Page 112 - The Ultimate Guidebook for Teens with Food Allergies

There sometimes seems to be a fine line between taking risks and staying safe. It’s key to learn how to tightrope walk along that line. Recognizing risks on one side and precautions on the other is necessary to help us balance our minds and emotions. Reminding yourself that you will be okay if you avoid your allergens and carry your auto-injectors is a good way to keep anxiety in check.
When things go right
Conquering Anxiety, by Sebastian
Throughout my whole life, I have always been a very nervous person and been affected by anxiety on some level. Whether it was talking in front of my class, doing an assignment, or dealing with my allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, and penicillin, it hasn’t always been easy. But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t overcome the problems I’ve faced. The anxiety that I have with allergies was especially strong when I was younger (around age 10 and 11) and when I felt most exposed to my allergens. This would mostly happen when I was at a restaurant. I would always check whether the food was safe or not. But I would always think that they were wrong and that they had no control over their food. The truth was that they had the most control of anyone. I would get so worried that I couldn’t stay in the building and felt as though I had to get out of there. It was with the reassurance of my family that I was able to put everything into perspective and get my anxiety under control. Now, I hardly ever worry about my allergies. All I had to do was realize that I was doing the right things to stay safe and realize that the people around me didn’t want me to have an allergic reaction.
Ingredient Check Before Kitchen Prep, by Samantha
Luckily, I’ve had mostly good experiences at restaurants. I have had a couple of bad experiences. But I usually enjoy my time at restaurants because I am always really careful. I went to a new restaurant one time. It was a different type of restaurant than I normally go to. So I was nervous. We called ahead to make sure they could accommodate me and we looked at the menu online. When we got to the restaurant, the first thing I did was tell the waiter about my allergies. He immediately went to get the manager. When the manager came, she told me, in general, what I could eat and what I couldn’t. After I ordered my meal, they went to the back and checked every ingredient to make sure it was safe. They also cooked my meal on a separate grill that hadn't been used since it had been washed the day before. Overall, I had a great experience and they were great with my allergies.
Quick Tip - Anxiety usually stems from uncertainty. So ask a lot of questions when you are unsure and you will hopefully feel better with more knowledge about the situation.
When things go wrong