Swallowing Problems - Anxiey

Hi and welcome. I am sorry that you are going through this right now. Eating is not only essential, it should also be one of the great pleasures of life! To not be able to eat isn't really an option, so it is important that you get the help that you need!

It sounds like you have ruled out anything physical (have you had a scope btw?) so most likely it is the anxiety. My first ever anxiety symptom was globus/the lump in the throat feeling. It drove me crazy! It would come and go, and didn't effect my eating much. I did lose weight, but that was more due to stomach problems. I would drink a lot of fluids, chew gum, suck on lozenges though...anything to keep my throat hydrated.

When I got my anxiety under control through therapy, this and the other symptoms subsided. Have you had any therapy for your A/P? If not, I would highly recommend it. If your regular dr. isn't helping you, I would find another one, and ask for a referral to a good therapist who offers CBT. It will help tremendously.

In the meantime, check out our Anxiety Resource Guide at the top of the main paige. It will give you some links to relaxation exercises to get you started. The dry mouth may be from unconscious over-breathing (a common a/p symptom) and there will be instructions for breathing techniques as well.

One other thought. I believe that there is a prescription for chronic dry mouth (many people have this from medications) that you could ask your dr./pharmacist about.

I hope that this has been helpful, or at least given you a few things to explore. Please post anytime! This is a great place for information and support:)

Take care,
Scaredy Cat

Scaredy Cat said...
Oh, one more thing...never be ashamed! You are struggling with a disorder. A person who is struggling with health issues, or disorder has nothing to be ashamed about. We are here to support each other, and if there is one thing that I can impress upon you, is that you are a fantastic person who is doing their best to feel better. For that you should be proud!:)
S.C.

Thank you for the kind words!

I forced myself to leave the house yesterday which elevated my mood somewhat. I drove to Walgreens and bought some Biotene mouthwash for dry mouth which has helped a little. Last Monday I was having unwanted thoughts that brought about this horrible tension and dry mouth. I'm definitely going to have to learn ways to manage my anxiety/panic a little better.

I just wanted to give a quick update.

My anxiety level has decreased a lot since I posted this and my swallowing is a lot better. I lived on soft food for weeks and lost a great deal of weight but now I'm back to enjoying my food better.

There are times when I do feel a little choked up but what helps me is eating in a relaxed environment and trying not to think about every little bite of food because it just intensifies by anxiety when I constantly think about it.

I just want others who go through this to know it does and WILL get better. I'm trying to stay more positive and exercise more which has helped my anxiety some. I have been forcing myself to go out more and interact with people which has really been hard but I can tell it's helping. The worst thing I can do is hide away like a hermit.