How My Allergies And Anxiety Are Connected

When I tell people I have allergies, often times people acknowledge it, then forget what I’ve just said. Which is completely understandable for people who have never had an allergic reaction. But what many people don’t realize, is that besides the initial allergic reaction, there’s a whole other level of anxiety and panic that goes on in your head. So, I thought I’d share my experience of what happened to me when I accidentally ate cashews the other night.

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My Many Allergies And Allergic Reactions

My experiences with my allergies have, thankfully, never put me in the hospital. I am very allergic to cashews, pistachios and other nuts. My other allergies towards dogs, eggs, and numerous other things are only minor nuisances but I still chose to stay away from these allergens.

When I’m around dogs and cats, I get asthma from their dander, and hives from their saliva or scratches. My many food allergies can be anything from a stomach ache, to vomiting, to being lethargic, or having my energy zapped for an entire day. But my worst allergy by far, is with cashews.

What Brought On My Allergic Reaction?

An attempt at cooking turned my evening into a night of terror. The meal was eggplant with steak and tzatziki sauce. Now, I had no recollection of ever eating eggplant before so I was on edge to begin with. I had a small piece and made sure to watch the clock for around 10 minutes before eating anything else. This is my own personal way of pacifying my anxiety. This came about when a doctor once told me anaphylactic shock happens within 10 minutes of eating an allergen.

After the eggplant passed the test, I sat down on the couch and dipped the bottom of a small piece of steak into my tzatziki sauce. The second the steak touched my tongue, it began to itch. But knowing that certain spices can make your tongue tingle, I tried to calm my screaming mind by telling myself, as long as my mouth wasn’t throbbing, it was nothing. Wouldn’t you know it, my mouth started throbbing, and the corner of my lip began to swell. The exact reaction that happened during my trip in Thailand. I immediately got up from the couch and announced to my parents that I was having an allergic reaction to what I thought was the eggplant. After popping an emergency Benadryl, my dad asked about the tzatziki sauce. So, with shaky legs and trembling hands I snatched up the tzatziki sauce container. Lo and behold the the second ingredient was cashews.

My Allergies After The Benadryl

Now normally, one Benadryl does the trick. I relax on the couch, and within an hour I throw up and I crash on the couch. It’s nearly routine now. But for some reason, this night my anxiety had more power than usual. My body was violently trembling and no amount of music was calming me. Then, a sore throat reared it’s ugly head, and my mind began going over worst case scenarios involving my throat closing up, which has never happened before, but who knows? Maybe this time I’d end up in the hospital.

I couldn’t take the fear any longer, so I popped another pill. Now I honestly don’t know if I should have. I say this because the best way of getting rid of the food causing my allergic reaction, is throwing up. I know the Benadryl certainly helped me sleep later, but looking back I almost wish I hadn’t taken the second pill. Maybe I could have gotten the nuts out of my system sooner.

The Anxiety

Knowing you’ve eaten something you’re allergic to and having a reaction is one thing. But my anxiety always takes things too far. After getting the nuts out of my system, I spent the night on the couch because of my anxiety. My anxiety reasoned that if something else went wrong, my parents could get to me faster. And it would also be easier to run to the bathroom from the living room, than from my loft bed which would require wiggling in about a foot of space on my stomach, then backwards running down a ladder.

The next few days were met with panic every time I sat down for a meal. I didn’t know there were cashews in that last dinner. So who’s to say their won’t be any in this one? Not to mention my hidden fear of having another allergic reaction. Would the next one be worst than the last one? Would it put me in the hospital? Thankfully, because this has happened a few times with cashews and pistachios, I knew what to do. With the experience I had, I was able to take care of myself. Not to mention I was able to start eating things with less panic sooner.

My Take Away From This Dinner

This allergic reaction caught me off guard. Because of this experience, I now know that dairy free and vegan products are something to be cautious around. I use a lot of these products because of my allergies to eggs and milk, however, their not worth using simply to up chuck the entire meal an hour later.

It’s also interesting comparing my experience in Thailand to my experience at home. In Thailand, I remained calm and was even able to have a normal conversation. Then I threw up when I was alone. Being at home, I allowed myself to spiral into a panic, and I was hardly able to breathe normal. This made me realize that my anxiety can really truly make my allergies much worse than they really are, and that taking a calm approach to these situations is the best approach for me.

That’s It!

Thank you so much for reading this post to the Welcome To My Shoes blog! As I go through learning about adulthood, I’m continuing to document these adventures I have. So don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing! Also, if you liked this post, don’t forget to share it on your favorite social media sites.

Now before you go, I have a couple questions. Do you have allergies that you deal with? If so, what are the best methods you’ve found, for keeping calm when things take a turn for the worst? Comment your answers below! Thank you again for joining me. I post every other Tuesday so stay tuned as I continue exploring the world one step at a time!