Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTriggersTypes of WorriesRoot CausesTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Triggers

Types of Worries

Root Causes

Treatment

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Socializing usually involves food and drink. Business meetings sometimes take place over lunch or dinner, college cafeterias can be crowded, and first dates typically involve some dining activity.

The fear of eating in front of others is known asdeipnophobia. It can wreak havoc on your social life, work prospects, and adjustment to high school or college.

If eating and drinking in front of others causes you extreme anxiety, you may either endure these situations with great discomfort or avoid them altogether.Avoidancecreates a vicious cycle in that the more narrow your life becomes, the harder you will find it to eat and drink in front of others. You may find yourself turning down invitations or making choices that don’t require eating in front of others.

Triggers for a Fear of Eating in Front of Others

Think About ItPotentially messy foods such as spaghetti will be more anxiety-provoking because there is a greater likelihood of embarrassment while eating. Foods that could get stuck in your teeth might be avoided altogether.Beverages do not usually influence the level of fear, although drinks that are more likely to stain, such as red wine, may provoke more anxiety.

Think About It

Potentially messy foods such as spaghetti will be more anxiety-provoking because there is a greater likelihood of embarrassment while eating. Foods that could get stuck in your teeth might be avoided altogether.Beverages do not usually influence the level of fear, although drinks that are more likely to stain, such as red wine, may provoke more anxiety.

Potentially messy foods such as spaghetti will be more anxiety-provoking because there is a greater likelihood of embarrassment while eating. Foods that could get stuck in your teeth might be avoided altogether.

Beverages do not usually influence the level of fear, although drinks that are more likely to stain, such as red wine, may provoke more anxiety.

The Benefits of Making Fun of Yourself

If you fear eating or drinking in front of others, there is probably a long list of embarrassing events that you worry might happen in these situations. They may include some of the following:

The Root Cause of Anxiety

In addition, a 2012 study found that social appearance anxiety (the fear that you will be negatively evaluated for your appearance) may predict symptoms of both social anxiety and eating disorder symptoms.As a result, modifying thoseunderlying negative beliefsor negative social evaluation fears is needed to treat this type of disordered eating rather than a focus on specific issues with eating.

The Spotlight Effect and Social Anxiety

Treating a Fear of Eating in Front of Others

If difficulty eating in front of others is causing significant impairment in your daily life, and you have not been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, consider making an appointment with your family doctor. Your doctor can help assess the situation and coordinate treatment.

When the fear of eating or drinking in front of others is a symptom ofsocial anxiety disorderor SAD (about 20% of people diagnosed with SAD have this fear), treatment in the form ofcognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)orcognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT)is usually recommended.

CBT involves identifyingnegative automatic thoughtsand replacing them with more rational thinking patterns. Some form ofexposure trainingusually complements this practice of cognitive restructuring. Exposure may mean actual eating and drinking scenarios in which other group participants act as dining companions.

If your anxiety about eating in front of others is due to aneating disorderor a combination of an eating disorder and social anxiety disorder (SAD), then treatment will need to be tailored to your unique situation. In addition, if your symptoms do not resolve sufficiently in therapy, medication such asselective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)may be advised.

Final Thoughts

If you are experiencing difficulty eating in front of others, consider the source of your anxiety. Are you worried about how others will perceive you or more worried about eating the actual food itself? Ask yourself these questions to better understand your own disordered eating patterns and what the next steps may be.

How Anxiety Affects Relationships

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Menatti AR, Deboer LB, Weeks JW, Heimberg RG.Social anxiety and associations with eating psychopathology: Mediating effects of fears of evaluation.Body Image.2015;14:20-28. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.02.003Levinson CA, Rodebaugh TL.Social anxiety and eating disorder comorbidity: The role of negative social evaluation fears.Eat Behav. 2012;13(1):27-35. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2011.11.006Kaye WH, Bulik CM, Thornton L, Barbarich N, Masters K.Comorbidity of anxiety disorders with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161(12):2215-2221. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.161.12.2215Additional ReadingAntony MM, Swinson RP.The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook,3rd edition. New Harbinger Publications, 2017.Heimberg R, Becker, R.Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Strategies. Guilford Press, 2002.Noyes R, Hoehn-Saric R.The Anxiety Disorders. Cambridge University Press, 1998.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Menatti AR, Deboer LB, Weeks JW, Heimberg RG.Social anxiety and associations with eating psychopathology: Mediating effects of fears of evaluation.Body Image.2015;14:20-28. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.02.003Levinson CA, Rodebaugh TL.Social anxiety and eating disorder comorbidity: The role of negative social evaluation fears.Eat Behav. 2012;13(1):27-35. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2011.11.006Kaye WH, Bulik CM, Thornton L, Barbarich N, Masters K.Comorbidity of anxiety disorders with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161(12):2215-2221. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.161.12.2215Additional ReadingAntony MM, Swinson RP.The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook,3rd edition. New Harbinger Publications, 2017.Heimberg R, Becker, R.Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Strategies. Guilford Press, 2002.Noyes R, Hoehn-Saric R.The Anxiety Disorders. Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Menatti AR, Deboer LB, Weeks JW, Heimberg RG.Social anxiety and associations with eating psychopathology: Mediating effects of fears of evaluation.Body Image.2015;14:20-28. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.02.003Levinson CA, Rodebaugh TL.Social anxiety and eating disorder comorbidity: The role of negative social evaluation fears.Eat Behav. 2012;13(1):27-35. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2011.11.006Kaye WH, Bulik CM, Thornton L, Barbarich N, Masters K.Comorbidity of anxiety disorders with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161(12):2215-2221. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.161.12.2215

Menatti AR, Deboer LB, Weeks JW, Heimberg RG.Social anxiety and associations with eating psychopathology: Mediating effects of fears of evaluation.Body Image.2015;14:20-28. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.02.003

Levinson CA, Rodebaugh TL.Social anxiety and eating disorder comorbidity: The role of negative social evaluation fears.Eat Behav. 2012;13(1):27-35. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2011.11.006

Kaye WH, Bulik CM, Thornton L, Barbarich N, Masters K.Comorbidity of anxiety disorders with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161(12):2215-2221. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.161.12.2215

Antony MM, Swinson RP.The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook,3rd edition. New Harbinger Publications, 2017.Heimberg R, Becker, R.Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Strategies. Guilford Press, 2002.Noyes R, Hoehn-Saric R.The Anxiety Disorders. Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Antony MM, Swinson RP.The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook,3rd edition. New Harbinger Publications, 2017.

Heimberg R, Becker, R.Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Strategies. Guilford Press, 2002.

Noyes R, Hoehn-Saric R.The Anxiety Disorders. Cambridge University Press, 1998.

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