Selective Eating Disorder

Selective eating disorder (SED) is the former diagnostic name for the eating disorder now known clinically as Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Selective eating is a serious problem that causes physical, social and psychological negative consequences to the lives of its victims. While many cases are transitory during childhood, many people continue to suffer with SED for life and some people find themselves eating only a handful of food items each and every day.

I actually found out all about the condition ARFID by searching for information online about selective eating. Many mental health professionals still embrace the diagnosis selective eating disorder, since this is what it was called during their schooling or early clinical experience. Therefore, despite the condition now technically going by a different name, I still want to talk about selective eating disorder, since the name is really appropriate to the actual condition suffered by so many of us.

If you are new here and found this page by searching for selective eating disorder, let me welcome you! You have found a community that understands what you are going through and will do everything to help you to find comfort in your skin or address your eating issues, depending on your specific goals. This website is very different than others you might have read, since it is written from a very personal level and talks to you from a position of shared suffering due to extremely selective eating habits.

What is Selective Eating Disorder?

You might have called yourself a finicky eater. Maybe others have labeled you a picky eater. Some people have probably said your eating habits are crazy. You might very well agree with them, depending on your age and mindset…

There is an excellent chance that your selective eating disorder began when you were very young. Others in your family probably tried to change your dietary habits, but obviously did not succeed… I am empathetic! My mother tried to get me to eat, but it was simply a completely lost cause! I went 35 years only eating a literal handful of foods! You can read more of my ARFID story here.

Selective eating disorder means different things to different people. However, virtually all people affected by it see it as a problem and objectively, they are mostly right. It is better to eat normally. It is healthier. It is more socially satisfying. It is one less thing that can make us feel bad about ourselves psychologically…

If you are here now, you must know that selective eating is an actual disorder and is considered a treatable condition by medical and mental health professionals. A long time ago, I truly thought that I was the only person in the whole world who ate like I did. I never knew that a diagnosis of selective eating disorder actually existed when it would have been possible for me to find help, despite seeing 2 different doctors as a child, specifically for my eating habits. This is one of the major reasons for the existence of this website… It is intended to help to educate and assist people who are suffering and feel extremely alone in this suffering. You must know that you are NOT alone!

Types of Selective Eating Disorder

You might have just a few food fears and anxieties, in which case, you are a functional eater with some weird quirks. I have heard them all, ranging from not eating vegetables, to not eating meat, to not eating green foods, to not eating seafood, to not eating runny textured foods, to not eating spicy foods, to not eating anything with an aroma… Of course, there are many more possibilities!

However, you might be far less adventurous also, like I was. You might only eat a small number of food items and these foods might not be ideal for creating optimal health. The more limited you are in what you feel that you can eat, the worse the effects of the disorder typically become. If you literally only eat several foods, you are likely to be really suffering physically, socially and psychoemotionally.

When it comes to selective eating disorder, many questions come to mind:

How selective are you? Do you eat some things, but not others? Do you actually like any foods or merely tolerate some? Do you wish that you did not have to eat at all?

What happens if you feel pressured to eat something you do not want to eat? Will you acquiesce under pressure (social or otherwise) or will you refuse? What are the consequences of each possible path on you and your life?

Is your food selectivity getting better or worse with time? Unfortunately, few people recover without help once they reach their teenage years. I never could have imagined that I would ever actually eat normally. I simply accepted that my entire life would be ruled by baseless eating habits and imperatives that were a terrible suffering for me. Still, I did nothing proactive to change these things or lessen their control over me, despite my suffering…

Help for Selective Eating Disorder

I repeat that you are most welcome here! I intend on building a community resource that can help all people who are affected by Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, including victims, their families and their social connections. I intend to raise awareness of the condition so that more people can find help and not suffer needlessly like I did, when help was available for me if I had only looked for it… Unfortunately, in the days before the internet, finding help meant finding an engaged and knowledgeable care provider who actually knew something about eating disorders and specifically, selective eating disorder. I was NOT lucky to find one of these doctors and ended up suffering with the disorder for 3 and a half decades before finally ending the cycle of picky eating and starting to open my mind up to the world of food.

Spend some time here when you can and become familiar with all of our resources. You are encouraged to share your story on our ARFID forum to help others in their struggle with selective eating disorder. You can learn about ARFID treatment options if you are ready to find professional help. You can also read my memoir/self-help book that truly captures the firsthand experience of suffering with extremely selective eating. My book, My Food Fear, is a no-holds barred account of my eating disorder from the age of 2 until the present. Oh, I should mention that I am fully recovered now! I am still selective in what I eat, but now only because I remain a vegetarian due to conscious choice and I do select foods that are healthy for me. Otherwise, I am free to eat as any “normal person” would. I never would have thought it was possible all those years ago, but I am very fortunate to have cured my eating disorder, even at a late age. I am very, very grateful!