Hello!! I just joined this community because I wanted to share this huge goal I reached with people who would understand it! One of my main safe foods is those little strawberry yogurts in the containers, with some granola added to it. I’ve only ever been able to eat it in the container, but today I was able to eat it in a metal bowl for the first time!! Not sure if that counts as a big accomplishment but it felt like one to me!

I’ve been reflecting on what it actually means to "beat" or recover from ARFID, and I’m curious to hear how this community defines it.

Is recovery...

• Actually enjoying previously disliked foods? (i.e., becoming a "normal" eater who genuinely likes a wide variety of meals?)
• Building physical coping skills? (Learning techniques to chew and swallow non-safe foods without gagging or panicking?)
• Self-acceptance? (Realizing that this is just how you’re wired, accepting your limits, and letting go of the guilt?)
• True dietary expansion? (Consistently integrating new foods into your everyday diet, rather than just white-knuckling your way through social meals?)
• Or something else entirely?

Also, do you think a full transformation is realistically possible for everyone? For instance, if someone's daily baseline right now is mostly safe foods (like fries, Nutella sandwiches, and chicken nuggets without sauce), is it truly achievable to reach a point where everyday eating looks completely different and feels genuinely enjoyable, rather than a constant struggle?

How do you define progress for yourself? Do you view recovery as a total cure, or more about management, peace of mind, and harm reduction?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

I never post anything so this is new for me but ever since i was fresh out the womb ive always been horrified of eating things im not familiar with. eating in front of people has always been a nightmare and i used to throw out my food at lunch and lie about eating it when i got home. i have no problem with the way my body looks or my weight (im actually trying to gain weight and im really close to hitting 100 pounds) I found out about ARFID about a year ago and it felt like i had discovered a whole new country. i started to think about my safe foods and how every time my family tried to get me to eat something i didnt want to eat. i always heard the same thing from people, “how do you know you wont like it if you havent tried it?”

my mom used to threaten to call my dad to yell at me when i refused to try something new. i was forced to eat food i didnt want and it was AWFUL. but the annoying part was when i said i didnt like it someone would say “yes you do! you loved it!” horrible. But moving on to the worst part. the judgmental looks and comments about my eating habits. i hate burgers, tacos make me throw up, i cant eat pasta with sauce and or meatballs, i hate toppings , no lettuce or vegetable other than baby carrots, and last but not least, my food can NOT touch. For example, say im eating steamed broccol and rice. ANY grain of rice that touches the broccoli is immediately getting banished from my plate. my nana says im dramatic and that i have to stop acting autistic

recently, i was eating chicken at the dinner table with my family and i saw a box of rice pilaf. i wanted to make a joke about one of my favorite shows a series of unfortunate events because they say in the show that count olaf rhymes with rice pilaf. so when i asked what it was my dad answered and asked if i wanted to try some. of course i panic i immediately say no. But my dad really wanted me to try it and for about 2 minutes of the whole table trying to get me to eat some stupid rice pilaf i eventually yelled at my dad to stop shoving the food in my face. my uncle, my nana, and my dad yelled at me at the same time. the scariest part was my dad clenching his fist at me. i quickly finished the rest of my dinner sobbing and the ran to the bathroom. I locked myself in there for an hour until my nana came and got me. i later asked my dad if he could reschedule my appointment with my psychiatrist so that i can talk to her earlier. a few weeks pass and its time for my appointment. i tell her about my eating habits and how long its been going on for and when she we talked to my mum and dad about it she completely leaves out most of the things i talked to her about. all she says is that im a picky eater who struggles with trying new foods. I was so mad because i wanted to get closer to a diagnosis but now i just think its the hypochondriac in me speaking.

I also feel like i should list some of my safe foods and my other rules of eating

- fries, spaghetti, chicken flavored ramen, ice cream, sweet tea, Gatorade, popcorn shrimp, plain rice, pepperoni pizza but i have to peel the pepperonis off. i dont eat cheeze pizza because cheese and pepperoni are completely different. dont ask me why, i have no idea

- if i eat something i cant eat that same meal until the next week

- smell, texture, or simply just the way a dish looks is enough for me to say if i like it or not

thats it and i dont know what to do. i have a friend that dealt with arfid so i go to her for advice but yeah

Has anyone else found that ARFID wasn't as terrifying once you started trying new foods completely on your own instead of around other people?

For the first time in my life, I have fallen truly, deeply in love. I'm completely head over heels and can't stop thinking about her. I'm convinced we could be the perfect couple, but I just can't bring myself to take the leap.

