Phobia of anaphylaxis

[Ari]

Hello! Does anyone else have (or preferrably recovers from ) this phobia of anaphylaxis? I have never had any serious allergy, but with time, have developed this debilitating phobia.

Obviously, it’s irrational so no reasoning helps: yes, I know the chances are very low; I know even if you get it, you can survive; I know that there is nothing you can really do because it can be caused by absolutely anything, etc etc. Still, I am scared to eat new foods, wary of trying new cosmetics, and absolutely terrified of any type of medication.

Does anyone have any advice? Maybe you went through something like this yourselves?

(Yes, I’m in therapy)

 

[JNervous]

Hello! Does anyone else have (or preferrably recovers from ) this phobia of anaphylaxis? I have never had any serious allergy, but with time, have developed this debilitating phobia.

Obviously, it’s irrational so no reasoning helps: yes, I know the chances are very low; I know even if you get it, you can survive; I know that there is nothing you can really do because it can be caused by absolutely anything, etc etc. Still, I am scared to eat new foods, wary of trying new cosmetics, and absolutely terrified of any type of medication.

Does anyone have any advice? Maybe you went through something like this yourselves?

(Yes, I’m in therapy)

About 10 years ago I had an allergic reaction, I found out that I was allergic to a few food items. I became so afraid to eat that I ended up losing 15 pounds! (I did not need to lose weight). Even when Allergist told me the only thing I needed to avoid was nuts and seeds, I started avoiding almost everything you can think of. It took me quite a few years to work through this phobia, and to gain some of the weight back. Therapy helped a little, but mainly I would try to distract myself while eating. After eating if I didn’t have a reaction I knew those foods were ‘safe’ and I would move on to other foods. It was a long process, you can do it!