I never used to be that anxious about my allergies. Maybe it was because my mom handled my allergies growing up, and I trusted her, or maybe I was always a little too trusting in nature. But that all changed when I had my first major reaction, not to food, but to an infusion.

Back in 2022, I got Covid-19 for the first (and thus far, only) time. Because of my medical history, my doctors recommended I get the monoclonal antibody infusion meant for those with compromised immune systems like myself. I wasn’t scared going in at all. They put the IV in (something I’ve had done dozens of times) and I opened my book, ready to kick back for the next half hour or so. About four minutes in, I got a weird pain in my stomach, and within the next minute it progressed into what I could only describe as full-body shut down. I saw stars and black around my vision, my legs and arms went numb, my chest felt like it was collapsing and I could hardly breathe.

After screaming for help for a few seconds, nurses came running in, stopped the drip, and gave me benadryl. All of that stopped the reaction pretty instantly, but my body and mind were forever traumatized.

After that, I began to randomly have what felt like the onset of that reaction when I would eat, even foods I knew were safe. I lived in constant fear that I’d developed a new allergy or somehow changed the makeup of my allergies.

Needless to say, while I’ve finally begun to take my life back from that, it took years to get there. I share this because I want those who really struggle with the anxiety that comes with food allergies to know you’re not alone.

That anxiety can prevent you from doing things you love, traveling, going out for food with friends, and make you generally feel like part of your life is out of your control.

I highly recommend therapy for those who struggle with this. It was a huge part in getting me back on track. Techniques on how to embrace the anxiety can also help. While food allergies pose a very real threat (as opposed to more existential anxieties like claustrophobia), you don’t have to allow the anxiety surrounding it to overpower you. Therapy can help you learn tailored techniques to cope with it and take your power back. I also highly recommend the book Stopping the Noise In Your Head by Reid Wilson, PhD.

Before going to eat at a place I’m anxious about (for whatever reason), I try to use positive self-talk to reassure myself of the competence of the kitchen and that I will (likely) never have a reaction that bad again, given how low my sensitivity numbers actually are.

At the end of the day, though, doing what you need to cope is ok. There have been plenty of times where I have opted for a safe restaurant instead, or not even eaten a dish that was put in front of me that triggered that gut feeling. The physical symptoms of anxiety can make me believe a reaction is happening when it’s not, so if it’s between that and having a good time, I’ll opt for the good time. There is nothing wrong with you for choosing your health and peace of mind.