Should you join an ARFID support group? There are potential benefits and downsides of these eating disorder groups that should always be considered before making a decision…
The internet has made it super easy to connect with people from all over the world who are also suffering from, or interested in, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder. There are also some real world support groups in larger urban areas that hold regular meetings. However, the majority of people will take advantage of online communities in the form of group meetings, group therapy, bulletin boards and discussion forums devoted to ARFID.
This post shares some important information about ARFID support groups. I will discuss the pros and cons of being active in these groups and whether or not I think they are worthwhile.
Pros of ARFID Support Groups
Support groups inherently offer empathy and understanding for people who are often marginalized and misunderstood… Therefore, they are certainly helpful in that regard. Let’s examine some of their more tangible benefits:
Support groups help to foster a sense of community among members and can directly help to relieve the feelings of loneliness and isolation suffered by so many people with ARFID.
Support groups can actually make positive contributions towards treatment for people who want to change their ARFID behavior.
Support groups offer a chance to make real friends online and in the real world. These connections can form solid bonds, since members will already have empathy for each other.
Discussion within the group can lead to great introspective breakthroughs for members. These breakthroughs can be helpful in better accepting oneself, as well as making positive changes towards eating better.
Cons of Eating Disorder Support Groups
What are the downsides of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder support groups?
Many online groups suffer from trolling, malware, spam and various scams that can really ruin the experience for all.
Some support groups have fake or real members who seem intent on making everyone else miserable. These people have a negative influence on the overall group atmosphere, as well as negatively impacting individual fellow group members.
Some groups propagate bad habits for people who really want to improve their eating habits. Some members might tell people who WANT to change to “accept themselves as they are and not try to please the world”. While this attitude is fine if you actually believe it, eating normally is still a goal of many members and should not be discouraged.
Some people are discouraged by support groups, even despite the best intentions and efforts of members. These people might suffer more due to their exposure to the group than they would have if they never participated.
ARFID Support Group Experiences
Personally, I feel that support groups are great. They directly help to mitigate some of the most universal consequences of ARFID, including feeling misunderstood, lonely and isolated socially. I also like the opportunity for members to make real world connections. The importance of this benefit should not be underestimated.
The things I am not so crazy about in some groups is the bombarding with ads, spam, email campaigns and general lack of privacy for a person’s private data and information. I have seen some pretty awful ads on these forums which are obviously exploitative towards people with eating disorders.
I have met people with selective eating disorder who were cured due to their very active participation in support groups. I also have met people whose eating disorder worsened due to their group participation, sometimes severely. There is really no way to know how you will react to a support group until you try… Remember too that different groups might have very different atmospheres and dynamics. If one group does not suit you, the next one you come across just might.
