food!

[denise84]

hi there, was hust wondering if anyone else felt like this about food......since having panic attacks i have worried about everything to do with my health which i know is common for people with panic/anxiety, but the past year or so i have started avoiding eating certain foods, mostly meats....chicken is a definate no no for me as i am sure if i eat it i will get ill, red meat is also a problem for me as im affraid of the germs nd stuff, pork nd fish are about the only meat i can force myself to eat, i also worry about pre-packed food....do they have germs? has it been dropped on the floor before being packed? ,aybe someone sneezed on it whilst packing it?.....its driving me nuts now, its getting realy bad. last night, i told my hubby *we* were having beef casserole,potatoes and carrots for tea....i ended up just having the potatoes nd carrots as i was worried about the germs, is this common for anyone else? im worried it is going to spread to other things, i already have a fear of using anyones apart from my own toilet. i see pople come in my house and use my toilet then im wondering if they washed their hands after and watch them touch my light switch and so on, my hubby doesnt realy know the extent of my worries, just the thing about food.

[kate]

Hi Denise,

Even if there were any germs on your food, once you had cooked it through thoroughly, over 70 degrees, then everything would be killed off. There would be no risk to you whatsoever.

I'm only saying this to try to put your mind at ease over the food issue as it is all anxiety related. Your anxiety is obviously manifesting itself in a germ phobia.

Are you receiving any counselling?

Kate

[Jaco45er]

Hi Denise

Kate is spot on, food cooked properly will kill the germs, and your body deals with germs too.

I was reading once that in 1700 -1800 Ireland (thats the date not between 5 and 6 pm ;) ) they used to make wee kiddies eat dirt to build up thier immune systems. Actually, I am not sure if that helps !!!!!!

Ok, mind off then, Scotland win today lass :)

Tc Jaco

[anxious]

Hi:) ,

do you have OCD as well? When i was younger i was like that but now its more health anxiety. I always put my obsessions with dirt & germs down to my OCD tendancies but now i'm starting to wonder if it was just anxiety causing it.
I agree with the others as long as its cooked properly and in date you are ok. I can even eat prawns now which was a big no no to me.
I think a lot of people are funny about toilets. I was terrible and used to have to completely wash down the bathroom after we had visitors, now i only do it before visitors:) . I do have an obsession with shoes as i like people to take them off and if they don't i find myself trying to see underneath their soles to see if they are clean (now i sound really wierd!!:wacko: )


anx xx

[denise84]

hi, thanks for the replys, answer to anxious....i dont actually have ocd, although i havent spoke to anyone about my worries where food and germs are concerned, but i have noticed it getting worse lately, and the only change in my life has been that i had a baby 5months ago, and im also moving house soon. my mum has always told me about my problems with toilets and dirty houses, eg.. i would never use a public toilet from the age of toilet training, and my mum used to take me to her friends house which wasnt very clean and i used to scream because i couldnt bare to go in a dirty house....so my problems have been since i was a toddler but i never realy linked them to present day, as i only started having panic attacks 4 and a half years ago...and now im thinking back, before i started having panic attacks(when i was pregnant with my first child) i developed a habit of constantly cleaning my kitchen but my mum said this was just called *nesting*, but i couldnt sleep with thinking about cleaning my kitchen, but once i had the baby that feeling also went. but unfortunatly shortly after having my baby i developed panic attacks. when u mentioned ocd, i do do something that i suppose is slightly obsessive....i always have to check i have switched my cooker off, even if i know i did it i will check it again and again just to make sure. im getting scared this is all going to start controlling my life....what can i do to stop it? i know there is no mirical cure...never is for mental illness. sorry for going on....just im getting worried. thank you again for your replys.x.

[anxious]

Hi Den,

having a baby is the biggest change in your life AND moving house - no wonder you are struggling. I found when i got busier with my kids i didn't have time to check things so much, so it sort of burnt itself out. Saying that when anxious i do go back to doing certain things, so don't be too hard on yourself at the moment you have such a lot going on. It is normal to check cookers, taps etc but you have to say to yourself 'i checked, its off ' and get going. I tell myself i'm not going to go down that route again.
I wish there was a magic answer, i'm still trying to get my head around this whole anxiety thing and all its variations.
(((((hugs))))))

anx xx