- Username
- Audrey/33
- Date posted
- 18w ago
Choking Phobia
I ate a sandwich and choked a bit on it and now I have a choking phobia. Having a hard time eating. Anyone else going through this?
I ate a sandwich and choked a bit on it and now I have a choking phobia. Having a hard time eating. Anyone else going through this?
I've dealt with this on and off since childhood. Back then it always happened in the cafeteria, related to some social anxiety. I don't have any great answers at the moment, other tjan gradual exposure and easy-to-eat foods in the environments that trigger the fear the most. (Like soup/chili/yogurt/etc)
And also staying hydrated, always having water nearby while you do those exposures. Helps your throat stay have better conditions to begin with. :) You've got this and you aren't alone.
@em__ Are you able to eat better now without the fear of choking?
@Audrey/33 Overall yes, much better. Once in a while that old fear pops up in a new social setting, where I get hyper aware of my throat/sensations. But it's not as intense as childhood. I also never took meds until the past 3 years. Zoloft has made a big difference for me with physical symptoms of anxiety and some sensory fears.
@em__ Definitely consult your therapist/a clinician as well. Throat tension and swallowing challenges are surprisingly common, I learned. And alsl very treatable ✨️
This happened to me recently. I choked on sushi and now every time I get sushi I’m anxious that I will choke again. I think it is a fear of embarrassment more than a health fear, but I still feel that worry!
@Anonymous Let me add, I choked on the sushi like 3 years ago, but I still panic
@Anonymous Yes it is an awful worry, it’s worse when I am eating out. I actually seen a man choke in front of his family. He survived but it was traumatizing. It’s only sushi you have a fear of right? Any other food?
@Audrey/33 Mostly sushi. Or anything that’s difficult to chew, steak or chicken that is dry:/ I refuse to eat steak
Dealt with this exact fear 2 yrs ago after my daddy died and food got stuck in my throat. I didn’t eat well for months and lost over 30 pounds! That was not good for me as I’m already a small person. I got better eventually thank you God… but road to recovery was not easy. I had so many exams because I was convinced I could no longer eat solid foods! I seen a swallowing specialist, had to do swallowing therapy lessons where I eat food in front of a speech therapist as well as see a regular CBT therapist… it was tough but here I am today eating solid foods! I know how bad you feel and it will get better but you must keep eating… you don’t want those throat muscles to forget how to swallow! It’s scary but keep eating!
@Rita D. That is what happened to me too right now with my dad, he died a few months ago and literally 2 days ago I found out my friend died. Thank you for this comment it really helps me. I am forcing myself to eat now.
@Audrey/33 How are you feeling today?
@Rita D. I am so sorry I missed this. A lot better now by God’s will but still have it. It just sucks because now I feel like all my themes are merging together.
A few months ago, I was diagnosed with OCD. I’m not sure what changed, or flipped inside of me, but suddenly everything I was eating became scary. I would spend days not drinking water, or trying to force down at least some crackers and beef broth so I didn’t get sick. I have a fear of anaphylaxis, even with never being exposed to something I’m deathly allergic to. I don’t even have any allergies that I know of that give me hives or any type of reaction. I would feel my throat tightening, and my throat would turn red because I would scratch at it, and I could feel a tightening in my chest even with stuff I’d eaten my whole life. I was/am terrified of high allergy foods (shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, etc) but I’ve recently began to try things again. I can eat almonds again without nearly passing out in a panic. Does this happen to anyone else? I feel like I’m the only one this happens to. It makes me feel completely weird, and it confuses other people.
I ate a frozen pizza and in the middle of eating it I imagined to myself "what if it was an edible cookie" because the way I was eating it it was the shape of a cookie due to not having pizza cutter around (or at least I cant find one) I just cant stand the thought of the possibility of accidentally eating an edible unknowingly or just anything drugged and I'm exhausted of this irrational fear controlling every single day and triggering panic attacks (or anxiety). I wasn't always like this, why is this happening to me now??? I used to be a very impulsive person and eat whatever was put in front of me, and I've always been fine, so why is this eating me now? To be honest I feel calm typing this right now, just a little frightened that I scared myself with that thought, but I'm scared that this calmness won't last long. I hate this!
I wish I wasn't so paranoid. I hate when I give in to my fears whenever I'm about to eat something just to end up avoiding it instead. There are some moments where I eat confident and ignore the intrusive thoughts, but most of the time it's spent in agony. My relationship with food has completely changed. It's gotten to a point where when I do get myself to eat something I cant help but pick at my food and spit it out if I feel something that doesn't "feel right". I can't keep being babied anymore and I know it's up to me to put an end to this new fear, but I'm so scared. This is so exhausting I hate living like this everyday.
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