ARFID

Hi y’all, my name is Sarah. I’ve been a part of the Mighty for mental health stuff for a few years. But for the past year or two, my body has been getting progressively more and more hard to exist in. I get full after a bite of food and I feel sick all the time; I can barely work anymore. I’ve been seeking medical care and diagnosis for years, and it’s been a long journey of gaslighting and condescension. All my tests came back normal, so I was told there was nothing wrong. I was told this was just a relapse of my old eating disorder, even though I wasn’t having any eating disorder thoughts. I finally got a positive result: gastroparesis. I’m feeling so conflicted honestly. So relieved to know why I feel so horrible. But scared because this doesn’t have a cure and I might never feel better. But mostly just angry, at all those doctors and all the people who felt like I was choosing to not eat on purpose, even though I told them that wasn’t what was happening. I’m tired of being told I’m not trying hard enough when this has nothing to do with trying. I’m just so discouraged and depressed and ill and I just wanna feel ok in my body. Anyway, thanks for reading the whole rant if you made it this far :) I would appreciate any support y’all can spare. #Gastroparesis #ARFID #EatingDisorders #ChronicIllness

Hi. Here's my deal:
#ThoracicOutletSyndrome #HypermobileTypeEDS #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #CervicalSpondylosis #Scoliosis #Tendonitis #EustachianTubeDysfunction #Asthma #Allergies #ChronicMigraines #Narcolepsy #ARFID #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #ADHD #Autism #Anxiety #PersistentDepressiveDisorder

Hi y’all. I’ve been really struggling with my eating disorders. I’m in the hospital right now because my body is totally shutting down. I’m so weak and dizzy, I can barely walk and for awhile I couldn’t really talk. But. My labs are good. My vitals are stable. So I can’t get the help I need. Something is wrong, but my only option is php or residential, if they even let me in there. I need a lot of help. I’m not ok. But because my body is “medically stable”, no one can or will do anything. This has been my life for years and I’m so tired of it. I just want help.

Hi y’all. I’ve struggled with anorexia for years, but in the past few months my eating disorder has taken a turn that is scarier to me. I’ve developed ARFID, which essentially means that my body rejects most foods and I have a hard time getting in enough nutrition. This past week, my body has shut down. I’m so dizzy and weak and tired and I can barely move. I haven’t been able to go to work. My doctor says I might need higher level of care. I’ve never felt this way and I feel like my body is dying. I’m trying my very best to get in enough food, but I need help. I’m scared. I’m not really looking for advice, just support and feeling seen. I don’t really know anyone with ARFID and I feel so alone. #ARFID #ED #AnorexiaNervosa

I have struggled with anorexia for about 4 years, but recently my ED has transformed into something else. And I don’t know how to fight it. My ED is looking a lot more like ARFID right now. There’s a block in my brain that won’t let me eat. I’m really scared and I feel like my team doesn’t know what to do with me. I’m not necessarily looking for solutions, I guess I just wanna feel less alone. Anyone else out there who knows what this feels like? #ARFID #AnorexiaNervosa

Long time suspected I have an #EatingDisorder but when I went to my psychologist with the lengthy list of reasons why, the list of behaviours and beliefs and I was really open, I was told flat out that as I ‘don’t count calories’ and don’t weigh myself consistently, I don’t have an #ED and that was it.

Let’s be clear. I do not want another diagnosis. I have plenty to get along with.

I want help to understand myself and to help myself get better and live a healthier and happier life.

The bizarre thing, is that I posted an anonymous ‘asking for a friend’ post in a Facebook support group, and everyone responded with ‘yes, your friend needs help and they definitely have an illness and need to seek support immediately’ but then when I revealed to a few friends that it was me and it was about me, they accused me of ‘wanting to have an ED’. Which as you can imagine is absolute rubbish.

Anyway. Anyone been in a similar situation? Any suggestions? How did you manage it? Have you found a way to manage it?

Thank you.

#EatingDisorders #adultswitheatingdisorders #eatingdisordersupport

I’m not sure if this is the right group, so sorry if it’s not. I want to first make it clear, I do not *actually* want a ‘diagnosis’, I already have several mental illnesses I don’t need another one! What I am trying to find is support and understanding, and how I can manage my life better. I have suspected for a long time that I have an eating disorder (not just ‘disordered eating’) but have not been able to find a way to understand it and to get support. I did once approach my psychologist about it and I had made a list of all these things I do and behaviours and reasons why I believe I have an eating disorder. But, because I don’t count calories, I was told I don’t have an eating disorder. And that was it. I felt, completely let down. And I know a lot of people here talk about how to handle their children with #ARFID or other issues, but I want to find anyone who has had to deal with this on their own as an adult.
Please any help is appreciated.

I'm diagnosed autistic and I have pretty severe sensory issues. Due to stress or whatever else, it feels like my sensory issues have gotten much worse. Noises, smells, lights, touch etc all worse. The worst part being food. The texture, taste, smell, the way it looks, the way it feels in my stomach all add up to me either retching/gagging/feeling sick or just point blank not being able to eat it. I'm getting less and less foods I can eat, with rapidly less foods being able to eat. This feels so much out of my control and idk wtf to do about it, it's so scary. Feel like cos I'm a bit overweight I'll brushed off but it's not losing weight I'm worried about, I imagine it'll take a while to get to a worrying weight, it's nutrition, as I already get low on some vitamins and minerals as it is. Ugh.

Body... why can't my body be enough for you? Why does me being healthy scare you so much? Why can't you be happy with me? I'm gonna say this... maybe only for the second time in my life... I am beautiful. Okay? So stop telling me to not eat... stop telling me to throw up... stop telling me I hate myself.... because you know what? I'm working on loving myself. It's hard and I don't need you in my ear telling me all of the little things you hate about me. I don't care. I don't care what you say anymore. At least for now I am free from you. How does it feel to have no power over me? I refuse to keep bowing to your every wish and literally tearing myself up for you. You don't own me. You don't define me. You aren't who I am. You are just thoughts. You are just a temptation. You are only a voice in my head... and maybe I can't silence you... but I'm working on putting you to death. You are nothing, if I don't listen to you. So... how does it make you feel? How do you feel as I'm taking back my life?

#EatingDisorders #AnorexiaNervosa #AtypicalAnorexia #BulimiaNervosa #Bulimia #ARFID #Depression #DepressiveDisorders #Anxiety #PTSD #CPTSD