Dear J:

You are very anxious, you were when you posted the above. This is what is wrong: anxiety. Anxiety triggers your physical symptoms and the physical symptoms in turn trigger more anxiety. You need to relax, calm yourself. Pay attention to HOW you calm yourself. If you try to calm yourself with foods that trigger your physical symptoms, what you will be doing is in effect increase your anxiety.

So how to calm yourself? In any way that doesn’t hurt you. Hot baths, aerobic exercise, listening to calming music, hot tea- different things at different times.

At times, when the anxiety is too much psychiatric drugs may be necessary for a while.

Psychotherapy for anxiety where you will learn techniques (meditation, mindfulness…) to calm yourself will be helpful.

Quitting a job that is very stressful may be another way for you to take.

Getting social support is yet another way. If there is a way to get your mother’s understanding, that will be a good thing. You need someone in your corner, on your side so you can rest being in the presence of that person.

Anything and everything that will calm you (and not harm you later, such as eating wrong foods) is what you should do any and every moment and day… and night.

anita