How to Overcome the Fear of Dining Out

Fear of dining out is a common phobia usually caused by social anxiety disorder, much like the fears of public speaking or of leaving the house. According to Web MD, fear of dining out often has to do with irrational thoughts that people are watching or judging you, even though you may know that these thoughts are ill-founded. Overcoming your fear of eating out will not happen overnight and will likely take dedicated self-help, sessions with a therapist, hypnosis or all of the above. How you tackle the fear is up to you and your budget, but if this fear is decreasing your quality of life, the sooner you take it on, the better.

Things You'll Need

• Self-help books
• Therapist or psychiatrist
• Hypnotherapist

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Think about where your fear of dining out comes from. Consider whether you were scolded as a child in restaurants, never had the chance to eat out because of financial problems or if there is some other reason you feel anxious about eating in public. If you can pinpoint the source of your phobia, you will be more successful in getting over it.

• 2

  Expose yourself to eating out as often as you can. Enlist a trusted friend to talk you through a snack or meal, which will also distract you from your racing thoughts. Start small. Order a soda at a fast food restaurant. Then try eating a couple of fries. Choose foods that are easy to eat and when eating a few fries becomes manageable and less scary, try eating part of a sandwich. The only way you will truly overcome your fear is by facing it and realizing that it is not such a big deal. Along with exposing yourself to eating out, you should read self-help books on anxiety and phobias which will give you the tools to manage panic. One method of purging anxiety is vigorous exercise; another anxiety-beater is daily meditation. You need to find the specific technique or techniques that work best for you in order to alleviate your fear.

• 3

  See a therapist of psychiatrist if you cannot get over the fear of dining out by yourself. He will likely prescribe cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you think more rationally and stop avoiding anxiety-inducing situations like eating out. Web MD explains that during CBT the therapist will have you imagine the frightening situation and work through it in a safe environment, like his office. Then you will tackle the real-life challenge of eating out. The more aggressively you face your fear, the more likely you are to overcome it. A psychiatrist can also prescribe anti-anxiety medication such as fast-acting benzodiazepines that will calm you down when you dine out. Over time you will cut down your medication so that eventually you will be able to eat in public without having to take prescription drugs beforehand.

• 4

  See a hypnotherapist if you prefer not to seek traditional therapy. A hypnotherapist will attempt to call up the memory that has caused your phobia and desensitize you to it. The Natural Bloom website says that patients should expect to be free of their phobia in three to four sessions, although it could be fewer or more depending on the individual, the phobia and how deep-seated it is.