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It's exhausting


15 years ago 0 2101 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hey Drielly,
 
How was your dinner? How are you doing today?
15 years ago 0 406 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Drielly,   Having dinner with supportive friends and your husband provides for great exposure therapy!  Enjoy the night out! We are always here for support .    Karen, Health Educator
15 years ago 0 22 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Thank you for all the support.  I am reviewing weeks two and three and I am not ready to move on to session four until I feel more in control.  I have a dinner to go to tonight and I am telling myself that I will be fine and I just should eat slow and enjoy everyone's company.  On the plus side I am loosing the weight I have been trying to loose for a few years now.  My husband will be with me and I will have a lot of my friends with me there also.  So I am going to enjoy dinner and have a good time.  I will update later and say how the dinner went.  Thanks again.
15 years ago 0 33 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Drielly,
 
    I do not have near the extent of the fear of choking that you have, and its quite common in anxiety disorders. I do occasionally have the "can't swallow, it's a struggle to get it down" feeling, but only happens when I'm anxious. I set it aside to eat later when I'm not. You have gotten into the mode of the anticipatory anxiety of eating, knowing you have to to , and causing more thoughts about the next meal. I do recall reading  in one of a zillion panic books, that CBT is very helpful in this area, but was interesting to read that one patient seeing a CB Therapist, asked a patient to chew on a cracker, they started to feel the immense anxiety, and the therapist told them, I asked you to chew, not swallow. It was kind of a revelation that they were already causing more anxiety of the thought, when asked to chew only. The therapist was doing a gradual progression of a step of just practice chewing, have something very light in your mouth. Perhaps this might be something you might want to try. 
 
It is commendable that you are increasing your intake, and you should be proud of this achievement, you are taking the right approach, just need to be able to have some help with the actually eating part. You are progressing good, don't dwell on how it came about, just that it is another curve ball with anxiety, some things we get over certain phobias, only for a new one to arise. (Or in my case, it has, one thing that had me frightened most of life, totally left me, and a new one came in)     
15 years ago 0 406 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0

Drielly,

Have you tried relaxation techniques before?  Check out the posts on Mod's corner for full steps to deep breathing and muscle relaxation techniques.  It may help bring calmness in panic attack situations and when exhausted.  Also, look over sessions 2 and 3 again to help you recognize and challenge the anxious thoughts.     Karen, Health Educator
15 years ago 0 22 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I have been in between good days and bad days and at times I feel that I can't overcome this.  I know that this is not the right attitude to have but it is very frustrating.  I have not had any panic attacks in over a week, but I am still feeling anxious and having a hard time eating.  It is very difficult to challenge my thoughts.  Sometimes I am able to do and other times I let the fear get the best of me.  I have been eating a bit more lately though, but I am still trying to figure out why all this has happened.  I never had a problem with eating and I used to enjoy eating, but now all I do is worry about the next time I am going to eat.  I am a rational person but I can't rationalize with what is going on with me.  I am just exhausted. 

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