Afraid of the chicken, had a rough night.

[silver]

Hello...


I posted yesterday about the fear of ordering chicken from restaurants or other thing that I felt maybe weren't "safe." Well, yesterday I ordered a chicken teryiki bowl from a reputable restaruant along with my coworkers. I was still scared of the chicken ever though it was cooked thoroughly. I got mad at myself for continuing to be afraid so I ate it and it was very good. Well, all last night and this morning I have been afraid of getting food poisoning. My stomach has been kind of funny and I can't tell the difference between hunger pangs and n*. I am still worried about it and I can't seem to get it out of my head. I am so damn angry with myself right now about this. A few weeks ago, I thought that I was making progress with this; I tried clams, steak, quail, etc.and didn't get scared about it at all. I just feel like I took a step back and got afraid again. I had trouble sleeping last night and woke up n* in the middle of the night and now I am n*. I am having a really rough time right now....

[crimgoddess]

Don't feel angry with yourself! You did something that scared you- that right there is an accomplishment. It is a pain that you are anxious now- but I don't think the issue is necessarily the fact that you are anxious- but how you deal with that anxiety.


Are you sure that your nausea isn't due to this anxiety? The body is very susceptible to suggestion- if you put the thought in your head that "oh my god, that chicken is going to give me food poisoning", it may very well start mimicking some of the signs (kind of like the people who act drunk when they are served non-alcoholic beer and don't know it).


Have you eaten something yet? If it's hunger, eating something light slowly may help (I have actually dry heaved out of hunger before- my stomach wants what it wants, haha).


Hope you feel better....and that you don't let this minor setback affect you the next time you are in a restaurant and an 'unsafe' food looks pretty damned good. It may be rough now- but the next time it will be better


*amber*

[silver]

Amber-


Thanks fo your kindness and understanding. I have been eating an apple with some peanut butter slowly this morning. I thought about tha fact that after I exercised last night I only had a protein shake and skipped dinner (not intentionally though.) My stomach still feels goofy, but I am 99% convinced that it is from being anxious.


I know that I need to continue to eat different things and keep going with it even though I have been scared this time...I am just very frustrated with myself right now about it. I even ate caviar at a party a month ago!! I was soooo proud of that!! And seafood too!!! Now I am afraid of chicken?? I can't believe the way my mind works sometimes. To answer your question though...I can almost guarantee that I am making my stomach upset by the anxiety. Thanks for not treating me like a nutt job!!

[1987porsche944]

I just wanted to add my two cents and mention that I used to be a
sous chef, and had to eat all kinds of weird stuff. I have
had medium rare pork chops, and tons of bizarre ethnic foods (I won't
get into it and gross you out). I eat sushi on a regular basis.
However, I have THE FEAR when it comes to chicken as well. [img]smileys/smilies_05.gif[/img] Seems kind of retarded with all the other weird stuff I eat, but you aren't alone!!!



P.S. I did read an article some time ago about studies being done that
suggested white wine may help in preventing food poisoning. I know it
sounds retarded but whenever I go out and end up eating chicken, I
always order a glass of white wine. [img]smileys/smilies_09.gif[/img] Ha ha. I don't know if it works, but I haven't had fp in many, many years.

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[Tamzie]

I did a project on food poisoning (of course) when i was 17 in my food and nutrition class..and most food poisoning is actually caused by salads..when the vegetables arent washed enough. Its rarely caused by poultry and other meat not being cooked enough, because even if it isnt cooked enough, it will only make you sick if it HAS the salmonella or E.coli bacteria in it..which is also fairly rare


I was once out at a restaraunt with my boyfriend and once I got to the last bite of my chicken, i saw that clearly it was DRIPPING blood. I almost v* right there, but somehow I held it together and after some reassurance from my boyfriend I was alright for the rest of the night..and sure enough, I never got sick.


We underestimate our stomachs!! Even if there were to be some bacteria in that chicken, the small amount of blood you may eat before you realize that its uncooked would probably be minute enough for your stomach acids to kill the bacteria.


