The dangers of not recognizing ARFID as an eating disorder
One real risk of not recognizing ARFID as an eating (or feeding) disorder is the possibility that the illness goes unchecked for too long, leading to worsening symptoms that impact a person’s health and quality of life. “I work with adult patients who have struggled their entire lives with debilitating anxiety around food and eating without receiving any support professionally or interpersonally,” Gilchriest says. “As with any eating disorder, there can also be medical consequences if it goes untreated.”
For growing children, letting ARFID go undiagnosed or untreated can have particularly dire physical consequences. Children and teens need proper nutrition in order for their bodies to develop in a healthy and normal way, and the nutrient deficiencies and malnourishment that comes with ARFID can lead tostunted growth anddelayed puberty, among other issues.
Why ARFID requires the same comprehensive treatment as other eating disorders
“ARFID needs the same multidisciplinary treatment approach that we know works well for other eating disorders: a therapist, a dietitian, and a medical provider,” Menzel explains.
But many people with ARFID aren’t directed toward such treatment, largely because awareness and understanding of ARFID still isn’t widespread in the medical community. This makes sense, given that the illness was only added to the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 2013, while anorexia and bulimia have been in it for many decades.
“It’s important to look for providers that have training and experience specifically in treating ARFID,” Menzel says. “Just because a provider treats eating disorders doesn’t mean that they’re able to treat ARFID. Look for treatment modalities, too, that have been specifically developed and tested with ARFID, like family-based treatment for ARFID (FBT-ARFID) and cognitive behavioral therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR).”
Gilchriest points out that there is significant variability among those living with ARFID, and the way the illness presents itself can be very specific to the individual. “In my three years of working with ARFID patients, I have not met two people whose presentation of ARFID is exactly alike,” she says. “Effective treatment for ARFID uplifts the lived experience of the patient, as they are the experts in their experience and can collaborate on and define what recovery looks like for them.”
Given how different ARFID can look from person to person, it’s natural to question whether your or your loved one’s symptoms are “bad” enough to merit treatment. But according to Menzel, if you have any suspicion that there’s a problem, it’s time to seek support. “I always tell anyone with ARFID to trust their gut,” she says. “If you’re unhappy with the way you’re eating, if food is getting in the way of you finding joy in life, if food is causing you pain, distress, or anxiety—talk to someone about it. Eating disorders are not just about wanting to lose weight or change the way you look. You may be struggling with ARFID.”
This article originally appeared on equip.health.
