Eating in public
 

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.