Eating in public

[emmasma]

I don't like eating with people I am not close to.
At work the nurses order pizza once in a while and a lot of times the residents families will send us cakes and stuff and I really do not like it because I am pressured to eat.
I also do not like at my in laws when they try to make me eat stuff. It is ussually when they have already eaten and I am the only one eating. That is the worst!

 

[AimeeSP]

I had a huge phobia of eating in public when i was at school. Then when i tried to diet quickly (stupied idea) i hardly ate and nearly fainted at school. These days i'm no where near that bad, but i still think people are thinking "look at that fat cow over there stuffing her face." when they look at me, Lovely.

 

[Interzone]

Depends. If I know that I will have to eat alone I will most likely avoid it, if I do eat it's in a very hurried matter in the most isolated location possible.

 

[NickyNacker]

Yeah, but I'm the worst around family. I stopped eating at the dinner table, and started eating in a different room because it made me so uncomfortable. I think it's less about eating for me, and more about just me generally being uncomfortable around my family. So really I'm bad at being close to them anywhere. Lol sad

 

[dooby-duck]

I've had this problem for years, even before I became socially anxious. So it's not just the other people making me anxious. It seems strange to me that people actually enjoy eating out because for me it is one of my biggest nightmares.

 

[pprince440]

Yes, i usually eat in my car, even when the weather is boiling hot.

 

[illuminationSP]

I've had body image problems for a long time and would especially worry about my appearance when eating in front of others. I felt like I was making myself "uglier" as I ate. It has improved a little; I can usually eat in public but feel extremely awkward while sitting at tables. I accidentally kick people's shins and play with the utensils.

 

[shore_of_glass]

always afraid people are looking at me as I eat. I a fast eater as well, so it makes it worse.

 

[charlie-lola]

YES- this is me completely!!!!!
I cant eat in public at all. When I was with my ex, we only ever used to go to the same restaurant (as I was familiar with it) and once there i would pick a table right in the corner that I could sit at with my back to everyone else- I cannot sit and eat infront of people, its terrible, my hand starts shaking, I cant get the fork to my mouth! Thats why I would NEVER be able to go on a 'dinner date' with a guy, there is no way in this world I could eat infront of him- its terrible really.

 

[KiaraBlue]

I don’t have a problem eating in public. I do have a problem sitting at a table comfortably. I mostly have eye contact trouble; it makes me nervous when nobody speaks. Also trying not to look at people on other tables is hard.

Excatly the same. I love food too much lol that I would affraid to eat in public , but like you say..everything is good unless I have to look someone in the eyes and talking while I'm eating. Had that situation before few days when I was at my friends house..she lives with her boyfriend..so we eat breakfast together. Everything was good when they was looking at their plates and just eating..but when they started to talk..omg..almost I did'n run away from the table..I started shaking, sweating, blushing and so on..

 

[mrb]

no im ok eating out ........ but i dont like people talking to me when im eating .... and i usually go for the corner table away from other people ...

 

[TheWall]

I hate eating in public. My hands always shake and I get scared that people think I'm rude because of the way I eat. Restaurants are the worst, especially when the server comes to the table right when you just took a bite. bleh, I try to avoid eating in public as much as I can.

 

[MissNervous]

Others on here have discussed feeling nauseous before going out for food which is exactly what happens to me. As soon as I am invited to go for dinner somewhere, whether it is at my boyfriend's mum's house or to a restaurant I am anxious about it until going.

At times I have actually gotten sick in restaurants, the last time which was in the summer. The first time this happened I was on a date in high school (I am now 28) and he had brought a friend with him, I was by myself. I was so nervous that I ended up getting sick in the bathroom. With my next boyfriend, this happened to me when I went for dinner with him and his dad (2003ish).

Now I am super nervous whenever I go to my bf's mum's house for dinner (I've been sick at her house twice), when we go out for dinner with groups of friends etc. I am most comfortable when my current bf is there with me, when we eat buffet style, take-out or when I eat at home. For me, it is not about people seeing what I eat, or how I eat, it is about a severe anxiety that I get which inhibits me to eat in fear of getting sick. I've cancelled plans several times to avoid eating out with people, such as for Friday night I have cancelled on my bf's mum and instead told her I would meet her afterwards. I sometimes won't go to friends birthday dinners as the social environment is too much. I am usually fine eating with my family and bf, and some of my friends but even then I do not eat a big meal and it can't be anything very greasy or it sets me off.

I am fine going for nibbly foods and drinks but if I'm expected to eat a full meal, forget it. ::

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

I do know a few people who get so anxious when eating in public that their throats physically swell up to the point where they couldn't eat if they tried; and fear choking.

I'm not one of those people-- although I feel terribly anxious around people alltogether; in public and in private, I cover my mouth when I eat.
It's a habit.
Makes me feel somewhat less selfconscious... but still quite anxious.

 

[emre43]

Personally, I love eating in public. I prefer it to eating in; I am not sure that I can give a reason why though .

 

[Prestonator]

This is how I felt for ages, and well still do. I hate the feeling of needing to be sick and anxiety being so bad it makes my want to throw up. now im not so bad though. but it did take me a year to go out for a meal for the first time with my boyfriend

 

[Imogen]

I cannot eat in public at all. Nor drink, my throat closes up totally and I end up gagging or choking. My friend tries super hard to distract me when we're out and she wants to go grab something to eat, and sometimes it works. I find it's worse in restaurants for me. D:

 

[Hoppy]

I do mind eating with other people, I always feel uncomfortable. Eating in public however doesn't bother me as long as I am alone.

The last two times I spend eating with a lot of strange people I ended up having stomach troubles, so I'm seriously considering starting to tell everybody I've got a disease, I must stay to a specific diet.

 

[MikeyC]

I don't mind eating in public, but if it's fast-food and I'm alone, I'll more than likely eat it in the car.

 

[bsebring]

In high school one of my teachers thought i was anorexic because I wasn't eating lunch. It wasn't that, I just hated eating in front of people. I'm still like that, but not as bad. I didn't want to be perceived as greedy or acting on impulse.