Anonymous wrote:OP here. I will look into these non-dairy smoothie ideas, never really knew about them, thank you.
Re: my attitude towards food, it's mainly that eating is a chore, something I have to do vs. want to do, I don't find any joy in eating (never have) and I skip a lot of meals because of low appetite and also disliking to cook. I do have some anxiety around food, but it has to do more with a phobia of choking. I have a massive phobia of choking and I often skip meals because of this (especially if my husband is working late or out of town). I won't eat anything with small pieces like nuts or certain cereals. I chew my food a million times before swallowing because the sensation of swallowing a large-ish piece sends me into a panic attack. I have had periods where I've lost weight because of this anxiety because I will only eat really easy to chew foods. Eating does not cause me nausea or anything like that.
But I also lose my appetite completely when anxious or stressed, like the first 3 months of the pandemic. I lost 25 pounds and was basically eating a few small snacks per day (like a yogurt, a banana, and a piece of toast). I didn't have the appetite for more because I was so stressed about the pandemic. Gradually when things improved my appetite came back slowly and I was able to eat more, but my appetite is nowhere near where it was pre-pandemic, because I am constantly stressed and worried about the pandemic.
This makes me really sad for you. Please go see a therapist to help with the anxiety. I have a clinical anxiety disorder and for years couldn't eat for various reasons. Finally getting on long-term meds helped a lot. It's so worth it. You don't need to live like this! Hoping you feel better soon.