Fighting through phagophobia(fear of swallowing) :((

[StormyLifeDays]

Hi, I am struggling with a swallowing problem. I am losing weight at 90 pounds and I am 20 years old. My anxiety with swallowing started when I stopped eating many foods. I have been stressed out and depressed for more than a few months and then when I tried eating again I had a hard time swallowing. My mind starts to think a lot like I have to be aware to swallow and then my jaw and throat tighten up. I can't eat anything and my mom doesn't have money to buy separate foods for me. This is the difficulty I go through: When I try to chew or swallow food or water my throat tightens up and my mind goes thinking. I make a face struggling to swallow that bit of food or just 'water'. Sometimes I do choke on a bit of food and I give up on eating. It feels like I am forgetting how it was like to swallow my foods. And I'm worried. If anyone knows about phagophobia, please how can I overcome this fear? Any methods I can try? I just want to start eating again. I'm also dehydrated. And I feel like I'm turning into a skeleton. 😞 My doctor told me it has to do with severe anxiety so that is why I am here. My therapist also didn't help me.

[hypercat54]

Hi first of all you don't have to be aware to swallow. This is an automatic function and your body does it without being told to. So try and get off the idea you need to monitor it and do it consciously.

I know anxiety can make you feel like there is a lump in your throat and food will get stuck there, so anxiety is what you need to work on. One of my sisters was like this for many years but she stayed healthy coz she could eat certain foods. She ate ice lollies, mars bars, shop bought drinks like orange juice but with no bits in. For some reason she could also eat bran flakes. Try some options to keep your weight up. as some foods will be easier to swallow than others. x

[StormyLifeDays in reply to hypercat54]

I wish it was that easy. My mom doesn't buy foods for me to make it easier on swallowing. So trying to find something to eat has been the most difficult part. Thanks, I know this should be bad anxiety. I hope eventually I can eat my foods again. 😥 But waiting is not doing me any good. I'm already going down to 80 pounds and losing weight bit by bit each day!

[hypercat54 in reply to StormyLifeDays]

Well you are 20 you said. Are you working? Whatever, at your age it is up to you to make sure you are healthy as you are an adult. Work out some compromise with your mother if you have to. x

[StormyLifeDays in reply to hypercat54]

I'm trying. I can't work certain jobs because I'm underweight. And my anxiety is severe. I have been seeing a doctor but he is annoyed with me and my therapist tells me she can't help me with my swallowing fear. So I am stuck. Until my mom will grow a heart and help me out. It sucks. I know it's my responsibility now but I just need support. When everyone in my family thinks I'm crazy.

[Wesawerr in reply to StormyLifeDays]

You need more help than you're getting, proper therapy for your condition and dietary help. Have you told your mum how serious it is? Maybe try Milkshakes through a straw, liquids are easier to swallow than solid food.

[dbeck128 in reply to StormyLifeDays]

Can you switch doctors? Sadly some aren't compassionate.

[Amz1987]

Can make some fruit smoothies, with fruit, yogurt and choice of milk blend suuuuuper smooth. Sip though a straw and read a book or something that will distract you from focusing on swallowing.

Have you had your throat checked though to make sure something else isn’t going on like a large thyroid etc

[Want2BHappy3]

Have you considered counciling?

[Ragdoll15]

I had this problem many years ago, I was too scared to eat anything and lost a lot of weight. Then I read somewhere that if you keep chewing your food you will eventually swallow automatically. This worked for me. I always have a glass of water nearby when I eat just in case!

[dbeck128]

I too have had a panic whenever my anxiety gets bad that i can't swallow. Like I've forgotten. the anxiety is just what it is. It plays many roles.

I have the advice of chewing slowly and make sure you're ready to swallow.

Take small bites.

And please get some ensure or some sort of supplement for nutrients.

[Funkyfaerie]

Can you buy some build up drinks, like Complan, if you in the UK? Banana's might be good, soup. It begins to get more worrying when you are losing weight. I hope you can get through this, our minds fix on things that's the problem. Maybe some counselling might help you.

[gemfire]

Sounds like you need a new therapist if he/she isn't helping you. I also have problems with swallowing and for me it's definitely anxiety related. It takes about 50 pairs of muscles and a whole lot of nerves just to swallow one time. Anxiety affects your muscles and nerves so it only makes sense that it would also affect swallowing for some people. I've been to several specialists to rule out anything seriously wrong and while the problem is still there, I don't let it bother me too much any more. Here's a little bit of info that I copied from another website...

"Being anxious activates the stress response. The stress response causes immediate physiological, psychological, and emotional changes in the body that enhance the body's ability to deal with a threat—to either fight with or flee from it—which is the reason the stress response is often referred to as the fight or flight response. A part of the stress response changes include causing the body’s muscles to tighten so that they are more resilient to damage. This muscle tightening effect can affect any muscle and muscle groups in the body, including the muscles in the throat that help you swallow. This symptom is an example of how the throat can feel when the throat muscles are tight due to being anxious."

I know checking Dr. Google isn't always good for any of us but do a little research about the link between anxiety and swallowing problems. It seems like you really need to get a new therapist that will help you with these symptoms. Even a person that doesn't have anxiety issues will have a problem swallowing if they are asked to think about it while eating or drinking. Try it with friends or family member. Swallowing for most people is an involuntary use of those muscles and we're trying to turn them into voluntary muscles I guess.

[springlullaby]

The best advice I can give, is warm tea to relax your throat! And magnesium supplements to relax your muscles which can help with the swallowing I used to have this issue and it slowly went away as I focused on other things