Diagnosis and Recovery of ARFID in Adults

Throughout the majority of my life, my diet strictly orbited around white rice, white bread, ground beef, chicken fingers, French fries, and pepperoni pizza, with little deviation from these staples.

From a tender age, attempting to consume anything beyond these particular foods turned into a monumental challenge. Despite trying to masticate and swallow these unfamiliar foods, my throat had a tendency to shut down, which would lead to bouts of choking and gagging.

Everyone around me concluded I was just a picky eater. As my mother attempted a series of tactics to encourage me into diversifying my diet with no success, she had no option but to accept my restrictive diet, which was primarily uniform in taste and presentation.

Over the years, a couple of other food items managed to infiltrate my diet. However, this was only the case if they were from certain brands and prepared in specific ways. The typically nutritious fruits and vegetables remained absent from my list, and if any two food items on my plate crossed paths, I perceived the entire meal as spoiled.

If I happened to summon the courage to experiment with a new food item and successfully swallowed it, I often ended up feeling unwell. Consequently, the idea of trying new foods swiftly became unfeasible.

I faced consistent health issues growing up, ranging from persistent stomach troubles to relentless colds that necessitated emergency room visits. Yet, despite these health problems, doctors deemed me a medical enigma since my general health indicators, including weight, surprisingly appeared positive. High-calorie carbs formed the majority of my diet, so weight gain was never a problem—in fact, I generally propagated to the heavier side of the scale. The cause of my concerning health state remained undiagnosed, with no one linking it back to my eating habits, which were conveniently never scrutinized in a clinical setting.

It was only when I resorted to researching ways to conquer my picky eating habits that I happened upon the concept of the avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). The more information I unravelled about ARFID, the more my lifelong eating habits seemed justified.

A sigh of relief escaped me; realizing that my dietary issues extended beyond simply being a picky eater. However, this revelation did not simplify the venture of attempting new foods.

Years later, with the knowledge of ARFID still fresh in mind, I stepped into an eating disorder clinic in my late twenties. A thorough examination by a professional yielded a diagnosis corresponding, I had been malnourished for my entire existence. This was regardless of the illusory health numbers that suggested otherwise. This was unsurprising, seeing I had not consumed vegetables in over two and a half decades.

This initiated my journey into ARFID recovery. I was granted the chance to travel to England for treatment and subsequently document my experience in a film aimed at promoting awareness around ARFID, particularly in adults.

During my ongoing recovery process, I discovered a therapist specializing in ARFID treatment. Inspired by his astounding success ratio, I decided to seek his assistance.

Prior to the therapy session, I visited a supermarket to face some food items that were alien to me. This was admittedly anxiety-inducing; I experienced a panic episode when confronted with the mere prospect of consuming a kiwi.

A couple of hours later, I was en route to the clinic.

Once I settled down in a cozy chair and warmed myself with a blanket, the therapist and I engaged in an enlightening conversation. It almost felt as if he was conversing with my younger self, helping me shed a massive burden of anxiety I had been clutching onto for years. He successfully convinced me to relinquish my fear.

Post-conversation, I walked over to a table crowded with an array of food items that were novel or previously excluded from my diet. Unlike before, I was not overcome by anxiety at the sight of these unfamiliar foods. Consequently, I managed to experiment with more types of food over the next day than I had throughout the previous 28 years.

The past four years in active ARFID recovery have been more daunting than I had anticipated. Despite my expectations of having a multi-colored, varied plate of food by now, I remain tied to my limited range of food choices.

It’s hard to think about where I thought I would be by now and realize that I am not even close. But when I feel discouraged, I think back to where I started. My foods can touch, I’ve added multiple foods to my diet, and I am able to swallow when trying something new. As long as I keep trying new foods, I’m better — and moving forward.

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