Scared of Food.

[ArtDecoGirly]

Hi all, I'm new here so please be gentle! I'm very fragile.
Ok, I was diagnosed with Anxiety several years ago. When I was a teenager I had a fear of choking and spat out food quite a bit. It passed.
Then when I was in my early 20s it came back. I practically lived on soup. It passed again.
Now though, I've developed a fear of food again. For a start, I won't eat anything that's even within 2 or 3 days from its use by date, if it looks a funny colour or I think it smells different...bin. I cook chicken to death to make sure it's cooked then wash my hands about 10 times to get the chicken germs off me. Apart from worrying about food poisoning me I'm also scared I'm going to develop an allergy. If I even get a little bit of a funny feeling on my lip I won't eat the food again. Even food that I haven't tried but is quite common to have an allergy to, I worry I might be one. So far I won't eat any nuts, cucumber, melon, tomatoes, anything in a tomato sauce (beans, pizza, pasta dishes etc), bread, all fruit, spices, anything spicy, and loads of other things! I basically live on pasta, potatoes, kit kats, tuna, fish and crisps. I just wondered if anyone else was in the same boat and how you manage.

[ArtDecoGirly]

Wow! Thank you all for such a warm welcome!! I've never spoke to anyone about my problems before so that was a huge step for me. If I'd known how friendly people were going to be, I would have opened up a lot sooner!! Such lovely lovely caring people, I really don't know why I'm so scared of life and social situations and the outside world when people are this welcoming!

*Goes back to being a recluse, safe in the knowledge people don't really give a toss about each other :mad: )

[Paul H]

Hello. I just joined today. Nice to "meet" you.

Well done on finally putting your problems into words. That was a big step. Every step leads somewhere so perhaps that was your first move towards a better future.

People will come and answer your post. Perhaps it's just the weekend. Once you become comfortable in discussing your food phobia then the next step could be to see a therapist of some kind. What would you think about that?

So you're now in your third "wave" of food phobia. What do the three times have in common besides that? You mention a fear of social situations and of the outside world in general. Have the three episodes of food phobia corresponded with times when you've had to get out there and do more things in the outside world?

People do care.

Best wishes

Paul

[fozzy is crying]

:welcome:to the site. I was reading you thread but could not think of anything I could post as I have no experience of your problem. Then I noticed you were new here.

I am sure you have done the right thing joining the site and you do not need to hide away. There are lots of members and all want to help and support everyone but at certain times there might be that many on line. For example at the time I am posting this only 53 including you and I are signed in. I only came on line a few minutes ago as well

Join in the other threads as well if you can and I am sure you will soon be ever so glad you joined and stayed.

:bighug1:

Gordon

[Matt S]

Hi :) Im new to the site aswell so bare with me lol. I know exactly how you feel although my fear of food is related to a fear of vomiting so a bit different to yours but I think the general principle is pretty similar im guessing. You're definietly not alone in this and I hope that gives you some comfort. For me i just try to rationalise to myself that whilst something bad can happen there's a small percentage of that occuring i guess. I think the thing with us anxiety sufferers is that need to feel in control and the problem in life is its impossible to be completely control of what happens in life and ive found that hard to deal with but Ive found that accepting that fact makes it easier to deal with. Anyway I hope things arent too bad for you and eventually you can get to grips with your phobia. Although you can do is keep trying and not let it dictate to you although I know that's a lot easier said than done! Best of Luck anyway :)