Food Cleanliness Anxiety

[Baenav]

I have a real issue about eating food and absolute cleanliness. It’s got to the point where I might be making a sandwich and accidentally brush my hand against an object in the home, continue to make the sandwich but throw it away because of the germs that I collected when I touched that object. Last night I was in a restaurant and didn’t eat my meal because I saw the waiter going to the loo and convinced myself he had not washed his hands! I am frantically worried about food poisoning; in 2001 I ate a dodgy chicken and ended up in hospital, so it could be from that. I also have IBS, and I absolutely loathe feeling ill and have a phobia being physically sick. I won’t eat food from a freezer that’s been in there longer than a month (my partner does - sometimes the food is over a year old and she’s never been ill). This issue has real potential to ruin my relationship as I know my partner finds it frustrating. She tries to be understanding, but I know my anxiety is extreme. Does anyone suffer the same anxiety and if so, what suggestions are there out there that might help.

[Hidden]

There is something called Emetophobia, fear of vomiting. I don't know if you have heard of this and it may not apply to you. This is something I struggle with too, about 3 years ago I feel like out of nowhere I developed an overwhelming anxiety about vomiting. I have two young children so it's always going to be possible. I don't have much advice to offer I'm afraid but something that I have found helpful is CBT. It's very overwhelming and I also will sometimes throw away food or not eat something. I do find looking at what other people do, people who do not have this worry and i think that if they are not doing certain things like throwing away food, avoiding eating certain things then I don't need to... easier said than done. Sorry can't give more help I wish I could but I hope you can find something to help and it gets better

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