Anxiety and not able to eat in public

Xyz-12_

I am an international student who graduated from university last month. I have anxiety problems. The main issue is that I am not able to eat in public ( restaurants, in family dinners , with friends etc). I can only eat a very limited amount or less amounts of food without any drink ( as drinking increases vomiting ). I am going to join job soon. I will not be able to have lunch in my office or any proper meal with others. This is causing me stress . Even if I do not eat lunch in office everyday, I may get some problems or health issues associated with skipping meals .This can lead to some diseases also. I did talk to my therapist about anti vomitting medication , but they cannot be had everyday, as I will be going for my job everyday. I am a healthy person with no medical history till now. I had taken therapy session in my university ( twice every month ) , but it has not been that helpful. I do try sometimes to eat with others , but can only eat very less quantities. Please help with this. Is there any treatment?

sbella02

Hey, thank you so much for sharing your story with us, welcome to the forums. I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through this. Anxiety around food can feel horrible - I experienced this when I was younger with certain foods, so I can give a little advice from what worked for me.

There are many different reasons why food-related anxieties can appear. It could be the hyperawareness of others' attention, the fear of being watched or judged, the sounds, sights, smells, and feeling of a crowd or the public in general, it could be a previous bad experience with eating in public, it could be something about the texture or type of food, etc. With that in mind, I have a few questions to start with:

Do you know what might have caused it, or when you first noticed it?
How do you feel about drinking something (water, juice, etc.) in public without having food?
Are there any safe foods for you that don't induce vomiting or anxiety?
How do you feel when eating with others in a private space (eg: home)?
How do you feel when eating alone in public, do you have the same kinds of feeling?

You don't necessarily have to answer these here, these may just be things to consider as they can reveal a lot about what might be going on, which can help you figure out how you can overcome your anxiety and associated physical symptoms.

There could be several things you could try doing to help ease yourself into eventually being able to eat comfortably in public without feeling awful. The first thing I would do would be to establish what your safe foods are. What foods have you noticed that you feel okay with eating in public, if any? It could be something that's considered fairly plain like a piece of bread or some rice, anything that you find that you can eat without feeling anxious or nauseous.

If you find that eating by yourself is alright, you could start by bringing something small that you know is safe (ie: does not induce vomiting) into a public space like a mall or food court, and see how you go with this. You don't have to have a drink with you to start off with, as it sounds like that can heighten your anxiety - just keep it really simple. Something else that may help, if you'd feel comfortable, is seeing how you'd go with eating around people in a place where you feel safe (eg: home).

Try to have patience with yourself during this time, and do celebrate in that sense of accomplishment every time you do manage to take a few bites or eat/drink something in public without feeling that sense of anxiety or nausea - this encouragement will be good for helping you to overcome it entirely.

Another good thing might be to approach a different GP with your situation to seek professional advice. There are some therapists and psychologists who work specifically with anxiety and food-based anxiety, and would be able to help you in a more specific and targeted way than therapists you have seen previously.

I hope this helps, please feel free to continue chatting as we're here for you.

All the best, SB

Xyz-12_

Thanks for your help. My safe foods are biscuits ( I just have 1-2 biscuits with friends when out). I did have some instances in school when I had puked after having my tiffin ( sandwich and some biscuits). This happened also because I was playing some sports after eating and some of my friends laughed at me. Another instance was when I had puked in the bus when going to school . This happened as I was getting late and ran towards bus. I had a cup of milk before. Presently I am 33 years old. I last went to restaurant around 2022 with family. I was not comfortable eating food with them . I just had extremely less quantities of food and was talking continuously to keep my mouth dry and remove anxiety which could lead me to puking. I can have water without any problems in public and with friends. But I just have less amounts of juice ( 2-3 sip) with friends or family. Since last 5-6 years , I have food with family but I do not actually feel comfortable. I eat medium quantities and engage in talking to keep my mind off anxiety. But in most of times, I eat alone in my room separately . My family eats at dinner table and I eat in other room. I have tried to eat alone in my university when my therapist at university asked me to do so. I could have some biscuits (around 2-3 ) in university campus. I am comfortable with that amount. Can you recommend any good GP or therapies in Queensland?

sbella02

Biscuits are a good start, as some of them can be packed with nutrients. If you are open to trying different kinds when you're out in public, this may help you start to diversify your options for food a little. Are there some that you tend to like more than others? What appeals to you about these as opposed to other kinds?

There might also be other foods that are texturally similar to biscuits that you may find you are comfortable eating in public. Crackers, rice cakes, vegetable crisps, nuts, these all might be good substitutes that are quite simple in flavour and can offer some nutrients.

1-3 biscuits is a good start, and it's good that you're able to quantify it. You could try introducing one at a time and seeing how you go (bring four biscuits and try eating the fourth very slowly). Try to make sure you're focusing on breathing well as you try something new, to put your body in an adequate state of relaxation to combat nausea. Closing your eyes may help, thinking of something pleasant may also help. Make sure you're congratulating yourself every time you accomplish something that's a step further for you (eg: eating one more biscuit than usual, having a few sips of juice, etc.).

If you've found that talking with people during meals can be a good way to ease your anxiety, this is good to note. This may be a good strategy to make you feel more comfortable eating in public (eg: at work).

With regards to finding a therapist or psychologist who is local, APS has a service on their website called "Find a Psychologist" that may be helpful for you in terms of finding somebody who specifically deals with eating-related struggles.

Feel free to keep chatting with us if you'd like, if you end up trying anything that resonates with you. We're always here to support you.

SB

RedDragon

That’s so strange - I had the same thing a few years ago - I would choke every time I went in public and ate. It was the sounds for me the loud noise - PTSD trolleys noise lots of people talking or plates clanking. I found a quiet place to eat out and slowly worked out it was noise and I was safe. I hope you find why your body reacts that way. Love your self and care you will know how and when it’s time. I hope you are able to advise on outcome that worked for you.