eating at work.

[allergyphobia]

Hi everybody... as some of you know on here I have been struggling for a while with a fear of eating particularly to do with a phobia of an allergic reaction. I am slowly working on my problems and trying to get myself less anxious, I can usually get around this at home eating things I feel are safe, when I am feeling brave I will try and test myself with something new with somebody I don't feel embarrassed about.

I am having CBT and we are making a list of everything I am frightened of and working through it slowly. Because of all my anxiety I have gone down to part time hours at work, working only til 1pm and so i would generally not eat at work and wait to have lunch when i got home. I've finally decided to have a phased return to work, building up my hours to 25 hours per week, then 30 hours then full time.

I just wanted any advice from anyone who has perhaps suffered from anxiety specifically to do with eating, swallowing etc and how they deal with worrying about this at work. Today I tried to push myself to eat a sandwich at work and spent the final 30 minutes of my shift worrying and going to loo to keep checking my throat and mouth... Should i just eat a big breakfast and try and last until i get home? I'm even scared to drink tea and coffee at work incase it has touched some nuts somehow and I would freak out about it anyway.

Any advice or support would really be welcomed... I just want to be able to sit with a colleague and eat a safe sandwich as I would at home... feel so much better now i'm safe at home.

The other thing i've noticed is that i always feel loads better with a scarf round my neck as my throat feels so tight all the time it kinda takes the pressure off??

Ahhh the stupid nature of anxiety!

xxx

[absentia]

I can't eat in restaurants or in a formal setting. I am fine at home with my family or eating fast food, but formal social gatherings at restaurants are a big deal for me. I have a social phobia of it. A lot of people with a social phobia relating to eating is a fear of being evaluated or judged for not eating in a certain way or spilling and making a mess, but for me on the other hand, I have a fear of not being able to finish my meal and embarassing myself. When I get anxious in these situations my mouth will go dry, my throat will go tight and I will find it impossible to swallow and feel sick. I then become self concious that people will think there is something wrong with me so I start to panic even more and usually end up very red in the face from stress and embarassment. It is horrible and something I really need to tackle.

A different situation to yours, but I just wanted to make you aware that these things exist and you are not alone with your foody problems. I hope it works out for you. Best of luck.

[allergyphobia]

thank you... this website has been so supportive... it helps just to know youre not alone in your fears x x

[Worrier]

Hi,

Well I just wanted to say that my phobia is choking so I never eat when I am alone. I am always worried I am going to choke on something, but being in my office and eating is okay as I just tell myself that my colleagues are on hand should I need them to help me if something got stuck. I definitely eat much slower now because of this worry so when I go out to eat I am always the last to finish. I just don't worry about what people think, I tell them I eat very carefully, that I worry about choking and they can either understand or not. I am not ashamed of this, so I just go about my business and if others don't like it, it's their problem.

I have found that being open and honest about this issue with people I work/socialize with, whatever the situation, that it makes me feel better. This is part of who I am and I feel they can take me or leave me, whatever works for them. I can honestly say that I have not had one negative reaction from anyone I have told this to. Actually last Saturday we went out for dinner with a new co-worker and his wife, who I have only known for a couple of weeks, I told them about my choking fear and we all just moved on and changed the subject. Dinner lasted 3 hours and it was fine, we talked, laughed and ate along the way.

Take care
Natalie x