Resistance to ARFID Recovery

ARFID recovery is challenging when you WANT to recover, but how about when you don’t?

Question: Who is least likely to want to work on ARFID recovery (eating more, eating a wider variety, managing anxiety and disgust reactions to food)?

Answer: Kids!

Question: But why?

Possible answers?

Because it’s scary! The fear response in ARFID is strong, much stronger than for “picky eaters.” Recognizing and managing anxiety and fear is paramount in helping kids with ARFID.

Because it’s gross! The disgust response in individuals with ARFID is also very strong. When you’re grossed out by something, it’s really hard to do it, right? So, if you’re grossed out by food, how do you get yourself to put it in your mouth?

Because they may not understand the connection between eating and having more energy, less irritability, better mood, energy to grow and have brain power, etc.

Because as young people, they don’t recognize the need to change, and because nothing in their world is uncomfortable enough at that point: if they don’t want the food, they don’t eat it. If they don’t feel like eating, they don’t come to the table. If they can’t eat certain foods with their friends, they don’t go there or they don’t eat while they are there, or an adult finds them something they can eat.

Because sometimes they don’t have hunger cues that would, in people without ARFID, cause them to want to eat, to seek things to eat, and to persist in seeking food when the first few options are unacceptable or “don’t sound good.”

Because just “tolerating” a food doesn’t seem like a reasonable option or is something that they or their caregivers haven’t thought of. They believe that they have to really like or love something in order to eat it.

Ideas to Help Kids with ARFID

So, what do we do to help kids with ARFID if they don’t want to help themselves? Here are some ideas, and yes, we recognize that some or all of these can be VERY HARD to do:

• Establish a routine

• Help them to see and take note of other people’s foods

• Increase portion sizes of foods they will eat

• Continue to provide options and additional foods even when they will likely not eat it

• Help them understand food as energy

• Help them know and understand about foods and food groups

• Help them identify goals to increase motivation, even if it’s a small motivator like “being able to take a hike with dad,” or “have energy to play with friends.”

• Make learning about foods fun

• Work on managing anxiety and disgust reactions

• Help identify ‘the automatic NO!’ response and how to talk back to it

• Use supplements as necessary

• Consider medication

• Consider feeding tube if medically necessary

• Access a treatment team!!

Check out our resource and reference page to find more support for you or your loved one!

www.bridgethefoodgap.com