I am so grossed out!

[livinlovinlaughin]

I know this doesn't make much sense since we spend lots of time outdoor and love to garden but.....I am disgusted by anything work or snake like. Honestly it is so bad I can not even say the word snake sometimes. I am not scared just utterly grossed out. So, my DH does almost all of the planting/digging unless I am feeling brave. I can look at them a little if I am not surprised by them. Like if DH is digging and one appears I am ok most of the time. If I am digging and one appears I am totally grossed out 99.8% of the time.
Today DS (20 months) and I had cut a homegrown pumpkin in half lengthwise to prepare for baking. As we were scooping it out, I noticed a small darker spot and figured I would discard that part. Then I scooped and found......ugh a fat white short wormy thing. Oh my skin is still crawling! I screamed and ran away. DS was standing on the chair, spoon in hand, with such a confused look on his face. I felt horrible! So I started laughing. I am sure he thinks his Mommy is crazy! I ran right back to him and scooped him up telling him we were all done. It took me a minute to gather the courage to go bag it up and toss it outside for DH to get later. The worst part is that when I went back less than a few mins later, it was nowhere to be seen. I pray it was still inside!!!! I really hope it couldn't move that fast!
My question is, can these things just appear inside produce or does there have to be a hole? There were some very small holes like a bird had pecked it. I should've been more careful. I would just like some reassurance in hopes that I will not be surprised again. Hopefully I can stay away from anything with holes and be ok? I know I am neurotic but please help me ease my mind and soothe my crawling skin!

[goodygumdrops]

I haven't been gardening lately but I when I was the title of your post I was curious. Something similar happened to me a couple years ago. I was cooking and I had a huge bunch of kale from my garden. I had already processed it and was going over it one last time just to rinse and I found a huge nest of white grubby looking insects found on the under portion of a leaf. My son was about year at the time but I about leapt and hit the ceiling. YAH!!! Freaked me out big time and I think I just had to walk away from cooking that night. I know it's totally silly because, DUH, there are bugs all over our garden but I just couldn't deal.

LOL!

[kittywitty]

I am phobic of worms. No, seriously, if I see one I screech and jump up somewhere far out of the way and won't come down until it's removed and I can dart past. My dh thinks it's hilarious. My kids think they're cool and gross. My mom is truly phobic and I picked that up from her as a kid. I know they can't hurt me, I can't explain it. And yes, I garden. I just do my thing and if I see/touch one, I cry and scream and run.

[Annie Mac]

Originally Posted by livinlovinlaughin

My question is, can these things just appear inside produce or does there have to be a hole? There were some very small holes like a bird had pecked it. I should've been more careful. I would just like some reassurance in hopes that I will not be surprised again. Hopefully I can stay away from anything with holes and be ok? I know I am neurotic but please help me ease my mind and soothe my crawling skin!

I hate to tell you this, but yes. The holes are generally from the worm leaving. I've found worms in mangos and apples, myself. On the good side, you know you've got some nutritious and organic produce if the bugs want it

[FarmerCathy]

My dh would totally sympathize with you and his snake phobia. I do like most worms and insects, though I could do without tomato hornworms, now those are gross.

The worm you found in the pumpkin may have been snatched up by a bird.

[livinlovinlaughin]

So I have heard that I should not find anything unless there is a hole in the veggie/fruit before I cut into it. Hopefully eventually that will ease my mind.

This is terrible. I am still really disguted and struggling with this. If it were not in food and in my kitchen I would be able to get over it more easily. I still can barely eat anything without making myself sick and feeling nauseous. I couldn't sleep last night. I just can not get it out of my mind. This is why I do not watch scary movies anymore. I think there is something wrong with me. Why can I not get these things out of my mind and stop letting it make me sick and freak me out. I even tried rescue remedy today. I really hope I can forget about it soon!

[FarmerCathy]

Originally Posted by livinlovinlaughin

So I have heard that I should not find anything unless there is a hole in the veggie/fruit before I cut into it. Hopefully eventually that will ease my mind.

This is terrible. I am still really disguted and struggling with this. If it were not in food and in my kitchen I would be able to get over it more easily. I still can barely eat anything without making myself sick and feeling nauseous. I couldn't sleep last night. I just can not get it out of my mind. This is why I do not watch scary movies anymore. I think there is something wrong with me. Why can I not get these things out of my mind and stop letting it make me sick and freak me out. I even tried rescue remedy today. I really hope I can forget about it soon!

mama. I know the feeling. I have my own paralyzing phobia.

[Erinz]

Originally Posted by livinlovinlaughin

So I have heard that I should not find anything unless there is a hole in the veggie/fruit before I cut into it. Hopefully eventually that will ease my mind.

