Weevil Intervention

This post may bore you.  It's a serious post factually written about a serious phobia I have struggled with.  Super long post, with no pictures.  You've been warned.
For as long as I can remember I have struggled with food issues.  Food issues here is defined as: a fear of foods from certain places, stores, restaurants, and homes.  I cannot eat baked goods from most places (even packaged cookies, like Oreos).  More recently it has gotten progressively worse to the point that I could not eat things from my own pantry if they had been in there for more than just a few days.  This included canned food as well.
   Now logically I know this is completely absurd.  Makes no sense at all and is 100% stupid.  However, it is a phobia issue and phobias are anything but rational.  I've always just dealt with it.  Avoided eating at most people's houses, avoided gas station foods and most fast food restaurants.  (I could handle Wendy's and Jimmy Johns, but that completes the list).  Like I said before though, it was getting worse, much worse.  I started going days at a time without eating because food just gave me far too much anxiety. And when I say anxiety, we're talking panic attacks were very possible if I thought about it too much.
Lets back up a bit here...  there are a few instances from my childhood that possibly brought this about... one was discovering weevil in the food of a home where I baby sat; a field trip in elementary school where they actually discussed the rat poop allowance terms that the FDA gives them for foods such as Cheerios; and the yearly lecture in school of having your parents check your Halloween candy before eating it in case it was poisoned.  All of these instances affected me FAR more than they should have.  I am unsure why.  It escalated from there.  I cannot eat Halloween candy ever - even if my mom gives it to me.  I can't eat things from most stores, peoples houses, restaurants, my own pantry, etc. for fear of food contamination of some crazy sort.  Ridiculous right?  I agree. But simply stopping was not an option.
  I was recently (at Halloween time) at Christy's house.  She knows all about my phobic issues and in jest tried to hand me a piece of Halloween candy, suggesting I eat it.  My pulse raced and my breathing quickened at the thought of it.  And the closer the candy got to me the more panicked I became.  Ya, I wouldn't believe it either had I not been there myself.
 Enter the Intervention.  Christy and her therapy supervisor discussed my issues.  Her supervisor, Tammy, agreed to help me.  She was going to give me an intervention of sorts.  The closer it got the more my stress increased.  Christy came with me for moral support (and to learn how to do such interventions herself for future clients)
The intervention was crazy!  She had me think of food stresses that caused me strong panicky feelings and then she'd have me think of a time I felt completely safe and secure.  We went back and forth between the two scenarios and finally the anxiety scenarios no longer bothered me.  I had a hard time believing that this was really going to work for me - but guess what?!  Within minutes of the session end, Tammy had me eating peanut brittle from a ziplock baggy from the back of her filing cabinet.  I had o clue where it came from, how old it was, etc.  And I ate it!!  Weirdest thing ever.  And now it seems I am completely cured!  Or at least mostly cured.  Seriously.  It's the craziest thing.  This overwhelming, panicky phobia I've dealt with forever is suddenly gone. I love it.  I can now eat random cookies from other people's houses, I can eat packaged goods, it's insane.
As I type this post my anxiety is incredibly intense, but it doesn't stop me from eating this cardboard-flavored cup o noodle!