Anxiety is starving me!

[Suzieee]

I need help! Ever since I moved in to student halls, my anxiety has ruined me! I can't talk to my flat mates, I'm absolutely TERRIFIED to go in to my kitchen if other people are there.. I open the door and peak in, if someone is in there I just run back in to my flat and basically hide, I can't eat, sleeping is just not happening and I'm also worried about seeing my GP about this, I really do not know what to do, I'm just hiding in my flat.

[CarmelaGrace]

Hi Suzieee - I notice you've just joined, so welcome to the forum. I don't know your background, but I get food-related anxiety sometimes and the first thing to do is find a way around it so that your anxiety does not make your situation worse. For example - I get anxious if I need to eat, but there's nothing on offer that I can eat or want to eat BUT then my lack of blood sugar makes me feel worse and depression kicks in and....you get the idea. So I've taken to buying those little pots of seeds/dried fruits/nuts and carrying them around - that way if there's nothing I want to eat, I can at least put some food into my body and crucially, I'm in control.

So for your situation, if maybe you could store some food in your room (doesn't need to be anything major, just maybe a packet of dried apricots, or some apples or something) then if you can't face the kitchen, then you know you have something to fall back on, and then you can work from there. It sounds as if you have social anxiety, which is hard to deal with at uni/college, but it will get better.

You need to be able to eat -otherwise everything else will go downhill. If you really feel that it's becoming a problem for you, then you should go to Student Services - they should be well equipped to deal with this sort of thing.

[Mysteryreader in reply to CarmelaGrace]

I think the above ideas are excellent but also what is the viability of having a small fridge in your room so you could keep a wider range of foods? Quality energy bars are also full of nutrients. are you managing to get to lectures? Perhaps there you could try a short smile. Try not to be worried about going to see your gp or student services but if you go it might help to take some notes with you.

MR

[shoppaholicsue Star in reply to Mysteryreader]

Great ideas! What about one of those little beer fridges if your room.

[mart_16]

i have something similar to that