Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder – Hypnotherapy Ely & Newmarket
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (AFRID) has been in the press recently after one charity reported a large spike in people seeking help for this type of food problem.
People who struggle with this form of eating disorder will avoid certain foods and so have a limited range of things they eat. I’ve helped many people over the years with this sort of eating disorder. They will usually have a pretty restricted range of foods that they can currently cope with eating. In various combinations these ‘safe’ foods are repeated over and over.
When it comes to trying to eat anything new, there can be an overwhelming sense of fear, stress and anxiety. It’s pretty common for someone to gag if they try to eat something new. It is such an unpleasant experience, and so stress inducing, that most people just continue with their same restricted range of foods. It can cause problems eating around others or going out to eat. You can feel frustrated and even annoyed with yourself for being unable to eat the things other people seem to cope with eating. Often, it means a fairly unhealthy and restricted diet and eating can lack any sense of joy or fun.
Although there can be some variations between people, there is a heightened sensitivity to certain food tastes, textures or smells. Even the thought of eating something outside the ordinary can lead to tension and anxiety.
