Stress Center Peer Support

For some reason, I always get really anxious after I eat. Is there a physiological reason for this? Does digesting food create physical symptoms that scare me into thinking its anxiety? Or is it all in my head? It makes me not want to eat at all. Or maybe it's because if I know that I'm eating, that means I'm trying to survive which means that I still have to deal with anxiety and depression. Maybe a part of me wants to die because I'm so miserable and I thought that by not eating, I would die naturally and I wouldn't have to resort to scary thoughts of suicide anymore.
I really hope there's a simple explanation for it. I really do want to get healthy again and live a long and prosperous life.
PLEASE HELP. ANY AND ALL ADVICE WELCOME.
Thank you!!

lbee,

Reading your post, I can totally relate!

I ended up in the ER last week because I just didn't want to eat. I felt everything was "stuck" in my throat, and I just wanted to bring everything I ate back up. In short, the feeling of a "lump" in the throat is very common in those of us that suffer from anxiety, panic and depression. WHY? The best I can summize, is that we are so tense all of the time, even our esophogeal muscles, that we feel like we cannot swallow... muscles that stay in a contracted state, want to stay that way until they are stretched. Eating and passing food will stretch the contracted esophogus back out. I actually catch myself so anxious, that I am tensing my neck and throat...very weird feeling to feel yourself and the control we have, that we can keep our food passage in such a state!

Maybe your fear is that you are going to experience some negative side effect from eating? But, after being in the ER with a potassium at a critical level, I can assure you that YOU NEED TO EAT! I have lived the past week on bananas, potatoes, cantelope, orange juice...anything to raise the potassium. I DON'T WANT TO DIE... sometimes I DON'T WANT TO LIVE... I just don't feel like eating! It is all part of the anxiety and depression, trust me.

In closing, my potassium is now back to normal, but I fight to make myself eat! In order to fight these disorders, our bodies need FUEL, and food is how we get it!

Maybe, try a soft diet... scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, and the such, until you have convinced yourself that the food IS NOT going to hurt you, nor make you sick. If the feeling continues, you really need to visit your doctor.

PLEASE EAT and keep your body nourished!

Thank you for your reply. I am forcing myself to eat because I know that it helps bring my energy level back up. And like you, I'm scared to live and scared to die at the same time. I'm glad you got the help you needed with your potassium. I'll try the softer diet and see if that helps.