Food is supposed to be simple, but for you it can be a negotiation with smell, texture, temperature, and the fear of something going wrong. It is not about being picky for fun. It is about safety, predictability, and not having your nervous system revolt mid bite. You might have a small set of safe foods, and when those foods change or disappear, it can feel genuinely alarming. ARFID is exhausting because you can want nourishment and still feel blocked by your body’s alarm system. People may push or pressure you, which usually makes things worse. Your relationship with food deserves gentleness and respect. Progress often looks like tiny expansions, not dramatic transformations.

This diagnosis is used when restrictive eating leads to weight loss, nutritional deficiency, dependence on supplements, or meaningful impairment in functioning, without the body image concerns typical of other eating disorders. Care often involves nutritional support, gradual exposure, and addressing anxiety or sensory factors. A kind clinician will treat your safe foods like a starting point, not a moral issue, and will never ask you to justtake one bite as if that solves anything.