It eats me like a sworn ???

[ML]

Ladies, what does this mean?

I presume the word 'sworn' is a mistranslation of some Russian/Ukrainian word.

I know the idea is that something is  bothering the person constantly.

But does anyone have an idea specifically what 'sworn' might refer to?

[Lily]

Perhaps it is a mistyping for 'worm'. There is an expression, something eats me like a worm inside.

[ML]

Thanks Lily.  Yes, as I said, I presume it might be a typo.

But as to the saying (presumably Russian)  "eats me like a worm inside,"

is this something like

1) a problem there is no solution to
2) a situation a person feels trapped into
3) a physical sickness
4) a mental sickness
5) or what

We have saying such as "your jealously will eat you up," "she was eaten up over grief from the death of her child,"  etc.

What is the Russian idea of "eats me like a worm inside."

[Lily]

That would be rather close to yours 1) and 2).
 
Something that bothers you, a problem that is going through your mind again and again in a search for solution.
 
Other that that, there is another Russian idiom with the word ''worm'' in it. A person is hungry but decides to eat only a little bit just to stop her tummy from rumbling, just to get a very light snack. This is called 'to starve the little worm'  .
 
I have a wonderful old book devoted to Russian idioms where they are illustrated verbally    and explained. The book is unfortunately in French. Here is the illustration for this expression:
 

 
Yes, it feels like worms in Russia were perceived as something that would be able to eat people causing them

[ghost of moon goddess]

Worms destruct, causing persistent pain, sorrow, anxiety.

When something eats you like a worm inside, it means that you have something inside you (guilt, doubts, etc), gnawing at you, your heart, or your soul 

[ML]

Thanks ladies for your replies.

I just got an email from the FSUM who typed the word 'sworn.'
He thanked me for asking if it was correct and told that it should have been 'worm.'

He went on to say that a cousin had committed suicide and he thought he could have been more help to the cousin with money, advice, time, etc.

So Moon Goddess was right with the idea of 'guilt.'