Mostly a vent but TW for mentions of body weight & just being a generally negative person.

It’s so embarrassing for me, I feel like a privilege piece of shit bc oh you have access to food image if you didn’t, but it’s like I can’t eat. I can’t.

And I’ve been doing liquids more but I hate those too and I hate water and I don’t want to do any of it. I have to go class. My head hurts and I’m dizzy and my stomach hurts and I’m hungry and I want to cry because I can’t eat anything I don’t want to eat anything. I need to eat something. Because I need to drive. But I don’t want to eat. There’s nothing I want to eat.

And people are like oh if you were hungry enough you’d be willing to eat anything, but that’s not true bc last time someone told me that I wound up severely underweight and was severely malnourished and in a program for six months.

Digestion is a whole sensory nightmare and I’d rather not deal with it at all, water included. I wish I was a plant and could just photosynthesize.

I haven't been able to eat for a week as my going through an emotionally stressful time and incredibly anxious and my throat feels like its completely sealed itself up. I cant swallow any food but can have small sips of fluid. I attempted a tiny piece of soft baked potatoes, choked and panicked and spent a traumatic 11 hours waiting in the urgent care centre waiting to be seen by someone, who has thankfully prescribed me diazepam to try and relax the muscles. They think I might be able to eat again in a weeks time if that goes well. Has recommend some anti acids just incase thats a factor

The problem is I cant eat any liquid foods due to the sensory stuff (I presume I have ARFID but this just wasn't a thing when I was knocking around getting turned away from ED clinics in the past), so I've survived the past week on tea, two weeks on tea sounds like it is not ideal.

The clinician I spoke to suggested I could try eating some soft ice cream but didn't have any other ideas, other than soup which is a no from me.

After 5/6 days I got comfortable with not eating, and decided I didn't care if I just slip away. I'm worried that up to 2 weeks its just going to embed the idea that my body just doesn't need food anymore and I should listen to what its telling me. Today I have an inclination to survival, but it seems so logistically impossible with my limited diet.

When I was little, all of my memories of mealtimes are really traumatic. Crying and shouting, forcing me to go hungry, horrible textures and no effort to find a middle ground with me. I would sob through mouthfuls of meals I found truly disgusting most days.

I hated all meat except processed sandwich slices, I hated mash (especially the cooked type on shepherds pie or cottage pie which for some reason my family made ALL the time), I hated vegetables. I would refuse to touch or eat any seafood except seafood sticks and fish fingers, if we got fish and chips I would order battered sausage instead.

I also really hated cake and most sweets too, which was easier because there was no pushback. I find sweets and most desserts insanely sickly. I used to have a tray bake flapjack with candles in it for my birthday (no idea why I don't find flapjack sickly!). I absolutely despise coffee and even the smell of it to this day.

As a teenager I flipped through the same meals over and over - Quorn wraps because the texture wasn't unpredictable like with real meat, ham toasties with no cheese because I didn't like it, and fajitas with no vegetables except lettuce. I remember eating a lot of plain tortillas as a snack or just toast.

When I was 18 (ten years ago), I met my partner who is a chef and he changed my life. He'd make food for me and never get mad at me if I didn't like it or want it. He would tell me every single ingredient and how it was prepared and I could remove anything I wanted. I went vegetarian which removed the stress of turning down 99% of meat offered to me at people's houses.

He spent years preparing mushrooms in different ways every couple of months so there was less pressure. He would boil them before frying them to remove the moisture and reduce sliminess. In the end I realised I will never like chestnut mushrooms and that's okay! But I found out I was fine with oyster mushrooms specifically, and no other type. I would never have known this if not for his patience and care.

It turns out I liked way more foods than I thought, and that the way my food was being prepared repeatedly in the same way I didn't like and getting exactly the same results was exacerbating things.

I don't know if this would count as ARFID because I know some people's experiences are so severe. I'd never even heard the term "safe food" until I was in my early twenties, so there was no education on it. I finally got diagnosed with autism 2 years ago.

Sometimes I go through phases where I can only eat the same meals again and it makes me really sad, it's a specific brand of microwave pasta and I have to eat it every night for weeks, and I struggle a lot with breakfast and lunch. I can't even think of what I eat for breakfast, and it's usually just toast for lunch in these periods, and I know it malnourishes me but there isn't anything else I can do when I'm really stressed and burned out. I'm not even very tolerant to gluten or dairy so it hurts my stomach too.

So I feel like if I had it, I'm mostly recovered, but I have huge blips here and there - is that a thing? Do I still have ARFID but in "recovery" or something? I eat extremely adventurously now when I'm not in those phases. Curries, sushi, hotpot, summer rolls, teokbokki, spicy food (!!!), etc.

