Don't Feed the Fear: Allergy Anxiety & Trauma

Amanda Whitehouse, Ph.D.
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Mental Health

Welcome to "Don't Feed the Fear," where licensed psychologist Dr. Amanda Whitehouse offers expert guidance on managing the social and emotional challenges of food allergies, celiac, and related conditions. Tune in for compassionate advice, practical strategies, and inspiring stories to help you navigate anxiety and trauma with confidence and resilience.  For more info on resources from Dr. Whitehouse, go to www.thefoodallergypsychologist.com      Theme song: The Doghouse by Kyle Dine, www.kyledine.comUsed with permission from the artistFull transcripts are available to support accessibility and inclusive listening: https://www.thefoodallergypsychologist.com/dont-feed-the-fear-blog

  1. When "Not Right Now" is Right For Now with Ina Chung

    3d ago

    When "Not Right Now" is Right For Now with Ina Chung

    Send us Fan Mail Every family approaches food allergy treatment differently, and that's exactly as it should be. In this episode, psychologist and food allergy mom I sit down with Ina Chung, creator of @TheAsianAllergyMom to discuss one of the most overlooked aspects of treatment decisions: giving yourself permission to choose the path that aligns with your family's goals, values, and season of life. Together we discuss:  Why more treatment options can sometimes create more pressure  Raising confident, thoughtful children with food allergies  Helping kids become part of the decision-making process  The importance of knowing your family's goals before choosing a treatment  Why "not right now" can be a thoughtful decision  Building confidence instead of comparison You can follow Ina on Instagram @theasianallergymom The Asian Allergy Mom My new book, From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy is available here: https://a.co/d/051hmpku Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    46 min
  2. Mindset and Mental Health in OIT with Prof. Adam Fox

    Jun 23

    Mindset and Mental Health in OIT with Prof. Adam Fox

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, UK allergist Prof. Adam Fox joins us to explore the emotional and psychosocial layers of oral immunotherapy. Dr. Fox shares how he approaches difficult conversations with honesty and compassion, including addressing guilt about management decisions and understanding risk and side effects during treatment.  Dr. Fox gives us important insights and emotional validation regarding the connection between stress and allergic reactions, including how the brain, gut, and immune system interact during treatment. This conversation expands the discussion beyond protocols and data and into the lived emotional experience of navigating food allergy treatment. Episode Links: -Follow Prof. Adam Fox @dradamfox and @london_allergy -https://www.allergylondon.com/team/professor-adam-fox/ -LEAP Study: https://www.leapstudy.co.uk/index.html -Mindset in Food Allergy paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41070771/ From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy https://a.co/d/003saZ8p Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    51 min
  3. BONUS EPISODE: Magic Wand Exercise for Teens and Adults

    Jun 18 ·  Bonus

    BONUS EPISODE: Magic Wand Exercise for Teens and Adults

    Send us Fan Mail Beneath our wishes, we often discover important clues about our values, needs, fears, hopes, griefs, and the parts of ourselves that may not receive enough attention in everyday life. When was the last time you used your imagination, not to solve a problem or make a plan, but to better understand yourself? This guided Magic Wand Exercise invites you to set aside what is practical, realistic, or possible for a moment and explore a simple question: If you had a magic wand, what would you change? This guided reflection is designed to help you: • increase self-awareness • identify underlying needs and values • explore emotions with curiosity and compassion • gain insight into challenges or decisions you may be facing • reconnect with creativity and imagination Many of us spend so much time focusing on what we think we should want or what we believe is possible that we rarely pause to explore what matters most. This exercise creates space to listen more closely to your own experience. Whether you are navigating a life transition, making an important decision, processing a challenge, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of yourself, I hope this exercise offers insight, clarity, and self-compassion. No special experience is needed, just curiosity, imagination, and a willingness to explore. While this exercise appears in my workbook From Fear to Freedom about the social/emotional aspects of food allergy treatment decisions, it is not specific to food allergies and can be used by anyone navigating challenges, changes, or difficult feelings. You can find the workbook this exercise is from here: From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy https://a.co/d/003saZ8p Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    9 min
  4. BONUS EPISODE: Magic Wand Meditation for Kids

    Jun 17 ·  Bonus

    BONUS EPISODE: Magic Wand Meditation for Kids

    Send us Fan Mail What would your child change if they had a magic wand? What would they wish for? What would they want the adults in their life to understand? The Magic Wand Exercise is one of my favorite tools for helping children express thoughts, feelings, worries, hopes, and needs that can sometimes be difficult to put into words directly. This gentle, guided exercise invites children to use their imaginations to explore a wish, giving adults valuable information about their needs and emotions. Consider it a magic trick grown-ups can use to connect with a child who feels unheard, misunderstood, or distant. Parents, caregivers, and professionals may also find this a valuable way to better understand a child's perspective and create opportunities for meaningful connection. While this exercise appears in my workbook From Fear to Freedom about the social/emotional aspects of food allergy treatment decisions, it is not specific to food allergies and can be used by any child navigating challenges, changes, or big feelings. Adults are encouraged to listen and engage with the child with curiosity rather than a desire to fix or solve. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer a child is the experience of being seen, heard, and understood. This guided exercise is suitable for children, families, therapists, educators, and anyone supporting a young person. You can find the workbook this exercise is from here: From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy https://a.co/d/003saZ8p Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    8 min
  5. Fear, Hope, & Self-Compassion: Guest Host Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins Interviews Me About My New Book

