I kind of don't eat anymore

[ellistoryteller]

It's not because I want to be skinny or anything, let me explain myself a little bit.

Some months ago, I started feeling extremely anxious, and that got to my physical health, making me dizzy and nauseous and stuff like that. It got to a point where I could hardly pull myself out of bed, because I felt so bad, as if I would faint at any point. Needles to say, I didn't go to school for weeks, almost a month. When I finally came back, my health was still very bad, but it was bearable, so I made it through.

That was in September of 2016; we are in fucking April of 2017 and I'm still feeling like shit. My anxiety doesn't leave me alone for a single second, and it's gotten so bad that I cannot eat much because I feel like I'm gonna throw up. And I'm not even hungry anymore.

I eat because I need to, but not because I want to.

What should I do to fix this? Does anyone have gone through something similar?

[Hidden]

Lack of appetite and not wanting to eat is not uncommon with anxiety. Sorry you are going through this. But am impressed that you are wise enough to know you must eat in spite of this to nourish your body.

Hopefully, you have a doctor or therapist with whom you can share your situation.

We are always here for you....some of us have gone through this too, so don't ever feel alone.

[ellistoryteller in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, really. Sometimes you feel so alone that you just need to hear you are not, just to push a little bit harder.

And yes, I am impressed myself that I manage to eat, but I think that this would be a lot more difficult to cope with if I was feeling weak and got anaemia. Nobody wants that.

I am actually looking for a therapist right now, because I had a bad experience with my last one.

[Hidden in reply to ellistoryteller]

Good to hear my reply actually did help. Don't always know if it does.

Glad you are seeking another therapist, and didn't give up after a unpleasant experience with the last one. Have a decent night, ok?

[ellistoryteller in reply to Hidden]

Thanks! My best wishes from here!

[Jeff1943]

You are not alone, Ellistoryteller, most of the people on this forum have experienced those symptoms. When we're experiencing anxiety the most common part of our body to complain is the stomach and we start to feel nausea which puts us off eating, I've had it myself on and off. My doctor has given me tablets in the past but I prefer traditional remedies like ginger tea (made from thin slices of ginger root infused in boiling water) and peppermint tea.

Do you remember what it was started your anxiety, were you under pressure or stressed? If you can sortout what triggered the anxiety you could put that right, maybe with the advice and help of your parents or a trusted friend.

What's happened is that the pressure and worry has caused your nervous system to become super sensitive in which state it causes all these symptoms including the dizziness you mention which is another very common symptom of nervous anxiety.

So what's happening to you is very common and although it makes you feel bad it isn't life threatening, it can't damage your body and it can't send you crazy. That knowledge should be reassuring because if people don't know this they start imagining they have serious illnesses - because jangled nerves are very good at imitating real illnesses.

I think the first thing you should do is discuss it with your parents telling them the full extent of the problem and also see your doctor about it to give you the full reassurance that it's an anxiety problem and nothing more.

I can only tell you the method that has helped so many people acrosd the world recover from nervous sensitisation over the past 50 years and that'sthe Acceptance Method as advocated by Claire Weekes in her first book 'Self help with your nerves' also titled 'Hope and help with your nerves' in the U.S. all available from Amazon. Basically it tells us to stop fighting our anxiety feelings because that only causes more fear that fuels over-sensitised nerves. Instead we should accept the symptoms with a minimum of fear and if we can manage to do that we stop bombarding our nervous system with more fear and anxiety - and eventually our nerves cease to be over sensitised and we recover.

I've tried to sum up in two sentences a whole book and a complete method so all I will say is: maybe at your age you don't want to read a book written 50 years ago even though it's all about your particular problem, you've probably got too many school books to read already and what you really want is an instant fix. But if you only read one more book in your life I recommend it should be Claire Weekes' book which has brought relief and recovery and understanding to more people than any other single method.

[ellistoryteller in reply to Jeff1943]

Thank you! I will look for that book as soon as possible. I actually love to read, that's the only thing that's kept me sane a lot of times, so it won't be a bother at all.

Do you have some more natural remedies for the nausea? That was very useful information, by the way, I didn't know that, and a lot of dizziness medication feels like I'm in some kind of drugs.

And the problem with my anxiety is that it is generalised, and the causes are there since my childhood and my early teens (I'm seventeen), so, you know, getting it controlled is a bit more problematic. Right now I don't have a therapist, I had a bad experience with the last one, so I'm looking for a trustful one.

Anyway, thank you again!

[Jeff1943 in reply to ellistoryteller]

Ellistoryteller, 'fraid I don't have any further magic potions for nausea other than the ginger tea for the nausea and peppermint tea for stomach ache. Some people, and I'm one of them too, have a genetic disposition to anxiety, maybe we produce too much or too little of some hormone, but Doctor Weekes' acceptance method works just as well. She herself experienced anxiety as a young woman when studying to be a doctor and worked out her remedy for anxiety to heal herself and later on wrote the book to help others. I wish you good luck in the future.

[Mumof347 in reply to Jeff1943]

Same here Jeff, my mum had it so I suffer with it now,after all that has happened in my life, I am trying to deal with it

[Nicki1984]

Get some support/counselling so they can help you back on the right track. CBT would be good for you. Write things down and work out your triggers etc good luck x