Life With My Wife

[unsureguy]

My wife is afraid. She will only eat potato chips now.








I am unsure.

[carmagnet]

Well hello unsure....welcome. She will only eat potato chips? nothing else?

[unsureguy]

Sometimes crackers. Sometimes pretzels. Sometimes popcorn.


She squeezes the bags to make sure that they have been properly sealed. If no expiration dates or they are illegible, then she will not eat.


If my kids and I eat something canned then it must not have any dents or paper defects visible.


Her hands are cracked and bleeding.


I do not want to lose her this way.

[bexcelica]

oh my god. you should get her help. try talking to her, and she if she
woul dbe willing to get some sort of counseling, if she is not in it
already.

[gubba]

UNSURE,


I know that you are freightened and I would be too. I am a handwasher till they bleed as well, but I have been using lotion each time I wash and at night and they are better than ever. Let me reassure you that while the handwashing is obsessive, it is such a great defense at this time of year that it is difficult to want to stop that.


As for the food...chips I guess she chose since they aren't usually able to spoil, but they are greasy and hard on your stomach if eaten too much, so I would never choose that route. Why not try asking her if she will eat cheese? It molds if spoiled and you can see that. What about canned soups? I am not extreme enough to go crazy over so many foods, but I know that many others here are. I just think that there are safe foods besides junk. What about fruit? She can wash it with soap and water or peel it. I think that if you can get her to venture away from her normal "safe" foods, and try other safe foods, she will get on the right road.


As for your kids, getting her a little help with this may be good. I have a son that I would hate to see suffer because of my fear. I never would have used a public toilet and now I use them everywhere. I never would eat 1/2 of what I do now and I do it so that my son will never know my problem and it should never have an effect on him. Please know that it is not something that your kids should ever be concerned with, but if she makes certain that they don't eat a variety of foods because of her fears, they will grow up not willing to eat certain foods. Your kids are so important and obviously your wife is as well or you would never have come here for advice.


This is very difficult for you and that is so hard for me to handle. I think that you should talk to her and let her maybe chat with us on here and get some professional help so that even if she can't be cured, she can manage it to make your lives more normal.


I hope this helped you. Everyone on here has this same problem and you will get some great support and understanding here. Good luck.

[unsureguy]

Thank you for your understanding and concern.


I stay frustrated and angry about this. She has been going through this for a long time (since kindergarten) but it has been increasingly worse the last two years.


Our kidseat normal food, however, so I am thankful.


She is so depressed most of the time and does not enjoy life at all.


She no longer has any friends and has a special bond with the television now.


...so glad I found you.

[gubba]

I'm glad you found us too. She is not alone and it is very hard to understand. I have no clue how to explain it to you except to say that it is hard to live in this life with this fear, and it is hard for those around us to deal with us. I never knew how many people suffer with this and to have found this place can be such a relief to just know that you are not alone. There are often times, boyfriends, husbands, even wives who tune in here for support due to a spouse or loved one who has this phobia. It is a very odd thing to fear and we all know that, but all the same it is a constant 24/7 thought in all our heads. Possibly, if your wife got involved with us it could slow up the t.v. watching, but before you tell her about all of us, decide if it will make her better or if it is a better place for you to visit to get moral support.


We do care about you and her, so keep in mind that we are always here for you.

[liriodendron]

If she only eats potato chips and junk food, then you have a problem
but I don't see anything wrong with not buying things without a legible
expiration date, opened bags or dented cans. Does she fear
vomiting or do you think it might be something else like OCD?



RE the cracked hands, that might actually be an infection that could
turn serious if not treated. It's what happens when you kill the good
bacteria that kills the bad bacteria. Worth going to a dermatologist.
S/he'll give some cream to put on it and say to use milder soap. A
moisturizer lotion at night before bed will help too.

[unsureguy]

She suffers from OCD as well. It was brought on by the Emet. Agoraphobia came next.


She thinks that she has done something to deserve this.I know that this is not the truth.


She worries about worrying about worrying that she is worried.


It never ends and I don't think any of you should have to live your lives like this.





I am very sorry.

[gubba]

We are all on different levels of stress with this and you are right...she did nothing to deserve this, but none of us did. It just happened. Truthfully, I can't even come up with an episode that drove me to this fear, but many people can. I just know it scares me to even think about V*, but it does not debilitate me. i continue to live and love.


I hope she gets help and can try to get out and live some.

[liriodendron]

Why don't you extend my invitation to her to come to this forum and talk to us.

Lots of big scary words there... Depression, OCD, anxiety...

Maybe it will be a step in the right direction if she sees there are others that share her fears and maybe can do some good.

[madisonsmom]

I agree. She needs to come on here and talk to us. There is a lot of support here.


Too much handwashing is not good. She is destroying her immune systems first line of defense...her skin!


Bless her heart. It is an awful phobia. She needs to reach out and get help. Just take it one step at a time.


We are here for you and your wife.

[stephiewephie05]

i can understand where she iscoming from. about 3 years ago all i would eat was chips, salsa, &cheez-its. i would suggest counseling if she is ready.