Hey guys, it’s Edwin here, and today I want to address a very common concern that someone recently shared with me. They said:

“I’ve done all the tests—barium swallow, endoscopy, scans—everything came back clear. But I still feel afraid of choking. I still struggle with swallowing. Why is that?”

This is something I hear often, and the answer is actually very simple:

If all your physical tests say there’s nothing wrong, then the fear isn’t in your body—it’s in your mind.

Your Throat Isn’t Broken. But Your Mind Thinks It Is.

When your medical tests come back normal, it means your throat, esophagus, and digestive system are functioning as they should. There’s no physical blockage. No damage. No infection.

But despite this, if you’re still afraid to swallow, it’s because your nervous system is misinterpreting swallowing as a threat.

Maybe years ago you had an anxiety attack while eating. Or you saw someone choke. Or maybe you were in a stressful situation and food just happened to be involved. In these moments, your subconscious mind can create an association—“swallowing is dangerous.”

From that point on, your fight-or-flight response kicks in every time you eat. Your throat tightens. You feel like there’s a lump. You panic at the thought of swallowing. Not because you’re actually in danger, but because your nervous system is trying to protect you from something it no longer understands.

So Why Doesn’t It Show Up on Scans?

Because it’s not a physical problem. It’s a psychological one.

Medical scans can’t detect fear stored in the subconscious. They can’t show you a memory that your mind decided to suppress for your own protection. That’s why everything looks “fine”—and yet it doesn’t feel fine.

This doesn’t mean the fear isn’t real. It’s very real. It’s just not being caused by bacteria, reflux, or a structural problem. It’s being caused by how your brain perceives swallowing.

Where Does This Fear Come From?

For some people, the trigger is obvious: a past choking incident or panic attack while eating. But for others, it’s more subtle:

• A parent or partner criticizing how you eat
• Witnessing someone else choke
• Eating during a highly emotional or traumatic time
• Even something totally unrelated that your brain linked to food or swallowing

Remember: the mind doesn’t always make logical associations. It makes emotional ones. And once that emotional pattern is set, your brain will keep running the same survival script again and again—tighten the throat, avoid food, stay “safe.”

What Can You Do About It?

Here’s the good news: If this fear is psychological, it can be reversed psychologically.

This is exactly the kind of work I do as a hypnotherapist—helping people uncover the root of their subconscious fears and process them fully. Because once the mind understands that swallowing isn’t dangerous, the body stops reacting like it is.

Healing isn’t about forcing yourself to eat or ignoring the fear. It’s about bringing that old fear to light, making peace with it, and reminding your nervous system that you’re safe now.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve done all the physical tests and nothing shows up—don’t panic. You’re not crazy. You’re not broken. You’re just dealing with a mind-body response that needs a different kind of support.

So don’t give up hope.

Your body is okay.
It’s your mind that needs reassurance—and once it gets that, things can shift faster than you think.

If this resonates with you and you’d like help working through it, feel free to reach out or book a call with me.

Until next time, take care—and remember, you’re not alone.