Selective eating disorder - has anyone got any experience of this?

[AutumnshadesofGold]

My dd1 who is now 15yrs has always struggled with food to a greater extent than anyone else I have known. I myself was "fussy eater" as a child and grow out of it to a certain degree, I'll never be the worlds most adventurous eater but I eat a relatively healthy (apart from chocolate ) diet now.
Anyway, I have never forced her to eat things she doesn't like, or forced the issue but continued to always have a range of food on offer.

So, as time has gone on she her anxiety surrounding food has grown whilst her range of foods has actually shrunk. She is now avoiding meeting her friends, family events etc so she doesn't have to eat with others watching her. I'm trying to find her some literature to help us understand this better and so she knows she isn't alone which is her big worry at the moment. Would anyone have any suggestions?

Hi Autumn my ds is nearly 13 & has always had a limited diet. I got so much stick & unhelpful advice over the years & felt so much guilt. Then I read about selective eating disorder & a weight dropped from my shoulders. Granted it didn't cure my son & he still has the same tea every night argghhh! But knowledge is power & now I know what we're dealing with it takes the pressure off. I shared the info with my ds & he was so happy to know he wasn't on his own & even try's to at least look at new foods now. For the 1st time in his life he came out for a meal with us & managed a f&b cheese & Tom pizza. So at least there's sonewhere he can take his 1st date!!

My brother had this as a child. Now he eats a healthy varied diet (probably more than most people I know!) before there were only 4 or 5 foods he'd eat. He's grown up fine. If my Mum had made it into a big deal it might have got worse, but she let him pick his own food. There would always be different things on the table and he could eat it if he did it didn't want to. If you force kids to try new things, especially if they are selective eaters, they might have a bad experience and refuse to try new things, like on those shows such as 'fussy eaters.'

Thanks Rioballinz that's encouraging to know & another positive is not many children like this have weight probs (unlike his mother!)