The core of the issue is that having a partner means meeting their family and friends. Where I live, every single social gathering revolves around food. I simply can't handle that. Realizing this made me feel like complete garbage. ARFID has made me so shy and fearful of social situations that I avoid human interaction altogether. If I didn't have this disorder, my life would be in a much better place right now.

Last night, the helplessness peaked. I couldn't sleep because my mind was racing. I was thinking about her, but also feeling like she's way out of my league and that I would only bring her shame in front of her family and friends.

During that sleepless night, I had a sudden burst of motivation. I thought to myself: I just need to start slowly expanding my palate. I can try variations of my safe foods, like buying chips in flavors I don't usually like, or getting used to different textures. I felt so inspired and convinced that I could finally turn my life around. I even started hoping my ARFID wasn't that severe, and that I just needed to push through my comfort zone.

Then I woke up today. All that enthusiasm vanished. I feel crushed and hopeless. Today I can't even force myself to eat my safe foods. I hate myself for this.

Despite feeling like this today, I think I'm still going to try testing new foods completely on my own. I realized that almost every time I face unsafe food, it's at a table with other people when my stress levels are already sky-high. I honestly don't expect to ever fully cure my ARFID, but I just want to reach a point where I can eat a normal dinner at someone's house without coming across like a picky child at every single meal.

I'm gonna talk to my therapist, but I'm kinda at a loss I live off of slices of cheese and Protien shakes with the odd smoothie.

I'm hungry all the time but hate eating and my ocd is too bad for a feeding tube it scares me. Meal time esp starting my day is hellish and my meds need a full stomach.

I get sick when I eat usually and am just about at my wits end. I track my food. I HATE EATING I HATE EATING I HATE EATING. UGH.

And then people are like "I wish I had that problem" shut the actual fuck up no you dont I'm crying bc I'm so hungry but i cant even choke down one of my
Safe foods. HELLISH.

And its not like I'm skinny. I'm not wasting away. People comment on that too. Its just hard.

Hi I'm 5'6 and 86 ibs. Ive been suffering from symptoms of acid reflux for 6 yrs but dysphagia for 8 months. I ate but not enough because of textures and not safe foods. Now I've only been able to have liquids. I just got released from the hospital because they said they couldn't do anything for me except outpatient stuff.

I've been have 160 calories a day but slowly going up. I'm drinking an Ensure plus today which is 350 Cal. I'm just nervous about refeeding syndrome, the hospital never really told me about it, just that I'm at risk. Is doubling my calories okay?

I've been feeling very weak and can barely move. I've been trying to drink some multivitamins and electrolytes. I'm hoping it's enough. My GI appointment is the end of next month.

She's 11, almost 12. Has had ARFID all her life - literally as soon as we started weaning. We've tried two therapists and a dietician, to very limited results.

I'm writing this because I'm processing and I have very few people in my life who really understand.

At the end of the session, I brought her some foods to try. She looked at them, decided what she wanted. Apple. I cut off a slice. She took a bite. Ate two more slices. Looked at the other options. Took a banana. Peeled it and took some bites.

She has not touched fruit in years.

It was so momentous and so very anticlimactic at the same time. No fanfare, just a kid trying foods.

She seemed a bit nonplussed herself. Previous attempts at exposure therapy had been like pulling teeth, requiring intense effort to even get herself to just lick the food. She ended up trying 7 foods in one session. She didn't like all or even most of them, but she was so relaxed. One of the first things she said after the sessions was how comfortable she had felt.

I'm honestly still processing and I'm sure she is, too. It was a 2 hour session so quite a lot to take in.

I know it's not a magic bullet, but it feels like we finally made some headway. For the first time in years, she engaged with 'unsafe' foods without fear.

Hello, I have a hard time cooking or doing anything that doesn't involve essentially grabbing something immediately ready to eat. I was wondering what others have used for meal replacement options.

Currently, I like Luna bars and ensure nutrition drinks but having just one of either leaves me still hungry and I don't know how I feel about having one of each for a meal.

I’ve been in and out of hospitals for the past 6 years due to my ARFID which presents quite complex and severely. Nothing is safe orally to me, tbh anything that has to enter my body terrifies me. This means I rely on tube feeding but have had NG tubes for the last 6 years. It’s been spoken about me getting a PEG and doctors are finally discussing it as a long term option for me so I can finally potentially live a better, healthier, more fulfilling life outside of hospitals and stop these recurring admissions. Is there anyone else out there who has a PEG for their ARFID? How do you find it? What challenges do you still face if any? More specifically looking at teens/ young adults, like I am 20 years old, so around that type of age range. How long did it take doctors to finally hear that this is the better option for you? I’m just sort of tired of advocating for myself and explaining over and over and sick of everyone trying to “fix” me and assume one day I will eat. I hate food, I absolutely hate it and I have tried so very hard to eat, but it just backfires massively everytime. I’m sad it’s come to having to rely on a PEG tube, but if it gives me better quality of life than I guess it is what it is.

