how to cope with a specific anxiety problem

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ploots
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14 Dec 2007, 10:27 am

Hi, I'm new here, undiagnosed by the way.
I have a question and am now sure where else to post it and want to know if anyone else ever had something like this.
I have, linked, an anxiety disorder that seems to be manifesting in a phobia of certain foods. I have someone convinced myself I am allergic to nuts (I'm not, I used to eat them all the time) but cannot shake the worry when I am around them or even see them.
Thing is, I am going to my fiance's mum's for christmas dinner and am worried she might have nuts around and I'll see them and have an anxiety reaction. I can't help but think what if she eats a nut then makes me a cup of tea and I am supposed to drink it after she has touched nuts, even though I know nothing will happen. And what if the stuffing has nuts in it. I'm trying to stop the negative thoughts but has anyone else ever suffered from something like this?
Thanks



pandabear
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14 Dec 2007, 10:36 am

My pharmacist told me that he used to have a lot of anxiety about imagining himself to have a lot of diseases. Lexapro took care of that.

I have anxiety, but it is more social.

Actually, I used to worry about my health a lot, and became obsessive about my cholesterol levels.

I then started taking a lot of dietary herbal supplements.

I fell into the fad of not eating egg yolks, etc.

Maybe if you realized that nuts were actually very good for your health--they are rich in the good kind of fats that produce good health. I now eat some nuts every day -- macademia nuts, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, everything.



alexbeetle
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14 Dec 2007, 10:45 am

I would go out buy a big bag of nuts and make myself eat them.
You seem to know fundamentally that you will be okay so try face the irrational fear and break it.
The fear of making a scene during a visit for me would be the greater.


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ploots
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14 Dec 2007, 2:32 pm

I think that's the real problem, I'm worried that I'll totally freak out and his parent's will think ! !! !! something really bad, I'm more worried that I'll think myself into an anxiety attack becuase of an irrational fear than I am about actually having a reaction. I know intellectually that nuts are good for me and that I used to eat them and enjoyed them and that its irrational, but right now...!

I might ask my therapist if she can hypnotise me and give me a blocker for those thoughts, just need to get through a two hour meal then I can go home and close the door.

Thanks