panic when eating and orthorexia

[aceatron 0]

Hello, 

To start off I have an anxiety disorder, It's mostly in my head and its also a eating disorder.  I have had general anxiety for the last 7 years and recent got the eating disorder after taking antibiotics, the eating disorder is orthorexia and selective eating. I have to make everything and have it 100% clean and natural and healthy, I cut out eating a lot of food.  I lost a lot of weight. Dr ran blood test and said everything was perfect and I wasn't deficient in anything. I have a heeopathic Dr do my blood and said I don't digest properly and started taking digestive enzymes. And also that I have yeast in my blood and I have candida albicans and thats causing my brain fog, anxiety, ocd, ADD. One said my serotonin and dopamine were low. The other said my cortisol and adrenal glands were really low. I also had a biomeridian test done and she stated high in candida and low cortisol. So I take homeopathic cortisol and a few things to kill off candida and I cut out sugar 99% and follow the candida diet pretty well and the 34 strain 100 billion probiotics and eat really organic and healthy and sleep good and exercise. I try to keep stress low and stay happy, but when I eat I get a lot of anxiety and I don't eat out anymore.  Also I do a lot of coconut oil, olive oil, vit C, Bcomplex. I feel I try so hard and give up so much to feel myself and nothing works. Eating bad, eating amazing I still always feel the same just out of it and cant concentrate, and remember that well, and always having anxiety, oh and recently with all this my vision has been a little blurry and lots of eye floaters. And been a little constipated, which is weird cause I eat lots of fiber, magnesium, digestive enzymes. And I feel bloated after eating a small amount. So what are your thoughts?

 

Thank you for reading 

[jonathan123 2368]

Hi aceatron. Welcome to the AC Forum. .

My first reaction to your post is that, boy, have you got yourself in a pickle! Now this is not being judgemental or in any way critical. We don't do that here, but let me explain what I mean. You are caught up in jargon. One doctor or therapist said this another said that, but it would seem you are healthy. Your doctor has told you so.

Your Orthorexia has become an obsession. But we come back to labels. If we label someone with a problem then that label denotes how they will be. If I say you have anxiety then that word conjures up all sorts of problems because of what you know or have read about it. The same goes for Orthorexia. I don't know where you live but it is the interests of some doctors or therapists to find physical symptoms when none exist. You said that you feel 'it is mostly in the head'. I suggest it is all in the head, or the mind. Tricks of vision are common in anxiety so try not to let them worry you. They go when the anxiety goes. If you look under '100 Symptoms of Anxiety' on the site you will see it all there.

My feelings about food may be different from yours, but to me a good balanced diet can't be beaten. If you are in a constant state of worry over what you eat then anxiety is bound to follow. You may be allergic to some foods so, obviously, they are best avoided. It is strange how we get caught up in ideas. People who exercise sometimes go way over the top. Five mile runs every day; workouts and gymnastics and if they can't do it for some reason it worries them. Moderation; everything in  moderation.

May I suggest we get back to basics. Your doctor ran a blood test and told you there is no deficiency so why have you gone elsewhere? How much is all this costing you? I have been there and I know that most of the Alternative therapists have an axe to grind. It is in their interests to find something because you then come back again. Not all but some. Be guided by your doctor. Get a diet sheet for normal healthy living. Cut out foods that disagree with you but eat normal meals. It's the worry about what to eat that is causing your problem.  Your digestive system may take time to adjust to normality but it will. Anxiety can affect the digestive system, often badly, but once the anxiety is resolved it returns to normal.    Jon.

[Xena 1234 0]

Hello, my son is 15 and has developed a fear of choking since he experienced a panic attack 4 weeks ago. We thought that he had a fear of swallowing, but we now realize that he had OCD in relation to how he used to eat. He would keep food in his cheeks taking a long time to swallow and also wash his throat after every meal with plenty of clearing as well. The Psychologist, after just the 3rd visit, had him eat some stale bagel. It became stuck in his throat and afterwards he had a panic attack which lasted 1/2 hour. He has not eaten anything solid since then. Only liquid, mainly liquid meal replacements. We are devastated and heartbroken. As a result, he does not have faith in any doctors and does not want to go back to anyone. We are consulting with psychologists our selves, as his parents for some direction. Our immediate family knows but we are unsure if we should tell others outside of our immediate circle. Not sure if people knowing is helpful to him or harmful. We would like to make plans with friends, i.e. trips, but are conflicted as to whether it is beneficial for them to be aware of his situation or not. Does anyone have any thoughts?