not swallow tablets, not even tiny ones, i have to either crush them or ask my gp for liquid form.

When it comes to food though i can only eat soft things, and i now never eat a full meal - i actually can't remember the last time i ate a meal, not even a childs portion.
I limit myself to things like soup (if its chicken i have to strain the chicken out!) i eat alot of yogurts & ice cream. My diet is terrible because of my fear of chocking.

I use to love eating curries, pizza and chinese food, but i can't eat any of that no more. I can't eat any kind of meat either.

My GP prescribed me protein drinks once, but i couldn't manage 3 a day.

I know how horrible this feeling is, it is taking over my life, and i wish i could cure it.

[loveletter]

Hi Maybe baby
I only weigh 6 stone 4lbs so I buy complan and have that with a banana blended into it.
I would like to have 2 a day really but they are so expensive I only have 1 a day.
I am on income support and have to live on very little money with a child.
Do you know what these drinks where called that the doctor prescribed as wondering if it worth asking my doctor for something.

[kjadam2009]

hi, i have a phobia of choaking, i'm 18, it's started worse in the past year or two.
i have to make sure i have a drinky by me at all time when im eating, even if i dont need the drink, just knowing its there makes me feel better, i tend to mash things up alot too (meaning my food).. if i swallow something it gets lodged in my throat (well i feel like it is lodged in).. i stop & think about how i am going to swallow it if that makes sense? it's horrible because if im around people when im eating i feel ashamed when i have to cough my food up properly to chew it for ages till it is like mush just so i no i can swallow it, your not alone xx

[leeroy]

HI

I have suffered with panic and anxiety for 7 years now, but only in recent weeks have I developed a choking phobia, it really is a horrible one as eating / drinking are two of the most natural things we can do as humans

It's more to do with food with me but I really don't know where it has come from. It feels like I really have to concerntrate to get my food down. It's so awkward as eating is a big social thing for me. I will eat at my desk at work, go for meals out with friends etc so I really don't want this to become a major issue for me and another thing that could hinder my social / professional life.

I know deep down eating food isn't going to cause any harm but most meal times have become a panic inducing.

I aim to nip this in the bud asap, I can ride out my generalised health anxiety through my experience but this one needs attention now, gonna get myself back to CBT and sort it

[leeroy]

what the hell is this and why am I suffering with it?

I woke up at 5 am this morning with terrible indigestion (yes I actually managed to eat almost full meals yesterday) but I woke up in an anxious state and haven't been able to get back to sleep since (its now 1 in the afternoon for those else wehere in the world)

I have stayed in bed most of this time as i feel pretty safe here, just went downstairs and made a sandwich took a bite and swallowed it and started nervouse coughing and feeling as if a wattery muscus has built up afterwards, I took a second bite andpanic almost set in i chewd and chewed but couldn't bring myself to swallow it, i felt it near the back of my throat and just spat the lot out, like a pathetic child


I am so f ing hungry and as mentioned before I do like food a lot but I am stupidly becoming scared of it.... there is no logic to it. Why am I purreeing my food in my own mouth and even then struggling to swallow it? You really aren't meant to even think about the process of eating. Until a few weeks ago I would eat whilst driving, working etc etc now its a real task to eat and I rarely complete a meal now .... how can I overcome this sh*te!

[johnny boy]

hello i just wanted to post my eating phobia on here as well, well what happens to me is that i eat in and out ok the thing is that i dont stop eating but its a struggle i am afraid i will choke i tend to chew my food and then like pause for a few seconds and then like GULP it down. my throat muscles feel really tense and its really upsetting me as i have allways loved my meat i tend to lay of it for a bit. its upsetting though that i cant get rid of this stupid habit and its really making me feel stupid im not over weight or underweight and im a 5"8 male.

[abcheck12]

Phobias are fears. Fear is a normal part of life, and there are many things in life which can be dangerous or painful - such as savage dogs, muggers, car crashes, and having operations. Anyone might be afraid of such things - or at least anxious about them. This is normal. Sensible people take precautions to avoid being hurt or injured by things that are genuinely dangerous.
In this sense, anxiety is very useful. It warns you when danger is threatening. Severe anxiety - fear - can be useful too. When we find ourselves in a situation of real danger - like being faced by a robber in a dark alley - the fear reaction is just what we need.Choking phobia is an apparently rare condition characterised by an excessive fear of choking to death on food, drink, medicines or tablets. It is more usually associated with food or pills rather than with fluids and sufferers typically have difficulty with eating. They tend to eat items that they regard as safer foods such as soup, purees, yoghurt, etc, but even these are avoided as much as possible so that sufferers usually lose weight. Food is chewed excessively before it is swallowed to further reduce the perceived risk of choking.