Ive gotten over a lot of my food poisoning fear after learning this info, I used to only eat pasta at restaraunts!! Now I eat whatever the hell I feel like, try all different kinds of food, sushi, at all different kinds of restaraunts, I LOVE FOOD!!..and I've never gotten food poisoning.


SO DONT WORRY

[silver]

Thanks guys!!


I am very proud of myself right now....Thursday frightened me, but I ate chicken for lunch, Friday I had chicken quesadillas, and Saturday I have a grilled chicken pita at Chili's. I also tried some quail too. I wasn't afraid at all on Friday or Saturday about the chicken and didn't even think twice about it. I know that it is stupid, but I guess that these are "baby steps" for me!! There was a time not too long ago when I wouldn't even try chicken at restaurants. I feel like the more I order it, the more that I am getting over my fear of it and realizing that I am going to be just fine. Thanks for all of the support!!

[crimgoddess]

Good Job Silver!


I'm glad that you are able to go out an enjoy yourself- and be able to eat foods you enjoy with minimal/no fear. It's not stupid at all- you are entitled to be proud


*amber*

[crystalmom]

Excellent job!


You are facing those little demons and that is very admirable! A minor setback with the anxiety. So what? Keep doing what you are doing. Here's a small story that may help you feel better knowing we ALL do this from time to time....


In the summer, I was driving my b/f from his rig to his trailor. For some reason, I had MAJOR panic attacks. I was a mess. It was so bad, that I got d* from it. The drive home was more than an hour, which seemed to last forever.


I got home, and after that, I wasn't leaving my house. No way was I gonna have that happen again. No car. Simple as that. I stayed in the house for a couple of days. My mom dragged me out for a small road trip to take my son to a car/plane museum about an hour away from home. I was surprised that I had no anxiety.


I was still avoiding going to see my b/f though. He was angry with me that I hadn't been out to see him, b/c he was so close, when most of the time they are way up north, and too far for me to "drop in". I wrote him a big letter explaining why I hadn't come, and I drove there (knowing he wouldn't be there due to work) and left it in his trailor. I had no anxiety this time. He was thankful of the letter btw, and asked why I hadn't told him on the phone. I am not the best communicator verbally due to my ex-husband (whole other story).


So, to make this short....we all have our set-backs, and then have to make that step to do the thing that scared us. I am fine now, and drive fine again. Thank goodness, b/c I HATE being a homebody!


I hope you feel better about yourself and chicken, and keep doing what you are doing. It is reassuring to us all, knowing it can be done!


Kudos,


Crystal

[silver]

Fear is such a debilitating thing if you let it become that...A breif story about another particularly anxiety driven point in my life....


I was very stressed out with my job and was having really bad anxiety and depression. I made plans to go on a road trip with my best friend to Phoenix. I thought that it was exactly what I needed to get a break from the stress. While we were there I got REALLY bad d* and n* and got really sick and couldn't even go shopping the first day. I took some imodium and felt much better the second day so we went out that night and had some drinks. We were driving back to the hotel that night (I really shouldn't have driven looking back) and we got really lost. I had my first real panic attack while driving on the busy highway of Phoenix. All of the lights were going towards me so fast and cars were zooming around me and I lost it. I started shaking and had to pull over. My best friend was supportive and recommended anti-depressants to me.


After that experience I was afraid to drive for a period of a few months. I was so afraid that I would have a panic attack and get in a reck or flip out while driving. It was so bad that I had my husband drive me to work and back!! After a few days I made up my mind that I was no going to let that one experience make me afraid to drive so I made myself drive to work everyday. Gradually it became easier and easier again...like learning to ride a bike again. My bestfriend asked me to come and visit her which was a 3 hour drive and I was nervous, but I told myself that I had to get over the hurdle and make the drive. I made sure that my cell phone was charged for the trip and got an oil change on my car, took some good music and got on the road. I was so proud of myself for making the drive.


