Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (also known as ARFID) is a relatively new diagnosis, added to the fifth edition of the manual of psychiatric diagnoses used by clinicians to classify psychiatric problems. It is defined by clinically significant food restriction unrelated to concerns about body shape and weight gain. The patterns of eating seen in ARFID can lead to severe medical and nutritional consequences.
To learn more about ARFID, tune in to a recent podcast episode by GROUP (“a lighthearted podcast about mental health and mental illness”). This episode features an interview with our Clinical Director, Dr. Evelyn Attia, as she explains what this disorder looks like in action and why the diagnosis was created. The hour-long podcast offers clear descriptions of the disorder and includes excerpts from three individuals about their personal experiences with ARFID. This informative discussion will surely provide you with a better understanding of this illness, which is characterized by much more than picky eating.
I thought the podcast was very well done. For ARFID I cannot recommend enough that symptoms CAN be caused by an infection, and the patient is suffering from post infections autoimmune disease of the brain (brain inflammation). My daughter was hospitalized and presented like ARFID until we realized PANDAS/PANS was at play. She was afraid her food contained sesame which she was allergic too; she was unable to eat. Within 2 weeks of taking steroids she started eating again. So before diagnosing ARFID, infections should be considered.
http://columbianeurology.org/strep-linked-scary-kids-behavior-disorder
[…] is not the same as picky eating (Give a listen to this podcast for a better understanding of what this problem looks like in action.). Although about 25% of […]
[…] If containing your worry is a challenge, let’s talk instead about how to channel that concern in a more productive direction – namely, into realistic, well-tested techniques to support your child in getting exposure to a variety of foods even if they aren’t quite yet ready to eat them. And, if your child is older or their picky eating is interfering with their growth, health, and day-to-day functioning, it will be important to intervene (for more on how to determine if picky eating has veered into eating disorder territory check out this podcast episode). […]