Today, I want to answer a question I get quite often:

“Can swallowing anxiety or fear of choking make you avoid social situations?”

And the short answer? Yes, it can.

But the reasons why go a lot deeper than most people think.

When the Mind Associates Socializing With Danger
 Sometimes, swallowing anxiety develops because of a specific event. Maybe you choked at a dinner, food went down the wrong way, or you felt your throat tighten during a conversation.

When that happens, your mind starts making connections:

“Socializing = danger.”

Because the mind loves familiarity and wants to keep you safe, it will steer you away from situations it now considers risky.

So, if you’ve had a bad swallowing episode while socializing, your brain might try to protect you by avoiding those situations altogether.

The Role of Embarrassment
 Let’s be honest, when you’re struggling with something other people seem to do effortlessly, it can feel embarrassing.

While everyone else is eating, laughing, and enjoying themselves, you might be silently battling with each swallow. That awareness can make you feel self-conscious.
 And embarrassment is a powerful motivator for avoidance.

You start thinking:

“What if someone notices?”
 “What if they ask questions?”
 “What if I choke again?”

Soon, it feels easier to stay home than to risk it.

When Others Don’t Understand
 Another challenge is that not everyone gets it.
 Some people might laugh, make light of it, or say things like:

“It’s just eating. How can you be afraid of that?”

They don’t mean to hurt you, but if you’ve been genuinely struggling, comments like this can feel dismissive and isolating.
 The more misunderstood you feel, the more you may pull away from social situations altogether.

When It Becomes Psychological
 Here’s the key point:
 If you start avoiding things you once enjoyed solely because of fear, and there’s no medical reason stopping you, the problem has likely shifted from physical to psychological.

That doesn’t mean it’s “all in your head” in a dismissive way. It means the deeper layers of your mind are now involved.
 And that’s actually good news, because psychological fears can be worked through and healed.

Moving Forward
 Yes, swallowing anxiety or fear of choking can absolutely make you avoid social situations.
 But avoidance doesn’t have to be your permanent reality.

When you start exploring the root of the fear, rather than only the surface symptoms, you can reach a place where:

• You still might notice the fear
• But it no longer controls your life or stops you from living fully

So, I’d love to hear from you:
 Have you avoided social events because of swallowing anxiety or fear of choking? How do you handle it?