Does anyone else get intense anxiety around food and situations with food in it?

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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    mayburcm1 wrote: »
    Woah. I'm really sorry how some of the people on this post reacted. We all have distorted thought processes on different things, that's "normal", whatever the heck that means.

    Um, I interpreted "not normal" as "distorted" or "not a helpful way to think" or "not a good reason to feel bad or anxious." Don't get why it's being taken as an insult or you are apologizing for something perfectly fine that SOMEONE ELSE said.

    I've been looking at CBT some, and one suggestion in dealing with cognitive distortions (which OP's post is about, IMO) is the survey method -- if you think some thought of yours might result from a cognitive distortion rather than reality, one option is to ask around and see if others think the thought tracks reality or is off. OP was basically doing that here, and telling her "no, you shouldn't feel bad about what you order or eating in public" is, in fact, helpful. Not every single thought should be validated!
    What we do with them (distorted thoughts) is an entirely different thing. I'm assuming that since you're posting a post asking about other people having them, that you realize that everyone has irrational thoughts time to time, in regards to different things (I know I definitely do). I hope the next thoughts that come after those are a lot kinder, " Oh wait, no one else is thinking about what I'm eating, I should enjoy the food I want to."

    Agree with this, except that one can be a lot less passive on working on irrational thoughts than just "hope the next thought is nicer!" I've struggled a lot with irrational thoughts or cognitive distortions, and working on it rather than just accepting it as something we all have (we all do, but some struggle with them a lot more than others and it can have a very harmful effect) has been quite helpful to me.

    So my answer to the OP, like Morgan's, is that no, it's not just a normal way to think. I used to avoid ordering anything high cal in public too, when I was fat, so to a certain extent I understand it, it doesn't make you a weirdo to feel that way, but it's not simply a way that everyone feels and that you should just accept. It's probably overall unhelpful and counterproductive and worth working on getting past.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    beckygirl177 wrote: »
    For me, when I am at a family gathering or something or with my peers and there's a table of food I believe everyone is looking at me and laughing, calling me names, thinking I'm a disgusting, gross, fat pig. I feel like the room stops.
    Or out to eat at a resturaunt... in my head I'm like "oh if I order that they will think I'm a nasty cow" "no they will make a comment"
    does anyone else feel like that ? :/

    Not as anxious as that. I never felt people were really paying that much attention to what I was eating that the whole room was focused on me.
    I felt much more self concious or negatively judged though when I was viewing myself and others negatively all the time. When I let go of that negative mentality I found I don't feel as judged by others. I don't care what other people eat.

    Do you think negative things about other people or scrutinize their eating habits constantly?
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Not usually, although when I was heavier I sometimes did. Years ago, I once had a tactless coworker watch me cut a piece of cake once, then exclaimed loud enough for anyone walking by to hear: "oh my god! That's a HUGE piece of cake!" Needless to say, I was self conscious for a bit after that.
    Thankfully I don't work with that person anymore, and last time I saw her she'd gained quite a bit of weight herself. So, it's easy to be guilty of overeating.
    I figure what people think of me is none of my business. I'll eat whatever I want.

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