I feel sad because I'm vegetarian and I would love to go vegan like my partner, but I can't. It doesn't make sense to people outside of our relationship because they see me eating such varied and interesting food all of the time, but they don't know that there will be at least a month spread across the year where I can only tolerate my safe foods which are just not vegan. And they say to try a different brand, or to make a vegan version, but it feels like they just don't get it. It has to be that one brand, exactly how I've always prepared it, or I would starve.

P.S. once I unfortunately I told a friend that my least favourite food was cottage pie and she "surprised me" by making her vegetarian version of it that was "way better". I surprised her by sitting there in absolute disgust, saying absolutely nothing complementary and leaving 80% of the dish I hadn't forced down completely untouched. Lesson learnt lol 😆

I'm autistic and I have ARFID (duh) and I am having a hard time with meals lately. I am really eager to cook and try new foods all the time. Food usually doesn't repulse me, I actually really want to try so many new things that I think would be delicious.

The problem is that it never tastes how I imagine and the texture isn't what I expected and it ends up grossing me out. I can never take more than a a few bites. I feel a bit cursed sometimes, like there's so much I want to enjoy, but it never works out, like my tastes/senses are just messed up. It doesn't work out and I go back to my safe foods, which are snacks, not meals.

I love to cook, but I usually just end up giving the food to my family because I can't eat it. It makes me really sad that I can't get myself to enjoy things that seem so awesome.

Would love to hear if anyone relates to this. ARFID sucks.

I've heard lots of people in lots of places say that vitamin supplements are a scam or a waste of money. Every time, without fail, that they say this, they say "if you're healthy and eat well then they're not necessary" and then stop there, but what if I don't eat well? Are they useful for someone with arfid and a very small/ non-existent pool of healthy safe foods?

Recently one of the main foods i’ve been able to eat is fruit roll ups. I could have them while at camp and eating them gave me a lot of comfort. I just got home a couple days ago, and had a couple leftover to eat but I recently ran out and i can’t find them anywhere. After driving back from the store with my mom, she made fun of me for being upset that i couldn’t get them and asked how i could’ve gotten eaten the few i got sent home with already. This really upset me, i used to struggle with anorexia and it felt like a jab at how much i eat(even though i am pretty severely underweight). i’m now crying in my room because i feel like i cant eat anythiny other than this one food and i don’t know what to do. Is this like a normal arfid thing? or am i just like over emotional?

Mac and cheese? I love it! Except the adult menu version of it is fried with different types of veggies mixed in it.

Spaghetti and meatballs? Cool! Why is there only one meatball and the spaghetti has all sorts of shit in it?

why is just basic plain food considered for kids and these concoctions are adult food? I just want plain food 😭

I'm in the UK and rely on the NHS. We do not have the means to go private.

I've been barely 30kg for the past two years, before that, my diet was no better. I'm constantly suffering from hunger pangs, nausea, heartburn and irritability and a myriad of symptoms related to vitamin deficiencies- which may include ongoing psychosis (but I'm getting that checked by a psychiatrist)

I've been BEGGING the doctors to give me a G-tube for years now, but every time they say the same thing: "You're not bad enough yet" "It's typically a last resort" "It's very invasive" "You're maintaining your weight so you don't need it"

These people don't see the levels I go to in order to force food down my throat, they don't see the mess I make of myself trying to keep it down, the time it takes out of my day, constantly worrying what I'll eat, how I'll eat, if it's enough. It takes over my whole life.

I'm at the end of my fucking rope here, but I know if I go to the doctors SOBBING, PLEADING with them, they'll just parrot what they've always told me. Please tell me what I can do to make them see. Don't give me supplements, don't tell me to eat power bars or chug ten gallons of Ensure, I can't. I simply can't stomach it, which is why I need a tube. This IS my last resort. I can't solve this on my own. I KNOW my life would improve greatly with a G-tube, even if I never used it, I'd have something to fall back on, to take some of the weight off my shoulders. Please help me.

Hello (english is not my 1st language, so sorry for any confusion)

I'm AuDHD and i was recently diagnosed with ARFID

I'm 26F and it's been a challenge to gain weight for years now (BMI- 15.2). My ARFID subtype is mainly lack of interest in food or eating and sensory sensitivity.

With this diagnosis I've been exploring a lot and I've tried different medications (e.g. mirtazapine) and they just don't work for me (i don't get the side effect of gaining appetite).

With this, I concluded that the solution could be mainly behavioural (e.g. I always miss the hunger cues, or even delay eating for a whole day) & I’ve been trying to unlearn the beliefs my parents put into my head (w/therapist as well), such as "I have to finish everything on my plate", "fast food is garbage, not food", "I can't eat anything before big meals so I don't lose my appetite," and so on.
Before the diagnosis I was getting desperate without answers and even thought of asking for a g-tube, but now i realize that i can try more stuff before any and everything else (ofc).

