Terrified to fast! Having real anxiety bout it- pls help!

crust

Mon, Jul 31 2017, 5:20 pm

amother wrote:

important - one does not wait until they faint or get sick to ask a Rav or to get a heter re breaking their fast!!!
one asks before they get to that point.

sorry, if I sound blunt or nasty, really really not meaning to be - it's just, my dh is in hatzolah several decades already, and has had serious emergency calls where people waited too long to ask a Rav.

OP precious dear, I didn't mean to increase your anxiety.
Anxiety attacks is real suffering. I sincerely hope you are getting professional help for them plus the PPD.

And yes, you should ask your Rav what quicker about fasting, but you have to tell him your situation precisely.

Or, if you are feeling too anxious to ask the Rav, do you have s/one who can do it for you.
But, pluck up the courage, clench your fists, straighten your shoulders, grab hold tight onto the the top back of a chair - I've seen people doing it when they were anxious and it really helps in getting strength to flow through one's body, and you ask the Rav yourself - it's better if he can hear your voice.

Refuah Sheleimah. I reach out to you with my WHOLE heart and wish you all the best only,
be'H.

If you can, let us know how Tisha B'Av went. I'm rooting for you with full confidence, be'H.
And above all, Hashem is Holding your hand. More than that - He is Holding you up strongly.

I'm endorsing this post.
Don't take your emotional health for granted!!
Reach out to a Rav that understands mental health.
People taking medicine should ask even if they feel they are stable!!

Have an easy fast everyone.

rachel6543

Mon, Jul 31 2017, 5:34 pm

To the OP, have you checked with Rav? Please do because it really sounds like to me based on the medical issues you have fasting may not be a good idea.

My husband has some serious medical issues and he is not allowed to fast at all, not even on Yom Kippur anymore. And this year for various health issues I won't be fasting either for Tish B av.

zelda

Mon, Jul 31 2017, 5:51 pm

Dear op,

I had the same thing as you for many years and in addition to the anxiety I got very sick from fasting. My rav told me to fast until I got sick but that really didn't work for me because by the time I was sick I was really sick and it took hours to recover. Even days. So I found another rav who really listened to me and he told me I can start shiurim right away. So that what I do. Get a food scale. 6 tea biscuits is about an oz. so with 1 oz of food and 1 oz of liquid every 9 minutes...... I survive.
Thekids are a whole other component. Truthfully, this really makes me question yiddishkeit. Who is supposed to watch the kids? Not everyone has someone who is not Jewish or a good faster or a responsible 11 year old.

Ruchel

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 4:55 am

Yesterday there was a thread on a group about shiurim. Names of rabbanim were given, modern to chassidish (don't ask me to say which, last time I did an insane lady harassed the rav). STOP TELLING PEOPLE NOT TO FOLLOW THEIR PSAK. Yes I'm yelling at you. I'm fed up. This looks like the only thing you can bash people for. They're actually following their PSAK.

amother

Emerald

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 5:15 am

amother wrote:

WADR to Zelda

1. My Rav holds that there is absolutely no inyan of shiurim by 9av. If u have 2 eat you eat what you need.
2. I've done shiurim on yk. It is for me (and others) much harder than fasting completely.

As I said above - please talk to your rav.

Ruchel I'm not sure if your comment was aimed at me but I guess it SHOULD have been.

Zelda I'm so sorry I didn't mean AT ALL to imply that your Rav was wrong, or shouldn't be followed. Not at all. I only wanted to point out to the op that there are many different opinions and she should not rely on what is written here but speak to her own Rav .

I 100% agree that some people hold by shiurim on Tisha bav and some don't, and eilu veilu divrei elokim chayim, and I'm so sorry if anyone was misled by my earlier post.