The ARFID Foodie

This may come as a surprise, but I am actually a fully grown adult and I have ARFID. And no, I don’t mean that I am a picky eater. No, I’m not dramatic. And no, ARFID isn’t just something for autistic children.

People expect kids to grow out of “picky eating” and anyone that doesn’t is simply being dramatic. However, ARFID isn’t as simple as being a picky eater. Sure, there are some foods or flavors that I am just not fond of, that’s part of developing your palate. This is not the same as my unsafe foods.

Unsafe foods cause a visceral reaction when even thinking about them. There are some that trigger anxiety on par with a panic attack at the thought of trying to eat them. For example, funnel cake is one of my unsafe foods. (Yes, I know everyone seems to LOVE funnel cake.) For me, even thinking about it long enough to type this out has caused a bad reaction for me, I am nauseous and stressed simply at the thought of this food.

When I have such deep and intrinsic reactions to these foods, it has a deep impact on all facets of my life. I can’t be around the smell of funnel cake (or any fried dough that smells similar), so I have to be wary at any festivals or events. I can’t be in the kitchen when my partner is preparing an unsafe food, and I frequently get too stressed to try to eat a safe food when an unsafe food is around. If I can smell an unsafe food, I end up staying as far away from the kitchen as possible.

With all of this being true, why am I still frequently given the label of “picky eater” by society? Because other people perceive me as being overly dramatic in my reactions. Even family members have seen these reactions my entire life and still chalk it up to being over-sensitive and dramatic.

I didn’t “grow out” of my ARFID. In fact, I would argue that it has gotten more noticeable as I aged. That, also, doesn’t mean that I am making this up or dramatizing my reactions to foods.

I’m here to tell anyone with ARFID – you are NOT dramatic or making up your reactions to get attention. It isn’t fun and games to have a fight or flight response to eating. If no one else does, I believe you. Your feelings are valid.

And, anyone without ARFID that stumbles on this, please listen when people talk about these experiences. We are not trying to get attention (I frequently avoid mentioning my ARFID to avoid this). We are not being crazy or dramatic or anything else. If you want to know more about the ARFID experience, be open to listening and do some research on your own.