I’m struggling with my eating - ARFID

[thesimpsons83]

I’m an adult. I’ve struggled with eating my whole life.

Some would call me a fussy eater or a picky eater. But it has got to the point where I have 5 safe foods and can’t eat anything else.

It’s affecting my health, my gut, my confidence.

I already suffer with social anxiety and the eating issues have affected me my whole life.

I can’t go to eat at a friends house, I can’t accept an invitation out for dinner, I can’t go to work functions because of it.

I need practical help. Whereas all I seem to get is a wall of “oh just get over it” - believe me I wish it was that simple.

The thought, sight, smell and texture of foods makes me panic and want to be sick.

Has anyone else ever successfully recovered/improved their restrictive diet?

Who can help me? A dietician?

My GP seems disinterested to the impact this has on my life and as my bloods are ‘normal’ he sees no deficiencies but I’m surprised at that as I barely eat any foods. No fruit and veg for example.

Feel that no one understands being an adult fussy/picky/selective eater 🙁

Thanks in advance for reading.

[Luke1234567890]

for context, what are your 5 safe foods?

Certainly sounds like a dietitian or nutritionist input would be beneficial, but there would be the risk that it would only assist to a limited level. They’ll tell you what they want you to eat, but if you’re unable to eat it, then there’s no benefit.

You might be better off speaking to your doctor about referral to specialists on eating disorders - whilst you wouldn’t necessarily fall into that category, they may be better equipped to assist you than a dietitian.

Where are you oocated? If you’re in the UK you have rights and protections if your GP isn’t willing to engage and assist, you can ask for a second opinion and you can be involved in choosing your own care and treatment.

My own experience isn’t as complex as your own, I struggle with variety of diet and prefer beige, easy to cook, foods. Where I found this was limiting my vegetable intake, I found veggie fingers and started to include those to provide some element of veg.

Hope that helps.

[thesimpsons83 in reply to Luke1234567890]

hi Luke thanks for the reply.

Yes I’m in the UK.

My safe foods are all basically beige -

White bread, chips, wafer thin ham, fish fingers and potato waffles.

It’s embarrassing as someone in their 30s that it’s got to this stage. It’s affecting so many aspects of my life and it’s easy for someone to say “oh just eat something else” but if it was that easy I would have done that years ago. No one wants to be like this.

I might ask to see a different GP at the practise. My own one is very dismissive because I’m not underweight/overweight or deficient in anything.

I worry that seeing a dietician they’ll just give me a list of foods to eat. I know what I eat isn’t healthy and what foods are but it’s a psychological barrier.

But I think it’s a poorly understood condition and you’re just branded a picky eater and told to get over it 🙁

[Luke1234567890 in reply to thesimpsons83]

You have absolutely no reason to be embarrassed. I'm 37 and following a fairly recent diagnosis, am still only starting to learn what works for me.

Certainly speak to your GP practice manager or reception manager and see if you can book in with a different GP - everyone operates differently.

I've gone through 3 different GP's at my surgery to find one that clicked with me - the previous ones were either completely dismissive or, by their own admission, lacked knowledge and understanding that I needed.

It isn't only your physical health and wellbeing that should be their concern, what about your mental wellbeing. If you're unhappy with the situation, if you're restricting social situations as a result, it is potentially having a negative impact on you mentally and emotionally; your GP should be reviewing this as well.

I presume that you've already attempted experimenting with other beige foods?