I'm starting a journal so I can start to change behaviour patterns, like a challenge each week (this week will be eat anything before 11h, instead of waiting until lunch).

With this post, i wanted to ask for some advice, ideas, journaling tips/ideas for this (my psychiatrist wont help and i love my therapist but it's not her speciality &we're working on other stuff), or anything you think it might be useful for me.

ALSO: any resources for my partner (tiktok/insta accounts e.g.), which is amazing, but says a lot of stuff that triggers me or just don't help, and i don't feel capable of being the one "educating" him about this, as it induces anxiety

TLDR: newly-diagnosed with ARFID (BMI 15.2). subtypes: lack of interest in food and sensory issues. I've tried meds with no luck in boosting my appetite. I think it's a lot of behavioral problems, often miss hunger cues or delay meals. To tackle this, I'm starting a journal. My psychiatrist isn't much help, and while my therapist is great, ARFID isn't her specialty. I was even considering a g-tube before the diagnosis, but I'm hopeful this approach will work first!. I'm looking for any advice, ideas, or journaling tips you might have.

Hi (29 NB AFAB - they/them). I feel like I don't fit the typical ARFID diagnosis. Growing up, I would basically eat anything. I had a diverse food list, and my appetite was always good.

In high school, I started restricting to help deal with stress and to lose weight. It worked, and I was praised for it. Everyone thought I was doing great.

In undergrad, I restricted to deal with stress before I was diagnosed with PTSD. This "habit" has stuck with me in grad school, but for the first couple of years I did okay.

After about a year and a half of working on my Master's degree, I started my journey with my chronic illness. I started getting violently ill for almost no reason, for days to weeks at a time, almost always landing me in the ER for exhaustion, IV anti-emetics, and at least 1, if not 2, L of IV fluids at least every-other-week. I spent 2.5 years undiagnosed, but constantly discussing my diet in conjunction with my mysterious illness. Then, for another 2 years, I was misdiagnosed with gastroparesis, where food was always framed as the enemy and "this is just how it is. You have to learn to just deal with the sickness."

Now, after the correct diagnosis late last year of cyclic vomiting syndrome, I get sick only every so often these days. But the diet restrictions from the past 4.5-5 years of sickness have stuck (now mixing with my HS eating habits and undergrad habits). Basically, I severely restrict throughout the day (4-5 am until about 6 pm), and then I allow myself to eat only certain foods (largely avoiding fruits and vegetables, any complex carbs, basically anything with fiber) from like 6 pm - 8/9 pm. So, a large part of my diet is chicken, fish, shrimp, and rice. Plus certain snack foods because those always seem safe for the most part.

I didn't see this as a problem until earlier this year, when family and friends started getting more concerned that my eating "habits" didn't get better with the correct diagnosis. So, it's been a journey. But my current therapist (not ED-related) seems to think that I might have ARFID with food anxiety. Is there anyone here with a similar experience?

I believe I have some form of arfid or just a complete general aversion to food as a whole. (going to bring it up with new therapist this week)

I like most food but very few things can I just eat regularly? Repeatedly? Ideally a 90s backyard Midwest bbq mixed with Mediterranean and middle eastern food. I’m trying to add more and was thinking I’d ask for advice

Current

Every day: coffee w/ cream and sugar(it’s disgusting apparently)
Most days: salami and cheese sandwich,
Sometimes: pasta or chicken, maybe salad or something simple
try on weekends: eggs and avocado or cereal, make dinner

There’s snacks like chips or nuts, tabouli, hummus but that’s not often

If I do it most days I made trade that thing for another option or *maybe* do both.

Hope

Every day:”” +tuna and rice or potato salad
Most days:”” +protein drink
Do on weekends:”” + snack throughout day or make lunch

(side note I do know that potato salad is pretty healthy)

Can def give more info if needed

Hey! Throwaway account here.

I’m 31, male, 6’0, around 95kg with around 45 inch waist.

My diet has been terrible my whole life and I don’t know how to change it.

Since childhood I’ve gagged at fruit and vegetables, anything leafy, cold, salad-like, or with certain textures. It’s not just dislike; I genuinely struggle to swallow them. The smell puts me off too. Because of that, I’ve always stuck to “safe” warm foods: chips, plain pizza, sausage, breaded chicken, anything I can throw in the oven or microwave. I don’t cook, steam, roast, or prep meals.

It’s embarrassing to be 31 and still eat like a fussy kid. I’m a secret eater. I wait until family/flatmates are done in the kitchen so no one sees what I’m eating. I work in film & tv, and lunch is a huge part of our day. It used to give me such severe anxiety. That has improved, thankfully, but on those days I’ll likely eat breakfast then just wait to get home. I split time between that, and a call centre job, where I do the same but with more snacking from vending machines.

