Worried This Will Never End...

[Kerrigan]

I'm tense as I write this, I'm trying so hard not to think about swallowing but I can't. I feel like I'm swimming and I have to come up for air and I'm compelled to swallow, the tension WILL NOT GO AWAY unless I swallow. how did it ever get like this?!

I don't know how to get rid of the stupid thought, it's like running into a brick wall, a mental block that it insurmountable. My throat is hurting now and I can't keep doing this. Everything else in my life comes second to this monster. It's like every so often I have to swallow whether I need to or not and I have to find a new way to think.

I'm ashamed to be beaten by a normal, natural function.

[den68]

hi kerrigan
i had your symptom for a good while glad to say dont get it very often now. My councillor told me it was my rational brain proving to me that i wasnt choking and that my throut wasnt closing up. Your anxiety is making you aware of things in your body we dont normally notice. I found if i tried not to swollow it just got worse so gradually as i learnt to accept my illness and that that symptom got much better. Are you really stressed at the moment for any reason other than the swollowing because thats when my swollowing symptom starts up again
den68

[agnes]

Kerrigan, my heart goes out to you...I had the swallowing thing really badly a few weeks ago, I was constantly trying to clear my throat, and felt I couldn't...panic. I agree with Den that we sometimes concentrate on various parts of our body so much that what is natural seems difficult. When I saw my GP about it, he said it was the most common symptom of anxiety that his patients presented with...after my appointment with him, the symptoms went away for most of that day, which sort of proved he was right. And when the symptom is not there, I can't believe I felt that way...I suppose that's when my anxiety levels are lower.

Claire Weekes says that she always had a dry biscuit for patients with the swallowing symptom...she would ask them to chew it. They would all say no, and she would say they didn't have to swallow it, just chew...and when they tried, they would all end up eating most of the biscuit, quite naturally.

Sorry I cant be more help, except for saying that it really will go away when you are less anxious.

theia

[Kerrigan]

Thankyou so much for your replies, it means alot to me to be understood. You're both right that anxiety resorts to a physical outlet if it's not relieved any other way or we focus on it.

It's been worse over the past 2 days because I was given a warning at work and had to work really hard to compensate, later that night I didn't sleep well because my brothers rowdy friends stayed over and also there's a guy who likes me and he was waiting outside work for me again and I choked twice at work!

I didn't realise it was a common form of anxiety! The key must be to focus on external things, not try control it and to practice relaxation techniques-It's simple really. X