Now I am no longer afraid of driving.It doesn't even cross my mind. I look back and can't believe that I was afraid at one time. I think that you can conquer your fears, but it is important to face them head on and recreate a new experience for yourself. At first it was terrifying to make myself drive, but by taking little steps, it became easier and easier. I think that there is hope for all of us to do this with our fear of v* and emet. If we take little steps to make it better whether it is eating at restaurants more frequently or ordering different things or whatever it takes, we can take small steps to make it better. There is hope for us...NOBODY like to v*, but it is just something that comes along with being alive and we have to know that we can make it better gradually. Good luck to all of us!!

[falon_17]

It gives me hope to read these stories, I'm so glad you all have been able to overcome your fears. I am still struggling with mine. Before I was an emet, I loved to travel, wanted to study abroad, and attended a college away from home. But now I'm terrified to travel. Every single time I have to spend the night away from home, I have panic attacks so bad that I get d* and tremble all over. I had a panic attack in a hotel once, and ever since then I've been like this. I always ruin family vacations because I get so afraid. I've even been so scared I've slept in the bed with my mom. Now I wonder how I ever survived living in a dorm, traveling across the country....but I miss these things so much.

[silver]

Falon-


Don't get me wrong...the fear of driving that I got over is a lot different than the emet. I experienced the driving fear for a couple of months and was able to catch it early and overcome it. This is very different...I have been taking little steps towards eating different things, but I still am having setbacks almost daily. Its difficult. I know your fear about the dorms....Maybe this will help...My emet was at its absolute worst before I moved to go to college 750 miles away from home. I was soooo scared depression, emet, anxiety, the whole bit. Once I moved, it was the best decision that I EVER made! I met so many neat people and really started enjoying myself and the anxiety, depression, emet faded. I know that it is so frightening to get out of your comfortzone, but I promise you it will be worth it and you will grow so much as a person.

[makaylabeans]

[img]smileys/smilies_09.gif[/img] Hello, I am new to all of this and I just recently laerned that there was a name for my crazy issues! I am so glad that I am not a freak and that there are other people in the world like me. I have two small children and I am always afraid that they are going to get sick! It makes me crazy! Sometimes I can't even kiss them (or my husband for that matter), because I am afraid of getting their germs and v*. Does anyone have any ideas to helpme deal with this? I stay home with my kids so they don't have to go to daycare and get sick from all the germs there, but my daughter will be starting kindergarden in the fall and I am very nervous! I am trying to think of way's to keep her healthy. I am so paranoid about it that my 2 year old son points to his drool on his chin and ask's me to wipe of his "germs". This breaks my heart! Any ideas?????


Paranoid Mommy

[silver]

Makaylabeans- As you can learn from all of us, fighting this fear is very difficult and we have to be proud of ourselves for the same hurdles that we overcome. Go to the treatments section, Sage is a member that has successfully overcome the phobia and she has a lot of good advice there to help everyone. I wish that I could tell you how to fix it and make the phobia go away, but I am struggling with it too. There are a lot of young mothers like yourself here to help too. They are struggling with very similiar issues, know that you are not alone. Welcome to the board!!

[falon_17]

makaylabeans - welcome to the site! I also have a 2 year old son. He goes to daycare since I go to college and work part-time, and I'm a single mom so there's no one else to watch him while I do those things. I'm not sure what to tell you about your kids except to make sure they know to wash their hands before eating, after bathroom, you know....my son has a habit of putting his hands in his mouth a lot and I'm trying to break him of that because I'm SO paranoid. But I'll tell you that all he's caught from daycare in the year that he's been there are sinus infections (knock on wood). He does get them very often, sometimes twice a month. But he has benefited from daycare SO much and I know they are very sanitary there. When I picked him up today someone was changing his diaper and wearing rubber gloves! I was impressed. Anyway, welcome and good luck with your children.

[makaylabeans]

Thank you so much for all of your support! It's so nice to know that there are other people out there like me! It's soo nice to feel understood! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!