9 year old DD with choking phobia

[evelynkate]

My DD was a healthy fantastic eater until about 3 months ago when she had a tummy bug. This passed but since then her appetite has declied to the point that she will only eat soup, drinks and jacket potato & cheese (no skin).
She says she's scared of choking, though she has never had/witnessed a choking episode.I have seen my GP who was very helpful & arranged every blood test possible which were all normal. We are now awaiting an out patient appt with a paediatrician. I am getting to the end of my tether. Any advice PLEASE!!!!

evelyn, if she's normal in every other way and this is very recent I would just try to chill out a bit. Was she vomiting with tummy bug? Was she frightened....(god I used to hate that feeling when everything comes back up!)

Maybe she has seen something on the tv/heard something scary from someone at school?

I would go with the flow, agree with her all the stuff she can eat, chop or mince everything up if she agrees that's how she can eat it....give her back some control, but assure her that you understand her fears, and that pretty soon she'll grow out of it. Which she will.

My nine yr. old daughter has had a choking phobia for about a month now. It began after she nearly choked on a cracker. She is only drinking liquids and eating applesauce and pudding. she gets her nutrition from Boost or Ensure. Because she was having panic attacks, we had to put her on medication. In therapy, they use the exposure therapy method. have your daughter begin with soft foods and work up to more difficult foods. Let her start by holding and playing with the foods. Then have her touch them to her mouth, taste only, etc. The idea is that gradual exposure to the food will allow her to become comfortable. Use lots of positive reinforcement, too. hang in there--I know it's very frustrating. We are still working on it.