is this unheard of?
a little? - 0.0% - 0 votes
no? - 100.0% - 3 votes
yes? - 0.0% - 0 votes
youre crazy? - 0.0% - 0 votes
Posted 8/18/2014 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Ive been having anxiety my whole life. when I was younger I wasn't to sure what I was going through. I had a rough life growing up. when I was 18 I choked on a piece of food pretty traumatically. slowly after that I felt like everything I ate, would get slowly stuck in my throat or wasn't going down smooth enough. I started cutting more and more food out of my diet. I went through many different anxiety stages that I thought were true throat problems. I went to many different G.I doctors & speech therapist and did the barium swallowing test with liquid. every test came back fine. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I even started paying so much attention to my throat that I would notice I had tonsil stones that were in my tonsils I would poke at for hours, I didn't even like to talk or drink water for hours. I thought I had a true throat issue. im still fighting with a very high level of anxiety and have been on a all liquid diet for almost two years now. I drink nothing but ensure plus and water, Gatorade. I have been to a eating disorder treatment center and they diagnosed me with anxiety disorder/eating disorder because of my fear of swallowing and choking. I have had doctors give me medication to calm me down but I'm even afraid to take it. im scared my body will shut down because im so weak from not eating properly for so long. the nutrionist told me I could live off ensure plus for a lifetime if I did it right and drank 6-7 a day and maintained my weight & stayed hydrated. I just recently got news two days ago from a doctor saying I couldn't live off just ensure plus and started to panic again. I have this huge fear and I cant even swallow something as thick as a protein shake made from home. I feel like im the only one going through this and this is unheard of. im scared every single day im going to die and I wont ever overcome my fear of swallowing and have a normal healthy life again. please let me know if you have been through this or have any suggestions. im scared to medication and I feel alone. I don't not have money to go around paying a lot of doctors for the same answers . I don't know what to do anymore.
lgm1942
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2013
Posts : 6016
Posted 8/18/2014 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
When you went through the choking episode you really though
you were going to die, that is scary and can give anyone a complex, you should be able to find an on line chat room of
people who have responded to the same thing you have the same way. Just remember this was a one time thing and it made
a strong impression on you. if you were in any danger from this
you would be seeing people all around you dying, but you don't
and you will not, choking is a normal reflex to food in the wind
pipe, "normal" Don't go to Google for help, find an on line friend
or stay here, where everyone is your friend. Peace
Larry ***
Posted 8/18/2014 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you .
brendaboo
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2014
Posts : 791
Posted 8/18/2014 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
I totally can relate to your story, because my father once choked at the table on a piece of steak, every one at the table instead of helping my dad, got up and started running and screaming, my dad literally had to do the Heimlich maneuver on himself by bending over a chair, the meat came flying out of his mouth.
To this day when he eats, he constantly starts feeling like his throat is closing, sometimes when this happens he just won't eat, and he will go take a walk.
You're not crazy, you went through a terrible event that is everlasting in your mind, when I read this It was as if my Dad wrote it, so I totally feel your pain.
You have to eat, would you be comfortable asking your doctor for a low dose anxiety medication? If you took a very small dose of something like xanax before eating you would be relaxed and that could help you.
Cianna
Regular Member
Joined : Aug 2014
Posts : 135
Posted 8/19/2014 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
I know someone who went through this but was thankfully able to pull through it after only a couple months. I also saw a show, I think it was freaky eaters.. where a woman hadn't eaten solid food in years and they worked with her to overcome her fears. I'm sure if you look around you will find others that have gone through what your going through and they might be able to give you advice.
Scaredy Cat
Elite Member
Joined : Sep 2006
Posts : 28868
Posted 8/19/2014 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hello and welcome,
I am very sorry to hear of your difficulties.
Have you consulted with a behavioral therapist to see if CBT could be helpful for you? Hypnosis Therapy is another consideration, and something that can be effective in treating persistent phobias.
Please look into getting help from a qualified therapist who has dealt with this kind of issue before! There is help and hope beyond just surviving on a liquid diet...you can overcome this, and be victorious over your eating challenges and anxiety!
Keep posting with us for support.:)
Scaredy Cat