anxiety and swallowing, feel like choaking

[jasn88]

so i have made threads about swallowing and i think it has to do with a fear of chking for some reason

like by swallowing i know im not choking...when i eat ii wory a bit ill choke

whats a good way to get past this?



when im at work i think of it and it just happens

its weird because if im home alone im fine..i can eat perfectly but if i think about it then im in trouble

[eko125]

hi! I have the almost the same thing. I choked on a pill, then read about a girl who choked to death on a hot dog at a baseball game, then one day ( nervous wreck) I tried to eat a cracker and "nothing" - like I had no swallowing reflex. I Grabbed some tea and got it down but now - it's all I think of when I try to eat.
I also have a lot of pain in my throat, especially when I talk a lot. Saw an ENT and everything was fine, now I have to go for a Barium swallow image.
The thing is - I am pretty sure I don't have a physical swallowing problem because when I get buzzed on beer I can gobble up half a pizza with no problem.
So basically I live in slimfasts and eat what I can when I drink.
It's a nightmare and I don't know how to stop obsessing over it. I also have a 30 year history of depression and agoraphobia but this choking thing is the WORST!!!!!!

[Ryker]

Hi,

It's very common. This is something that cropped up a few weeks ago as well. The first step to not obsessing over it is to understand what's going on. The second step is to make yourself a plan, and work it.

The problem we have is that in our fishy ancestors who lived 380 million years ago or thereabouts the anxiety 'fight or flight' reflex had a really important role. It was used to clamp shut the gills and prepare for diving in or out of the water asap. Flappy gills are a liability when you're busy fleeing for your life. Apparently.

The gills over time evolved into your larynx and whenever you're anxious the reflex causes the throat to tighten up. Some people report it as a 'lump' in the throat, known as Globus pharyngis or Globus histericus. The tightness causes the symptoms you describe and can become an obsession in itself that causes more anxiety, causing more tightness etc.

Knowing that you're not going to choke you will be able to slowly increase your tolerance for swallowing. You'll need to practice a lot, practice staying calm, relaxing and slowly moving up from your slimfast to swallowing the tiniest things - maybe just hundreds and thousands (sprinkles I think), going larger and larger, slowly.

Don't move on until you're comfortable with the last step. So scour the sweetshop and store cupboard for things you like and make a big list, grading the things by size and difficulty. And work through it, bit by bit. Bite by bite and you will cure it. Set aside a time every day to do your exercises, clear all the distractions and work at it like a pro.


R.