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Drinking liquid is triggering - what do i drink??

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CoalStars

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I'm living off of the few things that taste good enough that I can drink them without getting too triggered: coffee and chocolate milk! Im always parched but I can't find anything else that doesn't give me flashbacks.

Any suggestions?? How do I avoid dehydration?? Sometimes I wish I could go to a hospital and have them give me all my fluids through an IV. I hate needles but at least they don't give me flashbacks. If you experience this too, what do you drink? Or, do you know of any really juicy foods (not fruit though, I'm allergic)?
 
I am sorry you have this affliction Sounds really challenging. When I travel I buy electrolytes and put them in water to avoid dehydration (especially when I travel hot countries in tropical or middle east area). Also a co-worker told me coconut milk is good for avoiding dehydration. I wonder if you could eat the coconut rather than drink it though and if it would help?
 
Have you talked to a therapist about this?

I bought a tiny ice machine and eat ice all day. It helps more than you’d think.

The body can naturally absorb water through melons, apples, steamed broccoli, etc. The body requires water to digest food, and keep your digestive system regular, but fruits are very good at giving water.

Being dehydrated is a huge stress on your body. It’s likely making things worse. Neurons require water to expel waste and communicate with one another. Being unable to go so properly causes high amounts of stress, and also headaches, slow thoughts, fatigue, not thinking straight, etc. So, the sooner you can tackle this, the better.
 
Water. If you are thirsty hydrate with water. It is what the cells in your body are screaming for. If you need to change the flavour it's easy to do.

Instead of trying to drink a large quantity of fluid in one session sip gently constantly. Water is easy to sip via a straw or as ice ^^ @littleoc I agree on both counts - have you told your therapist?

coffee and chocolate milk!
Drinking coffee will make you thirsty and it doesn't really quench. It's also a stimulant so maybe try to drink less. Chocolate milk is probably okay for nutrition but don't go overboard on the chocolate part.

Why are you so thirsty?
 
All good suggestions above, just to add anything liquid at room temp counts as fluids (ice cream, soup, yogurt, etc). The trouble with coffee is it's a diuretic (the equivalent of drink 3 cups pee out 4), and soup etc usually has a high salt content. There are also thickening agents on the market for people who can't swallow liquids, they have no taste so can be added to anything (ie make a smoothie in to a pudding).

Also to make it fun/ a different connotation, like having a milkshake (or a fortified 'malt'- eat it with a spoon)- preferably somewhere nice or relaxed.

Good luck. :hug:
 
So sorry you are dealing with this. Am assuming water milk and the other usuals are triggering for you. My thoughts went along the lines of others mentioning solid sources. Watermelon (are you allergic?), cucumber, berries, leafy veg and salads (spinach etc) and other watery veg are good sources. Milk is one of the most hydrating liquids possible so its worth thinking if you could find some way to change its flavour and make it OK for you. Chocolate milk sounds like a great option! but what about some flavour that doesn't contain caffeine like chocolate does. Have you thought of trying desensitisation? Its a huge life effecting trigger for you.
 
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If you’re always parched? I would suggest drinking more of what you can drink, until you can do some exposure therapy on those triggers.... and be able to drink whatever the hell you want, whenever you want, as you want.

I’d also suggest talking with an eating disorders doctor about either an NG tube or weekly IV -or other/better temporary solutions- whilst working on your triggers, in order to protect your health.

Personally I don’t drink water, as a rule. Even if it wasn’t triggering -and it is- it tastes DISGUSTING in most parts of the world. I don’t understand people who think water doesn’t have any flavor at all, and didn’t like water even before it became a trigger. There are a bazillion and seven different things to drink that aren’t water, so that’s what I do drink. Not water.

Ive had a helluva lot of oral triggers & stressors. I’ve nixed all of them except water itself, and I have no reason to work on the water one. Because it’s a non issue for me.

I’ve written about working in those oral triggers (mostly surrounding oral sex) in a few places.

Rape/exposure Therapy
How To Stop Sickness Caused By Memory Of Oral Rape?

Those are just some personal experiences & solutions... the thread below outlines what exposure therapy actually is (including many different varieties of it, DARES, THE ART OF THE SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY focuses on the type of exposure therapy that I do with triggers & stressors) without having to dive into the nitty gritty of personal experience that may not apply

Link Removed
 
Thanks for all the replies!
To answer some questions:

Yes I'm horribly allergic to melons, I can eat them without dying but it feels like eating fire ants. Apples do this, bananas, pears, and some non-fruit things like juicy carrots.

I've talked to my T and she has no good advice beyond "just try to recover from the trauma and it'll probably get better," which is fine advice but doesn't help in the short term. And she's the only one I can afford to see.

I also can't afford to see any doctors or actually get IV fluids, I need the money for food and rent and I'd rather be dehydrated than hungry or homeless.

As far as water goes: it is the MOST triggering of anything. It's so bad that I might end up having a several-hour-long panic attack and crying out whatever water I managed to drink! And even without a panic attack, the act of swallowing water will cause me to become incredibly dissociative and dizzy and panicky lightheaded for about 2 or 3 seconds after I drink it and it's terribly unpleasant.

Again thanks for ALL answers so far, I appreciate the advice and I appreciate you all taking the time to offer your kind words and suggestions. I'll try yogurt, that's a good idea! Feel free to offer more advice and suggestions, I am grateful for any suggestions.
 
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