Can someone who struggle with us tell me if it gets better? I’ve read a couple posts where people say they’re still dealing with it years later and I don’t think I can handle much more. I start ERP next week finally but I’m not convinced it’s gonna help at this point. I’d really like to hear some experiences.
Hi! My food fear is around food poisoning. When I’m cooking it myself, when others in a restaurant are cooking it, or buying stuff like produce (if I fail to clean it properly or if I don’t detect that it’s bad produce.) For safety reasons, of course you gotta check your food in some cases, but otherwise? ERP is about sitting with the discomfort and uncertainty of ‘i don’t know if this will make me sick or not’ and just being okay with that. i’m also working on not checking expiration dates on certain products too. so, to answer your question, i don’t think any OCD or specific phobia like that really goes away. you just learn how to cope with it. my results so far? i just try to eat (despite the urge to perform compulsions) because OCD is a bully and doesn’t want me to enjoy my food. but me, my therapist, and everyone else does!
@Camryn! Thank you for sharing with me! I hope I can learn how to cope with it.
I struggled this for a very long time! I still struggle with this, but way less now. Truly the best way to heal is by exposure. I have always worried about my packaged bottles of water being tampered with. Deep down I knew that there couldn’t be something harmful in there. This is easier said than done because most of the time, we know something deep down, but the brain convinces us the opposite. Nevertheless, just by taking more sips and realizing that the water was okay really advanced me in my journey! The exposure helps!
@LRW Thank you for sharing with me! I ate a few minutes ago for the first time all day and the last bite I took tasted weird so my mind said there must have been a pill In that bite so now I’m panicking. Ugh this is so hard! And honestly, I don’t even think the last bite tasted weird that’s the crazy thing lit’s like it was just a thought.
@This Ocd Life Sucks I’ve been there too! I’ve convinced myself that food tastes weird and then I begin to think about it for hours, believing something negative is going to happen. I wish I had more advice on how to combat against this. Something that has helped me a little has been distractions while i eat or drink, so I’m not exclusively focused on it. Anyways, so glad to hear that you were able to eat! That’s an accomplishment :)
@LRW Thank you and thank you for your advice, I’m going to try the distraction thing next time I eat. Im desperate at this point I’ll try anything.
I have the fear of my food being infested or gone bad or that there are bugs in it so yeah I get you somewhat 💜💜🫂
@maxwell.wbfs Or that like there are chemicals in it, that’s a big one for me
@maxwell.wbfs Oh gosh the thought of bugs or infested would be a bad one too! It’s horrible we have to go through this. I hope it gets better for you!
I have a similar experience where I am scared of food poisoning.
@drpepperbreath Do you experience that with like grocery store foods or just like when someone prepares your food?
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