Struggling with ARFID: Limited Diet and Nutrient Deficiencies

I also believe I have avoidant restrictive food intake disorder. I restrict my foods because I'm worried I will be sick.

💕Best of luck 🍀 to you. I know with all my chronic illnesses when I am having a bad day food does not appeal to me . I understand where you are coming from. I keep a seizure log and the food log goes with it. So you have a great idea . Like with my migraine I don’t feel like eating it all goes together. Best way to explain to the ones that love us is : do you remember what it felt like when you had the flu . You did not feel like eating you wanted to rest, it’s how I feel right now. I will get through this with your help 🥰. I just need “. “ to drink right now. ❤️

Oh yea, I've always heard it referred to simply as severity of a trait related to #samefoods, just not by this name. So although I just learned a new term, I'm very aware of the issue, I think! The higher my anxiety OR hyperfocus, the less i bother to eat, then the longer i go without eating, the easier it is to go the next day, *and* the fewer and further between the hunger pains get—so it becomes this negative feedback loop and I lose weight from an already-slight frame extremely quickly thanks to a ridiculous metabolism that's very likely an undx hyperthyroid issue. I go your chosen route so far, and rely on AG1 mix and V8 and soylent to carry my meatsack while I only manage to summon the dopamine or time for like one fat bowl of rice and beans and hot sauce at day's end. ★ Personal anecdote, your experience will vary ★ I recently started Vyvanse, being 8 mos after a NFA t-boning following 4 other wrecks, a job loss, and my dog suffering multiple asthmatic seizures in my arms... then all that stress inducing alopecia areata... and have evidently not been watching my intake much at all—since at least 2021, if not since COVID—and it clarified the mirror to a frightening extent last week on day 1. It's amazing what a bad mood or depressive symptoms can do to our mentality and self-image/perception. But getting my sleep on a routine and just getting the dopamine necessary to function suddenly allowed me to *see* that something was not right where I never saw or acknowledged it for probably 2 whole years. Your body sends signs, but if your brain is troubled your mind may not notice them /= If you're having trouble identifying the "why" it may be a sign to focus on a whole-health approach. I didnt expect Vyvanse to greatly reduce most of my MDD, GAD, insomnia, and disordered eating, but it seems it did! #ymmv my ADHD is life-debilitating level of severe. ★ I would at least bring it up to whichever therapists and doctors you're involved with matter-of-factly and see what their reaction is. If they don't provide you any tools or resources... Ask! SOMEONE'S payin em for your time! The biggest step in my journey post-ASD dx was learning to be my own advocate. It sucks hard because social skills are our exact issue but, it helps to alleviate so much of the stress to just say things, for me anyway. So, now I just lead with an excuse or self-blame to help the NTs get over the awkwardness hurdle with me. E.g.: "So, I'm autistic and sometimes I have problems understanding correctly, whereas other times I just find I want more information than has been provided to feel content. Can you give me something more so I can leave with some confidence/assurance/knowledge/relief/etc, or may I have a second opinion or explanation from someone who may have the time or patience to appease my concerns?" Making it sound like you understand you're asking for something "extra," but framing it as simply getting your concerns answered and starting it off by qualifying the impending request with a little notice of protected disability/accommodation status can really help you feel confident enough to get it out, in my experience, as it almost implies thick-headed bigotry if the response were to be non-compliance with the request. It eases them into an affirmative response. If you're the competitive type, or gamification works for you, keeping a food log (and then generating a Fasting Log line graph) can be an extremely powerful way to make tangible your current habits, and to challenge yourself to set and beat goals back to what you consider "healthy." Bestttt of luck! 🙏

Yes!!! I had no idea it had a name but I know mine is primarily anxiety based! When my anxiety is “mild” and tolerable, I have very little trouble eating and tolerating feeling full or that weird pain and gagging feeling.