ARFID
At The Hull Institute, our team of experts specializes in treating ARFID, working with individuals of all ages, backgrounds, races, religions or beliefs, and gender identities or expressions. We accept all major insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare.
Many people are still unfamiliar with a newer eating/feeding disorder called ARFID, which became an official diagnosis in 2014. At The Hull Institute, our team of experts has been treating ARFID since its recognition—and even before that. Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a significant increase in people of all ages with this condition. While ARFID itself isn’t new, we now have a name for what can be an extreme—and sometimes dangerously severe—form of picky eating. When picky eating turns risky, it may be ARFID, and we’re here to help. Click here to schedule: Request an Appointment or call 216-407-6278.
What is ARFID?
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Quite a mouthful, no pun intended. ARFID is not driven by a desire to lose weight or a preoccupation with body image. Instead, ARFID is characterized by extreme limitations in food intake, often resulting in nutritional deficiencies and significant disruption to a person’s physical and emotional health. It is extremely important to remember people with ARFID come in all shapes and sizes, and we must not minimize the extent of the problem because the person may live in a bigger body.
Three Types of ARFID
- Avoidance of Certain Foods
- Fear of Negative Reactions to food and eating
- Lack of Interest in food and eating
People with ARFID, even young children, understand that eating is important, yet they are unable to do so. Like other eating disorders, ARFID is not due to a lack of willingness to eat enough, try a variety of foods, or drink sufficient liquids. Rather, it is an inability. Most individuals with ARFID wish they could “eat normally.” As symptoms worsen, so does the shame they feel for not being able to overcome their challenges. Often, individuals with ARFID and their families need support and treatment.
Common Symptoms of ARFID
- Extreme Picky Eating: Individuals with ARFID have a very limited range of foods they will eat. They may eat only certain types of food (e.g., bland or plain foods) or may have intense aversions to certain textures, colors, or smells.
- Fear of Eating or Food-Related Situations: Fear of choking, vomiting, or gagging may cause individuals to avoid eating in certain environments or situations.
- Weight and Growth Concerns: ARFID can lead to malnutrition and weight loss, or in kids, failure to gain weight, which can affect growth and development.
- Emotional Distress: The avoidance of food may lead to significant distress or anxiety around mealtimes, as well as difficulties in social situations that involve food.
Treatment for ARFID
Treatment can be challenging! Often, parents have tried everything they can think of to get their child to eat: begging, forcing, bribing, ignoring, yelling, punishing, rewarding—you name it. And usually, these efforts bring little success. Parents then become worried, frustrated, exhausted, and even angry. The same situation often applies to adults with ARFID, but it can be even harder due to the deep shame many adults feel about struggling with what is seen as the simple act of eating. Until recently, people didn’t know where to turn.
Treatment for ARFID typically involves a multidisciplinary approach, combining psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, and medical monitoring. Common treatment strategies include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps individuals address distorted thoughts and fears related to food and eating, and gradually reintroduce foods that have been avoided.
- Exposure Therapy: Gradual, structured exposure to feared foods or food-related situations can help reduce anxiety and increase tolerance.
- Nutritional Support: Registered dietitians can help develop meal plans to ensure that the individual receives adequate nutrition, which may include supplements if necessary.
- Medical Monitoring: Regular check-ups with healthcare providers to monitor for nutritional deficiencies and other medical concerns.
ARFID treatment is a highly specialized field. Exposure therapy, and there are many ways to do it, is not a quick fix where the experts “get you to suddenly eat more or new foods”. Instead, at The Hull Institute, we help you gather a team of experts who will develop a treatment approach rooted in research and evidence, that walks you through, step by step, overcoming your anxiety and fears. The treatment of children involves the child, as well as parents and other family members. For both children and adults, some of the work is done in weekly individual therapy, and most is done at home, in between sessions. Our dietitians and counselors, working with your doctor, develop weekly homework for you, at your pace, as we walk beside you on this new journey toward developing your toolbox of strategies to overcome anxiety so you can eat a larger variety of foods and properly nourish your body.
Consider reaching out to us for an initial evaluation and treatment planning session. While our goal is to help you avoid the need for more intensive care, you’re also welcome to contact us if you need guidance on where to seek support beyond outpatient services. When ARFID has become overwhelming and more intensive treatment is necessary, please call us for a consultation so we can guide you toward the best program for your specific needs.
To speak to our intake specialist, Meghan Todd, please use our request an appointment form or call our intake number 216-407-6278.