Never ending struggle

[Anxiety Riddled]

I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed last May and I’m still not eating “normal” food. I’m going on a year soon of just a “soft food diet” (nothing but Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes)… It’s effecting my health. My A1C has risen to pre diabetes from this which really upsets me. I need therapy but unfortunately I can not afford it so I’m feeling really defeated. My wisdom teeth started giving me trouble last January, it took me until May to get the courage to have them removed by an oral surgeon. I dealt with the pain as long as I could before finally realizing I couldn’t avoid it any longer. I’m terrified of the dentist and haven’t been to one in like 15 years which is sad to say… My issue now is that ever since my wisdom teeth removal I developed this anxiety about chewing anything. It’s part fear but also part discomfort. Ever since the removal my gums (whole mouth) are extremely uncomfortable. It’s difficult to explain but they almost feel extremely loose which in turn makes me feel like my teeth are loose (which I think is all in my head to be honest). I don’t know if my gums are just swollen but they are always uncomfortable and it keeps me from wanting to chew anything. My anxiety is so bad about my mouth at this point that I won’t look in the mirror anymore but the last time that I did I noticed my gums were either whitish or dark red. I don’t sleep well anymore due to this extreme anxiety and I wake up every morning with my mouth feeling uncomfortable. I’m pretty sure I’m clenching or grinding which I never did before the surgery. I’m just at a loss on what to do. This anxiety has effected my life so much this past year. If anyone has any advice I’d love to hear it. (If you made it through this whole post I truly appreciate your time).

 

[Enarete]

Hi Anixiety Riddled,

so sorry to read about your situation. I wished therapy would be more accessible in the US so that you could get the help you need. What were the therapy options you have been looking into? Any community services that could offer options? Or any of these websites that offer plan for lower cost than a private therapist, such as talkspace?
When it comes to being pre-diabetic, I was wondering whether there is a way to eat soft but still healthy foods. Very well cooked vegies are super soft, so are sups. We have a list of soft food ideas here. Maybe there is a way to make sure you are getting nutrients and keeping sugar low while still having soft food.
One thing that may be helful until you will be able to get therapy (and may in fact be helpful for you to get through the process of therapy) is medication. The things you have been struggling with can get lessened with some anti-depressive medication so if you have not yet, having a chat with your gp or (even better) - finding a psychiatrist to help may be good as well.

Let us know your thoughts

All the best wishes

 

[Anxiety Riddled]

@Enarete I’ve looked into a few online therapy options which still seemed too expensive at like $100. One of my doctors gave me a referral to their partner therapist and I thought being that I had a referral from a doctor that the cost was going to be covered (I was wrong). When I called that therapy program they said each session (one hour) cost $150-$400… That blew my mind. I got my recent blood results back and my A1C went back down so I’m no longer in pre diabetes range which made me very happy. I need to eat more healthy regardless but I’m an extremely picky eater (have been my whole life)… won’t even touch vegetables. My primary doctor has me on a medication now for anxiety but it doesn’t work for me. I’ve been on it for months and had to cut down on the doctor recommended dose because it was causing severe brain fog to the point where I was coming off like I had dementia to people. I was forgetting everything and repeating myself constantly. I’m hoping to get back to my primary doctor soon and hopefully get another medication to try. I’ve tried quite a few in my day but there has to be something out there that will work for me. I know it’s trial and error for everyone and takes time.