This is terrible. I am still really disguted and struggling with this. If it were not in food and in my kitchen I would be able to get over it more easily. I still can barely eat anything without making myself sick and feeling nauseous. I couldn't sleep last night. I just can not get it out of my mind. This is why I do not watch scary movies anymore. I think there is something wrong with me. Why can I not get these things out of my mind and stop letting it make me sick and freak me out. I even tried rescue remedy today. I really hope I can forget about it soon!

awww, just want to give you a virtual hug. Perhaps just really work on accepting that this is a teeny quirky bit of yourself and leave it there until you can fully address it.

[livinlovinlaughin]

Thanks for the understanding and hugs!
Last night while teaching a Pilates class, a creepy crawly ran across my mat while I was sitting on it! What a week! Needless to say the uncontrollable paranoia has set in. My head is really screwed up. I feel like I am living in a nightmare. Everything I have ever seen or experienced in regards to creepy crawlies, worms or snakes keeps running through my head and at times I am having trouble in my head coming back to reality (the paranoia). Last night I could not sleep again. Anyone know how I can fix my mind? Desensitze myself or stop the paranoia? I have been praying. It has been really bad at times!

[FarmerCathy]

Originally Posted by livinlovinlaughin

Thanks for the understanding and hugs!
Last night while teaching a Pilates class, a creepy crawly ran across my mat while I was sitting on it! What a week! Needless to say the uncontrollable paranoia has set in. My head is really screwed up. I feel like I am living in a nightmare. Everything I have ever seen or experienced in regards to creepy crawlies, worms or snakes keeps running through my head and at times I am having trouble in my head coming back to reality (the paranoia). Last night I could not sleep again. Anyone know how I can fix my mind? Desensitze myself or stop the paranoia? I have been praying. It has been really bad at times!

I have found that since I started taking essential amino acids, that stuff like this doesn't bother me quite so much. Read "mood cure." Great book. I've had lots of stress the last 6 months and taking tyrosine in the am an hour before I eat really helps with anxiety which causes stress and depletes your cortisone levels. Tyrosine is a natural precursor for them. I've been taking them the last few days and it helped me get out of the fog I was in from my miscarriage 3 weeks ago. Stress does a lot of damage to the body. You should be able to find tyrosine in any health food store.

[livinlovinlaughin]

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

I have found that since I started taking essential amino acids, that stuff like this doesn't bother me quite so much. Read "mood cure." Great book. I've had lots of stress the last 6 months and taking tyrosine in the am an hour before I eat really helps with anxiety which causes stress and depletes your cortisone levels. Tyrosine is a natural precursor for them. I've been taking them the last few days and it helped me get out of the fog I was in from my miscarriage 3 weeks ago. Stress does a lot of damage to the body. You should be able to find tyrosine in any health food store.

to you.

I am really not a crazy person. Like my mom said to me, I am a very strong person. This is just the one thing that really gets to me. I am not really that stressed. I do tend to worry...doesn't every mommy though?!

Is the Tyrosine one of the essential amino acids you mentioned? Do they help with anxiety/paranoia? Can you take them while breastfeeding? Can you find essential amino acids with the supplements in the grocery store?

[FarmerCathy]

Originally Posted by livinlovinlaughin

to you.

I am really not a crazy person. Like my mom said to me, I am a very strong person. This is just the one thing that really gets to me. I am not really that stressed. I do tend to worry...doesn't every mommy though?!

Is the Tyrosine one of the essential amino acids you mentioned? Do they help with anxiety/paranoia? Can you take them while breastfeeding? Can you find essential amino acids with the supplements in the grocery store?

Yeah, but if its making it hard to sleep, that is stressing your body out. I had a night like that thinking about my dad the other night. Ugh. Not fun.

Tyrosine is a pre-cursor, which will help make the amino acid you need. Yep, they will definitely help. 5-htp can be taken at night before bed and two hours after you eat to help with sleep as well. It is the pre-cursor to serotonin. They are both all natural. It's something your body needs on a day to day basis so it is definitely ok while breastfeeding. You might be able to find it in a grocery store, Whole Foods or something like that might carry it, but I know co-op's and natural health food stores should all have it. Or you can get it at vitacost.com. HTH

[livinlovinlaughin]

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

Yeah, but if its making it hard to sleep, that is stressing your body out. I had a night like that thinking about my dad the other night. Ugh. Not fun.

Tyrosine is a pre-cursor, which will help make the amino acid you need. Yep, they will definitely help. 5-htp can be taken at night before bed and two hours after you eat to help with sleep as well. It is the pre-cursor to serotonin. They are both all natural. It's something your body needs on a day to day basis so it is definitely ok while breastfeeding. You might be able to find it in a grocery store, Whole Foods or something like that might carry it, but I know co-op's and natural health food stores should all have it. Or you can get it at vitacost.com. HTH

I will look at the store when I go tomorrow. Darn, I just placed my large routine order to vitacost too! I was reading that Vit B can help with panic anxiety and paranoia. I took some B1 that I had but I might pick up a B-complex to see if that helps. I have to figure something out! Thanks for your help.

I feel so silly these panic episodes are unrealitic thoughts in my head for the most part but uncontrollable.