ARFID/Food Aversion

70NI
70NI Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I would LOVE to start eating healthy! Looking at my food diary and my past, I've always known my diet sucks! My problem is my senses with foods. I can't stand the smell or textures (more texture than smell) of fruits or veggies! I eat THINLY DICED (practically microscopic!) onions cooked in a meal and frozen corn. I get nauseous, gag, and borederline panic attack when I try other fruits or veggies.
Any one have any ideas about how to fix this? I can't even handle smoothies or juices...suggestions? Can anyone relate?

Replies

  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
    Therapist
  • 70NI
    70NI Posts: 3 Member
    sheldonklein wrote: »
    Therapist

    That's what I've been thinking. I was just wanting others opinions, too, lol.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    I second therapy. I'm a speech language pathologist and we work with kiddos all the time who have food aversion. I've never worked with an adult so I don't know the proper therapy channels for you, but you're going to have to work on desensitization.

    Good luck!
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    A therapist is best.

    If you want to go it solo, graded exposure therapy is a common treatment, where you rank foods that you are averse to from least to most averse, and tackle them in that order, typically by adding one ingredient that pairs well to a dish you already like, and always trying the foods you are least averse to at any one time.

    I'd be interested to know others' thoughts, too. I've considered therapy for this as well.
  • eugenia94102
    eugenia94102 Posts: 126 Member
    Hear, hear for therapy. Meanwhile how do you do with dried fruits? Can you go from a chocolate covered raisin to a raisin? Freeze dried blueberries? Unsweetened dried mango slices?
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    I would suggest trying a program where you choose a food to work on. Expose yourself to it once per day for a month, every day. Depending on how bad it is, you may have to start with just simply putting the food in your mouth. So it could look like: Day 1-7 put food in mouth, taste, don't eat. Day 8-14 chew, don't eat. Day 14-21 one small bite. Day 21-28 a few bites. After the month, try to incorporate that item into your diet at least weekly, and move onto the next food if you feel it helped.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Here's a self-help cognitive behavioral therapy routine you might try.
    http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/cbtstep1.htm
    My big surprise it is actually helpful to delve in to the feelings at the time; expose them if you will. It turns out that you don't die from panic. As the feelings are put in context, they hold less power. Then you can start introducing new foods.

    How about starting with very finely diced celery? Have you gotten really good at dicing?
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    there are occupational therapists who work on this problem exclusively. my kid is autistic, and an extreme picky eater. We are supposed to start with a feeding therapist soon.

Categories