View Full Version : Fear of swallowing tongue
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
24-02-07, 11:30
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.
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.
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.
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thebadrobot
27-12-07, 08:54
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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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
27-10-08, 08:15
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
27-10-08, 13:05
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.
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......
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
I also have this fear, and have had for a few years now. It's the first time i've come across people suffering the same thing and realise it's not just me! Mine anxiety is at it's worst when my husband is away with work and I feel like I have no control. It is the scariest feeling and I get to the point where I have to literally hold my tongue! I have read and read so many times that you CANNOT swallow your tongue, though while i'm having a panic attack I cannot rationalise this. I hope you find a way to deal with it successfully and if so, please share as I struggle with it daily and would do anything to overcome it. If anyone else has advice, would like to hear that also.Good Luck.
I started with the tongue phobia 19 years ago and it left me for many many years, however it came back last year when i became quite poorly, and the result is now i have become so stressed that i have started sticking my tongue to the roof of my mouth and sucking. The result being i have stripped my tongue of everything, so now it is bruised and extremely sore, sadly i do this in my sleep so can't really do anything about it.
All i can say is i've never heard of anyone dying from swallowing their tongue, but i do know that this is a common phobia.
di xx
I have had this problem when I was 9yo it left me for many years and came back when I was 27ish, it's very scary when it happens, I get it at night when I lay on my back, or when I drive or even ride my bicycle fast, I feel like my tongue is going to slid down my throat or contract and then go down, I do also have GAD or Panic Disorder seen a psychiatrist and he can't decide either way, I am also Agoraphobic and my fear of swallowing my tongue while driving is what made me panic outside my house 13 years ago and was a major reason for me becoming agoraphobic among other things, anyway to my good news while watching a tv show about phobias people where asked to stay in the situation like in a room with spiders or whatever there phobia was until the anxiety passed, I was at a point in my life at the time when anxiety panic attacks and this fear of swallowing my tongue had me in a very bad way, I was sure I would have this problem forever and nothing will ever be done about it.
When I felt as thought my tongue was going to go down ( which was easy to do just thinking about it is enough) I lay on my back on the couch and watched tele, as I did this I let the feeling happen and I just lay there in the moment and let myself suffer the sensation as there was noting I could do about it if I didn't lay there, except wait for it to pass this was well worth a try, it worked I still have the problem and get the feeling at night it's never as bad as it used to be and doesn't happen at often, I would say I am 90% improved which has changed my life for the better, also the psychiatrist did reassure me that I wouldn't swallow my tongue.
Give it a try...
Manti.
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......
Hi, I am also suffering from this condition. I have had many years of stress and anxiety, I always find it worse under these conditions. I avoid "chewy" food as I feel like I will choke when trying to swallow the food. I am looking into having hypnotheraphy to re-educate my mind into more relaxed state and hopefully I won't associate the choking feeling with swallowing.
I shall let you know how I get on once I have started hypnotheraphy.
It does help knowing other's have this same problem - even though I do not wish it on anyone. :)
I also have this fear, and have had for a few years now. It's the first time i've come across people suffering the same thing and realise it's not just me! Mine anxiety is at it's worst when my husband is away with work and I feel like I have no control. It is the scariest feeling and I get to the point where I have to literally hold my tongue! I have read and read so many times that you CANNOT swallow your tongue, though while i'm having a panic attack I cannot rationalise this. I hope you find a way to deal with it successfully and if so, please share as I struggle with it daily and would do anything to overcome it. If anyone else has advice, would like to hear that also.Good Luck.
Hi, I just thought I would send you a quick reply - just to say I do know how you feel - I have also suffered with this fear for many years (off and on), usually gets worse when stressed (stress has been an issue for quite a few years). I am looking into hypnotheraphy for this as I have heard it has good success rates. I will let you know what I think once started the sessions.
Let me know how you are coping if you like.
Regards Jenny.
Hi,
I am so sorry to read about everyone's fears, but I suffer from this condition myself.
I really have been in a bad way for a few years now. I am irrationally fearful of swallowing my tongue. I have had many visits to A&E, with my boyfriend thinking I am dying (because I have told him I am dying and pleading with him to help me).
I have spent many many hours in front of the mirror, checking my tongue for swelling, and,literally holding my tongue because I am scared of losing it down my throat. It causes me to panic in a very scary way. I cannot describe my fear.
In a lot of circumstances, I feel my tongue is numb, so i cannot know if it will slide down my throat without me knowing, causing me to panic and run around screaming like a mad thing.
As you can imagin, this has led me to become less and less sociable. I am constantly looking at other people, wondering how they can live and breathe normally, and it causes me great distress.
I have been seeing my Dr here in the UK for over 3 years about my problem. I had never known of any other sufferers until now. I have been taking Valium for 3 years to help me sleep, but before the 15mg perday that my Dr prescribed, i was buying Valium just to put me to sleep, as I couldn't bear to be awake and think about my tongue/choking/dying while I was awake.
It led me to severe agoraphobia, and I then started drinking a lot because I needed to blot myself out...it was either that or go crazy from the horrific panics I had.
