TeenHelp
Get Advice Quick Ask Support Forums Today's Posts Chat Room

Get Advice Connect with TeenHelp Resources
HelpLINK Chat and Live Help Facebook     Twitter     Tumblr     Instagram    Safety Zone
   Hotlines
   Alternatives
   Calendar


You are not registered or have not logged in
Hello guest! (Not a guest? Log in above!) As a guest you can submit help requests, create and reply to Forum posts, join our Chat Room and read our range of articles & resources. By registering you will be able to get fully involved in our community and enjoy features such as connect with members worldwide, add friends & send messages, express yourself through a Blog, find others with similar interests in Social Groups, post pictures and links, set up a profile and more! Signing up is free, anonymous and will only take a few moments, so click here to register now!



Reply
 
Article Tools Search this Article Rate Article
 
Old
Eating in public
by Storyteller. September 4th 2014, 01:30 PM

Eating in public
By Cassie (Idyllic.)

For people who suffer from eating disorders or anxiety, eating in public isn’t exactly a walk in the park. A fear of eating in public or in front of others is a specific phobia that is a lot more common in people than it is perceived to be. A specific phobia is defined as "a lasting and unreasonable fear caused by the presence or thought of a specific object or situation that usually poses little or no actual danger" [source]. Signs of specific phobias include but are not limited to the following:
  • An extreme fear of certain objects or circumstances;
  • Going to great lengths to avoid these fears;
  • Feeling powerless, unreal, or detached from yourself;
  • Feeling the need to exit or escape the situation;
  • Physical ailments such as sweating, lightheadedness, headaches, nausea, or anxiety/panic attacks.

Luckily, there are several steps to help people overcome this fear and to allow them to eat in public.

Figure out why this fear is present
Is this fear specific to food itself, or is it a social fear? Most (but not all) fears are rooted in a past event or experience, which may not necessarily be traumatic in nature. Some of these experiences could be tied to parental actions. For example, if a parental figure prohibited snacking around the house or did not properly feed themselves in front of their children, then children may model this behavior. Children tend to follow what they observe and this could contribute to the development of a specific phobia. In addition, other outside influences such as the media could have increased the risk for developing harmful attitudes about eating habits. Peers can have an influence on eating habits as well. It is rather common for someone to fear being judged for what they eat or the way they eat. A single comment about making noise while eating or having food stuck in your teeth can drastically change how you act around mealtimes.

Increase your exposure to eating in public
Make a list of frightening situations related to eating in front of others. You'll want to "practice" eating in public in order to relieve feelings of anxiety, so pick situations that vary in degrees of difficulty. Start with a manageable situation that is only mildly intimidating, such as going to the mall food court and observing customers consume their meals. The goal of exposing yourself to these sorts of situations is to gradually build up a tolerance for situations that used to produce feelings of anxiety; therefore, you don't want to do too much too quickly. Following the previous step, go out for a meal with a friend or family member you trust. Eat something small, and take it one bite at a time. Next, go out with several friends and order something slightly bigger, and so forth. Additional ideas include going to a place where people are focused on something, such as a movie theater or a sports game. A theater is dark and more than likely, everyone else is eating their snacks and paying attention to the movie, so you may feel more comfortable about eating in public. At a sports game, people are focused on the game rather than on what others are eating.

Realize you're not alone
1 in 10 people struggle with this particular phobia or a similar one and are also in this same position. 19 million people or 8.7% of the United States population suffer from a specific phobia. Almost 40% of sufferers deal with anxiety disorders for a decade or longer before receiving the correct help [source]. Chances are at least one other person (if not more) in restaurants you visit are also battling this fear. They’re most likely trying to overcome this obstacle as well.

See a mental health professional
If this fear persists for at least six months and causes significant panic and distress, consider seeing a professional for help. A counselor or therapist can help you eat in public again by getting to the root of the problem and talking things out.

By utilizing these steps, you should be able to make great strides in eating in public once again – without feeling any stress! With exposure to eating in public and professional help, you can overcome this obstacle.
Reply With Quote
Views 1356 Comments 0
Total Comments 0

Comments

Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
eating, public

Article Tools Search this Article
Search this Article:

Advanced Search
Rate this Article
Rate this Article:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


 
User Infomation
Your Avatar

Latest Articles & News
- by Rob
- by Rob

Advertisement



All material copyright ©1998-2024, TeenHelp.
Terms | Legal | Privacy | Conduct | Complaints | Mobile

Powered by vBulletin®.
Copyright ©2000-2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search engine optimization by vBSEO.
Theme developed in association with vBStyles.