Anxiety and not eating

Hi, With my anxiety I have to make myself eat.I have lost 16 pounds in 3 weeks.I try to drink Ensure To get some calories.I had alot of stomach problems before all the anxiety and panic.Anyone have this problem,or know how to get appetite back?      Thanks

[AJWS6]

If you were having stomach issues, before anxiety/panic.  I advise to visit a doctor for stomach diagnoses.  

As for anxiety & eating, I actually eat more when I am anxious, because it's reduces anxiety for me, guess it's a mental thing, cause when I eat slow and watch television, my thoughts are distracted from anxiety.  

Good luck

[barfer]

When I was at my worst and before I was on medication, I would literally forget to eat and even when I would remember, I had no appetite and could barely stomach anything.  What I had to do is remember to make sure that when I did eat, that it was something really healthy so that at least I was getting good stuff rather than fast food during bad times. You say that you had a lot of stomach problems before the anxiety, would you mind elaborating on that?  I had stomach issues too, but came to realize that it was because of anxiety not the other way around.  If it is was a diarrhoea problem, I have some suggestions for you and if it was a constipation problem I still have suggestions. LOL Either way, I'll give you my two cents.

[yorkie19]

Thank you, I started with acid reflux,next came the esophagus spasms.Dr. tried medicine that worked for awhile. The spasms came back. I had the same problems about 7 years ago.3 weeks ago the anxiety and panic started, I am taking 20 mg of celexa, have been on that for 2 weeks.I go see the gastrologist in June.But the spasms are gone now,just have the depression and anxiety.

[Beth787]

I know what you mean about losing your appetite when you're experiencing anxiety. Sometimes I can hardly even look at food. I'm 20 and I have a good handle on it now but when I was 16-18 I lost lots of weight because I hardly ever ate. One time I had a panic attack and literally didn't eat anything for 5 full days and then another 3 days trying to eat just saltines and slimfast. I really kicked myself in the butt later though because I have some low blood sugar problems now and I'm pretty sure that it is from those few years of skipping meals constantly. Now I just try to always keep certain foods in the house that I find I can "stomach" when I'm feeling anxious and sick. Peanut butter on ritz crackers works for me like a charm. Also I can handle pretzels and peanuts. Try drinking lots of water or some of those protein drinks. I like Special K's mixes, they are high in protein and fiber. My brother has the same problem as you do and he has lost tons of weight. He drinks ensure too and that works well for him. Just try to find a food that you can handle when you feel like that and remember that you HAVE to eat whether you feel like it or not. It's only fair that you give your body what it needs. I sympathize with you and I hope you can get control of your problem.

[yorkie19]

Thank you...Today my anxiety was not so bad.I ate lunch today. I sure am sick of the ensures.I hope your brother feels better.I understand the no appetite.I miss having meals with my family.Thank you for post.

[JessicaMelbourne]

I have definatly had similar affects. At the height of my anxiety, I would go days without eating, and when I had to, it was against everything I felt in my body, and I would force myself to. I lost around 10kg, and I'm a naturally skinny person. People thought I was anorexic and I did look disgustingly skinny. I think it's important to try and keep your body in a schedual of eating, even if it feels horrible (which I understand, it does). You use so much energy on anxiety, and I think I found with not eating, at least sometimes I would have so little energy all I could do was sleep, which was a relief. But it's important to be able to fight it rather than give in to it. And to do so you need food. We need food to live! So do try and keep up some sort of eating routine. It sucks, but you'll need all the energy you can get if you want to work out where your anxiety is coming from, how to manage it and live with it.
Goodluck.
Jess.

[anxiety_management]

I also suffer from sever anxiety and panic attacks. I take xanax but have become tolerant and sometimes I run out before my next refill. I have found that eating actually calms me down - a lot. Like at thanksgiving when you eat a big meal and then feel calm and sleepy. It works like a charm. My metabolism is also much faster when I am anxious so I get hungrier more often and eat more. works like a charm.