I still take valium every day as prescribed, but it is not the answer. So, when I panic, I cannot eat and tell my boyfriend I need to drink a glass of wine to relax me ( not healthy, but true)...and I can then down a bottle of wine easily, just to stop my panic attacks from the numb tongue.
So, I drink a bottle of wine most nights, or I am subjected to the demon looming over me, telling me I will die tonight. I use the valium during the day, and often drink 'Night Nurse'...(for colds) to blot me out.
It is a sorry and horrific existence, but I have tried psycotherapy, psychiatry, acupuncture, and hypnotherapy. The hypnotherapists have told me I am untreatable, which basically leaves me thinking " Oh my Lord, i am doomed to this forever". I haven't ever had a break through with orthodox methods either.I have thought about taking my life, as I cannot live like this much longer, can u help me somebody? Thank you for reading my story.
wow yet another thing that i thought was only meand guess what loads of us get it. it seems worse at night for some reason ,i find that sucking a sweet helps, i use murray mints,or if its really bad have to get up and do something like watch tv then it goes. The other thing is unable to swallow which is also horrible.
Molly,
You cannot swallow your tongue.................
Once i let my mind believe that and truly believed it, the fear left me, it has gone.
Life is always worth living hun, it is a case of retraining your brain, instead of you thinking omg i'm gonna swallow my tongue, you need to keep saying, i cannot swallow my tongue it is impossible.
di xx
Hi - This is my first post, too scared to up until now, but the throat constricting thing is my big panic thing at the moment. I am convinced my throat will totally close over which makes me panic more, which makes it worse, which makes me panic more and so the cycle continues......
I know when the panic attack finally subsides that it was due to the panic that it felt that way but during a panic as we all know rational thoughts disappear!
My husband is fabulous and alway talks me through them and helps me to breathe, the unwavering support of someone you trust is so important, but he travels alot. I handle it very badly when he goes away, almost to the point of begging him not to go. I just about hold onto myself when he goes away and totally collapse when he gets back!
It so easy to say calm down and relax, and believe me I try and I am sure you do too, buts its so damn hard. So I know how you feel and hope that with the course of CBT I am starting on Wednesday things will start to improve. Biggest step I have ever taken so wish me luck and I wish you all the luck in the world too.
xxx
Hi, if this helps at all, I read that it is physically impossible to swallow your tongue. I have never, ever heard of someone swallowing their tongue. I never heard of someone who even came close to doing so. Your tongue is attached to the bottom of your mouth so you would need to suffer a very grave (and anatomically impossible) injury to detach it.
Nicola_lou
05-04-09, 04:34
I have this on and off the first time I had it was when I started taking anti depressant citroplam I thought I was totally crazy I use to sleep holding my tounge between my teeth cause it felt like it was sliping back then my tonge would swell again and id think ok I can feel it, so it won't slip bk.
I googled it and it said u couldn't if u tried cause underneath ur tonge it all stuck in can't remember the tech term but it made me feel better.
It past and gave me another thought my glands are swollen and they going to close up, googled it s**t myself ill never google symtoms again.
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I also suffer from this, and have since i was young and nearly choked on a boiled sweet. It didn't obstruct my breathing. it's natural shape lodged it at the back of my throat for twenty minutes.I tried to swallow it a few times, creating great anxiety. If you've ever seen that Laurel and Hardy film were Laurel swallows a whole apple, then you'll get it. I eventually vomited it up. A horrible event indeed that left me occasionally scared or unable to swallow. I have been getting this again recently, worsened by having coconsciousness. Basically, I have more than one mind. My other mind torments me with my swallowing condition and keeps telling me to swallow my tongue. It is now so bad I am afraid of doing something stupid. Reading through the accounts above made him laugh. He finds it funny. Eating chocolate biscuits distracts him, I find. For someone who has just lost 4 and half stone it seems like another problem to eat so much.
I have had this fear since the November 2010 when i first stopped smoking. I thought it was stress related but when i started smoking again in january it didnt go away. It made me go on sick from work for two weeks. went on anti-depression tablets. The doctors did not help. They look at me like i am crazy when i tell them. I then got a new job in Febuary and it stopped for about a week or so. But with the new stresses of the new job along it came again. It varies with me. My throat can be extremely dry and then it times i feel like i could druel. lol. My throat feels like it is swelling as well as my cheeks. It has given me panic attacks and i feel like crying everyday. It turns everyday life into such a hard task. I speak to so many people on the phone in my job and when it comes on i can not even pick up the phone. I have become nervous and i can never keep still anymore. It has even affected my eating habits. I really do not know what to do. I can not speak to anyone i know because they do not understand. My boyfriend looks at me like a idiot. So i have to keep iy to myself. I do not want this for the rest of my life. I keep going on with it. I have to shake to stop it, or get up and walk. Or splash my face with cold water. Im going to get to the point where i loose my job. some one please help me. Thank u for reading. xxx
Rosepetals
06-09-11, 22:40
When I was very young I used to be afraid of sleeping on my back in case I swallowed my tongue in my sleep. This phobia followed me around for years and years. It finally disappeared years later after I had a back operation, which forced me to lie on my back for nights on end.
From my experience, my advice is that you have to face the fear head on :) Hope this helps :)
x
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