I have an eating disorder called ARFID. AMA

[Soubriquet]

Afrid stands for Avoidance and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.

I spend a lot of my time not eating. The feeling of being hungry is normal to me.
You always get people who say a child will eat when they are hungry. I wouldn’t.

I’m also extremely picky with what I eat. This is the restrictive part.

I can only eat certain brand of food, and I don’t eat much.

What do you mean you physically can't eat certain foods?

Don't you mean psychologically you can't eat them?

Physically I can't eat grass but I could physically eat anything I could put in my mouth including insects. Your barrier is psychological surely?

Amazing that these disorders don't exist at all in the developing world where poverty is still an issue.

What foods can you/do you eat?

@FeminismIsForFemales

Amazing that these disorders don't exist at all in the developing world where poverty is still an issue.

Not so. EDs are very much on the rise, especially in countries with access to Western media. Not sure about the prevalence of ARFID. I’ve read about ARFID in children who had been tube fed or very premature. It is possible in developing countries that very premature babies wouldn’t survive and ARFID type issues wouldn’t make themselves known.

Cornish

I think you'll find we've moved on from calling places "third world", developing countries is the term you are looking for. Hth.

FeminismIsForFemales

You know this for a fact do you?

@imip

Sorry, OP, I guess my comment to you is that it sounds like ASD could be a factor for you, like anorexia is actually more common with people with autism? I do wonder if this is the case how any treatment would or should differ in light of this?

Here we go again: any kind of disorder = autism.

No. Autism is much more complex - it is a neurological condition that affects social interaction, social imagination and social communication. Having issues with specific textures / foods can be a symptom but it is not indicative of autism.

I have autism and am tired of MN's obsession with "sounds like autism" for every single issue.

Amazing that these disorders don't exist at all in the developing world where poverty is still an issue.

Are you an expert in eating disorders in developing countries? How do you know they don't exist?

Eating disorders have nothing to do with availability of food - they have psychological / physiological / social causes.

Ok. If this is a problem for you see your GP.

@Viviennemary

Ok. If this is a problem for you see your GP.

The OP has already addressed this in some detail.