    Jun 16

    Fear, Hope, & Self-Compassion: Guest Host Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins Interviews Me About My New Book

    Send us Fan Mail This month, the tables are turned. In this special episode, psychologist, food allergy mom, and friend Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins joins the podcast as guest host to interview me about my new book, From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy. We discuss the personal and professional experiences that inspired the book, the challenges families face when considering treatment options, and why food allergy treatment decisions are about so much more than medicine alone. Our conversation explores the role of anxiety, uncertainty, values, family dynamics, and nervous system responses in treatment decision-making. We also discuss common misconceptions about food allergy treatments, what families often struggle with most, and why there is no single "right" path for every patient. This episode offers an honest look at the questions, fears, hopes, and possibilities that shaped both the book and the conversations it hopes to support. Available now: Amazon: https://a.co/d/06s0n6ac Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores): https://bookshop.org/p/books/from-fear-to-freedom-a-workbook-for-navigating-allergy-immunotherapy-amanda-r-desio-whitehouse/7138d4f2d8127c9b?ean=9798995147404&next=t Dr. Hawkins' Food Allergy Hive community: https://www.fahive.com/about Episode 70 (My family's treatment journey story: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2371319/episodes/18972752 Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    34 min
  6. Misconceptions, Myths & More: What Dr. Tom Chacko Wants You to Know About OIT

    Jun 9

    Misconceptions, Myths & More: What Dr. Tom Chacko Wants You to Know About OIT

    Send us Fan Mail We covered what OIT is last week. This week? We’re talking about what it’s not. Dr. Tom Chacko joins me to bust common myths about oral immunotherapy and answer the questions families ask in his clinic and on social media every day. Dr. Chacko gives us his honest and direct perspective on: -When not pursuing OIT could be a missed opportunity or even a disservice to a patient -How other treatment options compare to OIT  -Why we should be mindful of where messages come from and who benefits If allergy treatment options feel overwhelming right now, this episode will help you sort through the noise. Episode links: https://atlantaallergydoctor.com/ Instagram: @chacko_allergy fastoit.org Find my workbook From Fear To Freedom: A Guide to Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy here: https://a.co/d/068tbMjP Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    44 min
  7. From Controversy to Collaboration: The Evolution of OIT with Dr. Doug Jones

    Jun 2

    From Controversy to Collaboration: The Evolution of OIT with Dr. Doug Jones

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we begin a deep dive into specific food allergy immunotherapy treatments with a conversation about (OIT). Dr. Doug Jones, one of the early pioneers of OIT in the United States, joins us to discuss how it looks in real clinical practice, and how to think about risk, predictability, and control in food allergy management. As treatment options expand, patients and clinicians alike are navigating increased complexity. This conversation offers a grounded, evidence-based framework for thinking through OIT and shared decision-making. Dr. Jones acknowledges the psychological impact of allergy trauma and management, and helps us to understand the difference between accidental exposure risk and structured treatment risk This episode is for anyone feeling overwhelmed by treatment decisions and wanting a clearer framework for thinking about OIT. Episode Links: -Follow Dr. Doug Jones Instagram: @drdougjones drdougjones.com -fastoit.org You can find my workbook From Fear To Freedom: A Guide to Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy here: https://a.co/d/003saZ8p Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    46 min
  8. My Month of Awareness & Why It Matters

    May 26

    My Month of Awareness & Why It Matters

    Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode, I’m wrapping up an incredibly meaningful awareness month by taking you behind the scenes of the advocacy events, conferences, legislation, research, and community moments that left me feeling hopeful about the future of food allergies and chronic illness care. From the Food Allergy Fund Summit in New York City, to advocacy days in Washington DC and Albany, this episode explores the intersection of mental health, medical advocacy, innovation, storytelling, and policy change across the food allergy, celiac, asthma, eosinophilic disease, and alpha-gal communities. I also share personal reflections from traveling with loved ones, bringing my son to advocacy events, and witnessing children and teens become the next generation of leaders in this space, as well as the challenging emotions of acknowledging the tragic losses our advocacy honors. This episode is both a recap and a reminder:  progress is happening because people continue to care, speak up, and advocate together. Please follow and support the families and organizations below mentioned in this episode that are creating the changes we need: https://www.elijahalavifoundation.org/ https://www.loveforgiovanni.org/ https://www.adinaact.com/ https://aafa.org/ https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/ https://www.addietellsall.com/ https://maycontainfilms.org/ https://allergyadvocatesny.org/ https://foodallergyfund.org/ And off-topic but a highlight of my month: https://forward-space.com/ Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    27 min
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5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Welcome to "Don't Feed the Fear," where licensed psychologist Dr. Amanda Whitehouse offers expert guidance on managing the social and emotional challenges of food allergies, celiac, and related conditions. Tune in for compassionate advice, practical strategies, and inspiring stories to help you navigate anxiety and trauma with confidence and resilience.  For more info on resources from Dr. Whitehouse, go to www.thefoodallergypsychologist.com      Theme song: The Doghouse by Kyle Dine, www.kyledine.comUsed with permission from the artistFull transcripts are available to support accessibility and inclusive listening: https://www.thefoodallergypsychologist.com/dont-feed-the-fear-blog

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