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Posted 1/10/2016 12:47 AM (GMT -5)
I am back, it's been a long time since I have posted on this forum. I'm excited as I love Healingwell and know how helpful it is to have others that understand what you may be going thru. My current situation that I'm really having a struggle with is feeling like I'm choking and not being able to eat very much (or a fear of choking). I have lost a total of 30 pounds since March of 2015 which I'm now at a healthy weight, but the main reason being for the weight loss unfortunately stems from my fear of choking and eating much less and lots of liquids. I feel like I'm in a constant fog, emotions are all over the place because I'm tired of being scared so much and feeling panicky..... I'm driving my husband bonkers because I am constantly worried about not getting enough nutrition and he says "so eat!" Not understanding it's not just that easy 😔 I had blood tests done back in late October and everything was fine, I make nutritious smoothies to get some nutrition and eat when I can but some days, like today, I've eaten minimal (800 calories) I'm so scared I'm going to be stuck in this cycle and keep losing weight and cause myself health problems and/or die. Any advise is greatly appreciated, I'm feeling overwhelmed and fearful. Thank you 💗
Posted 1/10/2016 3:33 AM (GMT -5)
I would say to take small bites so you feel safer about the swallowing. You can do this for as long as you need to do it. I just came off of a 5 day liquid only diet from anxiety and while it was hard to eat again, I made myself do it. I am not sure how long you can go without food, but it's not good to go more than a week my doc said. I force myself to eat at the least some crackers to provide something for my body to work on. This is hard on our bodies but we can and will get past it together. Hope this helps and be well.
Posted 1/10/2016 11:49 AM (GMT -5)
Hi JRF and welcome back...

...although I am sorry it is due to your choking fears.

Know that you are not alone, and that this is a fairly common concern. Anxiety causes tension, and in the upper body this can result in the swallowing mechanism becoming affected.

What are you currently doing for anxiety management? Are you in therapy or working a self help regimen?

How about medication. ..is this something you are currently employing, or would consider for recovery?

You could do fine on a liquid diet for an extended period of time. Boost or Ensure are fortified with vitamins and nutrients...

...but of course getting back to normal food intake and dealing with the choking fear is the goal...

...so seek help from your doctor and discuss your options as far as meds and/or therapy go...

...and get started with some self help (Resources! ) if you've not done so already.

There is help and hope. Keep posting!

S.C.
Posted 1/10/2016 2:52 PM (GMT -5)
I had this same problem at the start of my last anxious bout. I lost 25 pounds in six weeks. Now, one without anxiety would be excited about this, haha! But I had all the same fears that accompanied the weight loss, like you have...the constant fog was the worst for me.

I supplemented with ensure shakes and smoothies with protein in them. about three months later, I was back to eating pretty normally, but since my anxiety was still so high, I didn't gain any of the weight back (until my anxiety level went way down about six months later).
Posted 1/10/2016 6:28 PM (GMT -5)
I suffer from gerd and sometimes go through bouts of difficulty swallowing. Have you been checked for heartburn issues?

Also I would suggest chewing your food throughly before you swallow. I know it sounds like common sense but sometimes I swallow too quickly and I feel like I'm choking.

Hope this helps.
Posted 1/10/2016 9:01 PM (GMT -5)
I have dealt with the fear of choking before on multiple occasions. You have to realize that the thoughts and symptoms you may feel, such as a lump in the throat, are nothing more than your anxiety playing tricks on you. When you assign the thoughts and feelings associated with this pseudodysphagia meaning, they take hold and get worse. If you are not already taking an antidepressant I suggest doing so. Also look into finding a skilled cognitive behavioral therapist that you click with. You can try exposure-style therapy at home by facing your fear of choking by forcing yourself to eat no matter how afraid you become and proving to yourself that you do not end up choking. Do it enough times and the fear should diminish as you learn to eat fearlessly again.
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