If you don’t know someone with an Allergy Anxiety you might not understand how much worry it causes in their life. For me, my biggest fear is eating or touching something I’m allergic to and having a serious reaction, like anaphylactic shock. This fear gets worse when I’m in faraway places where getting medical help is harder.
Allergy worry changes how we live. I have avoided many foods because of my allergies. This has been hard for most of my life. It wasn’t until I met my partner, who encouraged me to try new things, that I finally tasted popcorn or anything with corn!
A study in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology says about 40% of people with allergies feel a lot of worry. But I think the real number is higher. From talking to people online, I know this worry is also felt by parents and partners of people with allergies.
The good news is more people are talking about allergy anxiety now. It’s much more common to talk about it today than a few years ago. Digital Pakistani is one of the places helping people share their experiences and find support.
Triggers of Allergies Anxiety
My allergy anxiety started when I was in my early 20s. I think it began after reading a lot of scary allergy stories while working on my May Contain allergy blog. It got so bad that I would panic almost every day, especially when I ate at restaurants or ordered takeout. After a while, I decided to take a break from my blog for over six months. It’s important to figure out what makes your worse and take a break from those things.
Allergy anxiety feels different for everyone. For me, it makes me feel short of breath, and I usually get a red rash on my neck. This can be very scary because it looks like I’m having an allergic reaction, but it’s just me getting really stressed. To calm down, I call a family member, drink some water, and do deep breathing to slow my heart rate.
I also check my neck in the mirror to see if I have hives. Almost every time, I don’t have any hives. Talking to my partner about how I feel really helps me feel better. I know it can be hard for her because she just wants me to enjoy our meals together, so I try to thank her for her support whenever I can!
A Persistent Fear
The fear of touching something you’re allergic to can be really strong. The worst reaction I ever had was when my parents’ friend gave me chips cooked in peanut oil without telling me. This triggered an anaphylactic reaction and I had to rush to the hospital to receive IV.. I always worry about cross-contamination and whether the person who made the food knows how serious food allergies are. Digital Pakistani is a helpful place for people to get more information about safety with allergy.
Getting Help from Professionals
Before I went on my six-month trip around South America last year, I decided to see a therapist to help me understand my allergy anxiety. I didn’t want a therapist who only focused on allergies; I wanted to learn more about myself too.
Finding a therapist who understands allergies can be tough, but I really recommend it. Talking to my therapist helped me feel more relaxed about my trip because I had the tools to manage my allergies for six months.
My therapist showed me that once I tell the people who make and serve my food about my allergy and show them my allergy card, I have done all I can to stay safe. I need to try not to overthink it!
I learned that I often get stuck in my own thoughts, thinking about my food allergy all the time. This can make it hard for me to enjoy the moment.
My therapist explained that there is such a thing as allergy anxiety and she treated me with something called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT teaches you to recognize and change unhelpful thoughts and learn ways to cope.
I talked about CBT with Dr. Karen Murphy, a clinical psychologist, on my podcast .She offered useful advice for reducing allergy anxiety even more.
Box Breathing Method
One thing that has really helped me is box breathing, which I mentioned earlier. I didn’t learn about it until a few years ago, but it has been a lifesaver! Box breathing has four steps, each lasting 4 seconds:
- Breathe in
- Hold your breath
- Breathe out
- Hold your breath
This technique has helped reduce my allergy anxiety in stressful situations and helps me figure out if I’m feeling anxious or if I’m having an allergic reaction. I use it in situations when I feel stressed and it seems to ease my muscles and my mind.
To sum up, thank God all of us have some sorts of anxieties about our allergies, however, there are many helping tools and aids out there. For example, there is an informational website called Digital Pakistani which contains different advice and useful information on how to cope with allergies. We just must be willing to let the help needed into our life superimpose.