Thank you for sharing. Please keep sharing your story. It will help you as will help others. I'm new to this as well and I know it's scary. You're not alone.

Hi! Thank you for sharing. Remember you are not alone in this - dealing with phobia and OCD at the same time is very difficult - these two correlate in a terrible way - I have been dealing with it for a couple of years now and I know how draining it can be. I deal with a different type of phobia, but there were moments in my life that due to that I haven’t eaten almost anything for about 2 weeks and a couple of years later due to another kind of fear I developed an unhealthy relationship with food - it took me about a month to learn how to eat regularly again. Both times were extremely draining for the body and the mind. When phobia/anxiety affects an important aspect of proper functioning, such as eating, the only way to properly deal with it is to consult a specialist, like therapist or psychiatrist - in my case it was both of them and it was the only thing that really helped me. If there is a health or a life threat, I think it is the first right thing to do. During waiting for my appointment I was practicing mindfulness techniques, such as meditation - focusing on “here and now” kinda helped me deal with stress while I had to wait for my appointment. Please, remember you are not alone in this and we are here for you! I believe in you and keep my fingers crossed for you!