Around this time last year, and the year prior, I had motivation to change. I did couch to 5K, and enjoyed running. But as the saying goes, you can’t outrun your diet. Last year I got a PT I chatted with online, and over I had a 3‑month period where I ate slightly better (brown bread, yoghurt, granola, pineapple slices, bacon medallions) and combined it with daily 10k steps. I actually saw progress. But when I couldn’t afford my trainer anymore, the accountability disappeared and I slipped back into old habits.

I want to lose weight, expand my palate, be able to go out for dinner with friends, and not feel ashamed. This has been my norm for three decades now, and I need drastic change but I’m not sure how.

TL;DR I’m 31 with lifelong sensory issues around fruit/veg, a diet of only “safe” oven foods, and a history of secret eating. I’ve managed short periods of improvement but always fall back into old habits. I want to lose weight, learn to eat healthier foods without gagging, and stop feeling ashamed. I’m looking for advice from anyone who’s overcome extreme picky eating or built a healthier diet from scratch.

I struggle a lot with red meat, and I managed to eat a little bit of ground beef today. I'm not sure what else to say, sorry.

Hey, I ended up with a G tube. I’ve seen a little more posts about it so if anyone has questions let me know and I’ll answer, I’ve had it for a couple of weeks.

The title isn’t a great description of my actual question. I (22f) eat a lot of typically “unsafe” foods that others with Arfid struggle with. My thing is if I am eating and start to gag or choke, I cannot continue eating. I have many fears about food but not of the food itself.

Example:
Will it be too hot?
Will it be too cold?
What if it makes me sick?
What if it makes me gag?

I do struggle to try foods, new or safe, I struggle to eat hands down.

I guess my question is, does anyone else understand this? 💚

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

I see so many posts in arfid groups about how they can’t eat any meat except like, ground beef/chicken nuggets. But I have the opposite problem. One of my biggest safe foods is meat, but if it’s ground or in a paste like freezer chicken nuggets I absolutely cannot do it. It’s so wrong in my head if the meat doesn’t have the actual feel and texture of meat and muscle. I feel like I have reverse arfid sometimes with how often I heard people say the exact opposite issues than I have. Anyone else?

I reached a deadend i don't wanna deal with food anymore it affects my whole life to the point that every day i wish i had a feeding tube instead but some part of tells me that i only say that because im seeking attention (idk who's attention)

Im lately struggling to survive and im having a really bad arfid episode I've posted many times in this subreddit and it's my favorite the people here are so nice and encouraging. Lately i list all my safe foods and energy to cook anything i lived off instant noodles for weeks and i can't afford to buy food other than instant noodles and eggs but they make me nauseous lately i also desperately need to visit a doctor or get any type of supplements because im severely malnourished at this point. I don't know if it's okay for me to ask this (im not asking for money) could someone here help me get any sort of remote work or freelancing? Someone who needs some tasks done or anything remotely? Im an engineering student and im willing to send you my resume anything would help because my current daily budget for food is half a dollar per day and btw im not a usa resident and i cannot get help from family or any program because they simply don't exist

I've dealt with a fear of choking/swallowing for the past 15 years. This has come with ARFID.

When I eat certain foods with a high SUDs (Subjective Units of Distress), every single swallow I have feels like a manual process. The best way I explain it to other people is that I am actually thinking about every single swallow that happens when I eat.

Has anyone retaught themselves, tricked themselves, or done anything to teach themselves how to swallow without thinking about it?

I'm having a really bad arfid episode to the point I dont even drink water. I'm constantly tossing and turning in bed and it's been three days of this torture. It started with my mental health being crazily low and there being no safe foods for me to eat at home, I just ignored it thinking nothing much of it and just pulled two all nighters in a row like an idiot. Two days Ago I didn't drink water the whole day because one sip felt dry flaky and wrong. I was too weak to go outside because of the pain, and i tried asking for help in getting one of my safe foods but I was just called lazy so I stopped asking. My sense of time feels all jumbled up, I feel like Im gonna puke any moment, I have stomach and heart aches, sometimes I can handle the pain sometimes I cannot. I also have fainted a few times. I just don't know what to do. I tried asking for help because I got a panic attack due to the pain and my head hurting and feeling all jumbled up, but I could barely speak cause of my dry throat. I feel helpless and alone, I can't even say whats wrong with me. I don't want to end up in the hospital just because my body refuses to eat or drink. I'm tired. But I'm scared that if I sleep I won't wake up, I'm getting paranoid again and everything feels wrong. What can I even do in a situation like this?