For me the worst months are during Spring & especially Summer, it is notoriously bad during June & July. Maybe it's the heat, maybe its just how stressful the months can be due to weather or various things, who knows. 🤷‍♂️

Last year I only really started getting better cuz I was with family, now I'm basically on my own to make my meals which is limited rn due to anxiety from all the recalls & aversions. (Realistically I would be better off with my family rn but I can't due to circumstances, I have to manage this on my own/with help from my older sibling I live with.)

Hello, I don’t have diagnosed Arfid but I really struggle with food and I need advice. I’m back at school after two years of mental illness that restricted me from attending, it’s going mostly well but I’m on edge all day which makes it almost impossible for me to eat. I feel hunger, I get the “I need to eat” nausea, I just can’t eat. I open my lunch, I want to eat but I can’t, I feel sick and scared. I need to eat, I need to have energy for my classes so I’m really hoping someone has some recommendations for high calorie options I could bring that are easy to eat (so no assembly or anything) I can’t find anything that looks ok :(

i never tried it but anyone tried it or from this culture lesotho or indian food? i have arfid and i know my bfs family wont understand and im scared so is there any good safe foods to try? texture is the biggest deal for me so i usually only eat like the same 5 foods my whole life so i want to try. thank you

With my daily life ARFID has been a consistent problem since childhood. Although i continue to have extreme aversion, and what seems like at times a phobia of foods my friends and family are fairly understanding. It makes me feel silly at times because of how deep my fear and discomfort of food goes, sometimes leaving me in tears just being around foods, not even attempting to try them. In recent years i would say i have made some progress but it feels like this is all about to negatively change.
I recently got into a competitive university that i had been working towards for the past two years. The unfortunate thing is that the accommodation i was allocated is catered, meaning i lack the means to prepare my own food, and have to rely on the university to provide me it. I have been crying all day over this as i physically cannot force myself to eat most of the food they provide, and with the money id be paying it would just be a waste. Not to mention the fact that id just end up starving. I feel utterly defeated, knowing that as ARFID has taken away more experiences in my life. I previously never sought out a diagnosis due to being able to grow to manage my condition in my private life, and the lack of help i could actually receive. Im just so lost and honestly feel ridiculous for letting ARFID dictate my life once more.

"Could you eat a bowl of fried crickets? No? Why? Lots of people around the world eat them without issue. They're seasoned and cooked to perfection, how rude to the person who prepared those insects for you! they've got more protein than beef, how will you ever have good nutrition? Oh, but the crunch and the softer insides so many people love would physically make you gag and be sick? Grow up. You're exaggerating. Just eat the crickets and stop being spoiled."

I really struggle with needing things presented right before feeling safe to eat it sometimes as much as what I'm eating and I'm wondering if that's common in Arfid? I'm recently diagnosed.

my roommate said he was gonna order pizza when he got home from work and i said yes because all i’ve eaten the past two days is takis and dry cereal and i genuinely thought i could stand to eat some pizza at that moment. lo and behold, maybe all of an hour later, the pizza is here and i’m being awkward and avoidant in my room because i no longer want to eat pizza. i was in the middle of something when it got here so i tried to act casual and pretend i didnt notice and go back to my room but he came to tell me it was here whenever i wanted any. i feel like shit because i’m not going to eat it. i think i’m gonna wait until he’s asleep and use my credit card to order my own food because i’m broke, embarrassed, and starving.

I'm like very certain that I have ARFID. I meet the criteria. However I'm really quite scared to talk to my GP about it. I've had some negative experiences with my GP before involving them being quite dismissive of my concerns about my health so I'm just a bit nervous. So I kinda just want to ask how long the process takes and what it involves? I imagine it is probably different per county or even per GP but I thought I'd just ask to get a time scale or how emotionally demanding it is.

For a while I didnt see the point in going for a diagnosis because I didnt really understand how/why it would benefit me. But now my eating is getting more restricted and I clearly am not having enough vitamins or calories in me because I feel shit all the time. I dont really know what support they'd give but I feel like it's worth a shot at this point to stop feeling horrible and week on a daily basis.

Thanks gang!! :D

Im feeling so sick today, someone i know got me sick really bad and i feel like shit so now i have less of an appetite. I can barely walk. I had to call out of work because no way in hell i can drive while low blood pressure. And i can't eat because my body just refuses to eat or consume. I can't even swallow food without gagging. My life is shit man.