Bad taste Phobia - help

[Dissolved girl]

Hi there

I have posted a few times recently. I just want some advice.

I had a panic attack caused by a bad taste in my mouth. I believe the taste is attributed to tonsil stones. It is something i have never cared about before and never used to worry about.

Anyway. I had a panic attack and am continuing to be anxious and panicky when i can taste this taste in my throat. I cannot taste it all the time.
I am scared that i won't be able to stop this turning into a phobia!
How could someone live with a phobia of their own throat??

Docs have prescribed Zoloft 100mg. It's been up and down. I have been incredibly depressed the last few days. I felt i was getting better but then every now and then the nervous jitters take over when i get this taste.

Is there anyway to stop a phobia developing? Is there anyway of disassociating panic from a particular thing (ie. this taste) Has anyone had this before or felt like they are trapped inside their own body because their own body is the phobia?

I am wondering whether to get myself committed because i cannot live like this. I am trying to be positive but i dread a future being constantly afraid all the time. I could not live like it.

Please help, any advice would be appreciated

[PanchoGoz]

Change behaviour and your thoughts follow.....

Start pretending if you have to, pretend you're not scared. Say neutral things like "ooh it's that taste again, I'm notiicing this, it seems very harmless, other people get it too, ooh it's gone"
Purposefully relax your body, even sigh it all out when you notice the taste, "sigh, it's that taste again, that's familiar"
Tell yourself it doesn't even matter if you develop a phobia and it doesn't matter this taste is there because it will do you no harm.

Loosen and accept, broadly. Don't try to force anything, just loosen your attitude and accept all experiences as just experiences.

[Dissolved girl]

Thank you. I have tried to do as you say. It is difficult but i am trying.

I have also started using a grapefruit seed extract mouthwash and the taste is gone! So anyone else out there with bad taste in the mouth or tonsil stone panic try it! Only thing i should say is it can affect anti depressants and how they work. I figure as i am using it as a mouthwash it shouldn't do much harm but i am going to ask the doctors advice tomorrow when i see them anyway X

[almamatters]

Hi where do you get the mouthwash from , my sister has had tonsil stones and she would be interested in this. I am glad you are feeling better

[PanchoGoz]

Although I avoided the actual issue at hand, I do think I have tonsil stones haha. But I don't have tonsils? So I don't know really, maybe I will try your mouthwash.

[Dissolved girl]

Hi again

To be honest i should really have ignored the taste thing because as you said in so many words - it isn't a problem. It's a natural part of the human anatomy.
I am still trying to tell myself that so if it were to surface again there is nothing to be afraid of but you know how difficult it is sometimes. I know deep down it isn't an issue but i wanted to see if there was an 'escape' in case i desperately needed it.

Anyway so being the anxious person i am i did some research to see if there was anything i could use and came across grapefruit seed extract. I bought a bottle from Amazon for like £7.00. Basically you dilute it into a glass and swish it around in your mouth and around your tonsils. Apparently it's like some kind of miracle cure for all things mouth related like tonsil stones, toothache, infections, bad breath etc. I think it basically kills the bad bacteria in your mouth. A few people online had said about it and said it had cured all kinds of things for them.

As i said below though grapefruit is not good for people on anti-depressants because it has something in the enzymes that stops the doses working properly. I am seeing the doctor today so am going to double check this with him - as i am not actually swallowing the stuff i assume i should be OK but going to check anyway.

Still though i must remember it's the anxiety that is the issue. The situation itself isn't. The bad taste is just something my anxiety has latched onto. It's so hard to remember sometimes though