paranoia (help please!)

Is anyone else paranoid about food? Like, I'm VERY paranoid about germs, food poisoning, etc. Not just that either. Right now there is a bowl of cereal sitting in front of me and I'm scared to eat it because the flakes are really stale even though I just opened the box, and I'm scared there's glass cooked into the flakes. seriously. I know how insane that sounds but that doesn't stop my mind from suspecting it.

Is anyone else like this? How can I stop it?

well, I've officially wasted a cheese-stick and a bowl of cereal already this morning by dumping them in the trash because I wasn't sure they were safe.

I am the exact opposite. I have absolutely no issue with eating food of questionable age/freshness. I figure that since there are more bacterial cells in my body than cells I produce myself, a few extra ones won't hurt. It hasn't killed me yet, and the only time I've had food poisoning is from eating a fish burger from McDonalds when I was 12.

Yeah, I'm opposite as well, if I'm making something to eat and drop it on the floor, I just dust in off and eat it. As the saying goes, everybody eats a spoonful of dirt before they die, right?

Back back to your issue, I'm not sure how to stop it- if you know that the box of cereal was freshly opened by yourself, there should be no reason why it wouldn't be safe. As far as stale goes, the worst that can happen is you'll try it and not like it...

Was there something that happened that started your paranoia?

Actually, that reminds me of my best friend, who has obsessive compulsive personality disorder, which manifests itself, in part, as a serious issue with food. He has got so bad that he would prefer not to eat than deal with possible germs/issues with food preparation, as each step has to be perfect. He is now 120lbs at 5'9" tall. While I am in no way implying that you have this disorder, if I were you I would seek professional help if you really feel like the paranoia is getting out of control.

Not trying to offend, but are you sure that this isn't another side effect of your eating disorder? Are you making an excuse in your head not to eat the food? Or have you always felt phobic about germs?

Well until I read feanor's commment I was going to suggest seeking help for the OCD thoughts there are some very effective medicines out there to help people cope with this issue but if you have an eating disorder too - I'd say you really need to seek more experienced professional intesive help

I agree with the above, you need to seek some professional help for what ever it is that is causing you to think that way.

glass in corn flakes?

....i...what?

peacelovehominy, glass being broken into the cornflake batter without anyone noticing and being baked into them and sold like that. Yea, thats really how my brain works.

I am seeing a councilor but do to money issues I only see her every 2-3 weeks, and it's about my ed. I'm not sure if this is ed related, it might be. :/ I'll see if I can mention this to her on Tue., which is my next appointment.

Original Post by swimchick_123:

peacelovehominy, glass being broken into the cornflake batter without anyone noticing and being baked into them and sold like that. Yea, thats really how my brain works.

 OHHHH, okay. i didnt even think of that. i was wondering how you thought the glass was in the corn flakes in the first place.