Why Eating Disorders Are Way More Common Than You Think
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- Eating disorders are very serious psychological conditions
that can also be very dangerous - and they are much more common than you think.
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For nearly three years I had doctors urged me to "confess" to having anorexia or bulimia. When I was finally hospitalized put and on a feeding tube, I was visited by not one, but two psychologists who did everything they could to get me to admit I was doing this to myself for the sake of being thin. I wasn't. I was really sick. Eventually they found the real problem, only after I spent hours and hours researching medical papers; gastroparesis, pancreatic insufficiency. A little while later they found the cause of all this mess.; my appendix was in the 3rd stage of necrosis and was slowly poisoning me... I nearly died because medical professionals couldn't look past the fact I was a young woman losing weight.
oh my god, thats scary. how are you now?
The problem is its common for people with anorexia to lie about it, like taking extreme measures. I've seen discussions about girls hiding coin rolls in their um, cavities, just to hide new weight loss or make it look like they gained weight.
Their behavior can be almost indistinguishable from someone who has an entirely different cause for weight loss, and it makes it harder for people in your situation to get doctors to look for the real causes and fix the right problems.
Omg please tell me more about your symptoms, I have the same issue. I 've always been skinny and I eat normally, yet no doctor seems to be willing to believe that. I mean I am very skinny and it worries me because I' m pretty sure it's not normal at all and I have digestive problems and I don't know what they mean
I 'm 5 7 (1,72m) and I have 97 lbs (44 kg)
gabriella 7 Well, to me it feels like a perpetual hangover minus the headache. I can't stand food smells without getting nauseous, and suffer from frequent pain attacks where a nice cold floor is the only surface that's comfortable. Also, I haven't had a normal stool in years. I can't digest fats at all, so my stools have these thick mucus-like blobs in them.
Gastroparesis simply put is nothing more than a paralyzed stomach. My stomach does not kneed the food anymore because the muscles don't work on their own. I take metoclopramidehydrochloride tablets to _kind of_ get them going, but I still take hours longer to digest food. It's part of the autonomic neuropathy I also suffer from, which is nerve damage in the central nervous system.
The other thing, Pancreatus insufficiency, is something completely removed from that. It's kinda the opposite of type 1 diabetes since insulin is the only thing my pancreas still manages to produce. But it doesn't produce digestion enzymes which is why I can't digest fats and fiber well.
I'm finally back on a normal weight because I eat a lot of carbs and protein, which is what I can digest most easily. I do hope you find what's wrong with you, having gastric problems and not knowing what's wrong is very frustrating. Good luck on your search for a diagnosis
@@YokiDokiPanic ohh, we don't have similar symptoms but thank you so much, you are so nice for taking the time to tell me. I'm happy that you are better❤️
It isn’t always about meeting a Beauty standard either. Food is used to cope with emotional pain and feel a sense of control over your life.
I'm started intermentent fasting, and the emotional pain I'm going through is very high. The last three days at work I cried. I was so angry.
I just drank some Nyquil so I can sleep.
Podcast help talk me through it.
I'm just ramping up my self-care and the lessons I learned in therapy.
@@reddreds1 intermediate fasting actually started my eating disorder
Thank you!
Yea this definitely resonates with me. I began restricting years ago consciously to lose weight, and now struggle with it as a stress/self harm response
Yep. It started as a way to meet MY OWN beauty standards, but turned into more of a coping mechanism.
Surprised you left out orthoexia! it's an obsession with healthy or "clean" eating
Yeah! I scrolled through the comments to see if someone mentioned this omission.
I was expecting it to be mentioned when there was the talk about bulking and fitspiration etc
Yeah I know people who had it. It's hard
It's also obsessing with exercise. These poor people
I have a friend who suffers from orthorexia and it’s so hard for her to get help. On the outside, she looks really healthy because she has the “ideal” diet. But she struggles so much with things like meeting up for coffee, going to a friend’s house, or celebrating holidays because there may be a “bad” food there.
To be fair, it's not officially recognized (yet). It's in the same psychology recognition limbo binge-eating disorder was just a few years ago. So for now it would be unwise to throw it out there as a diagnoseable condition when there isn't enough study done to back it up or even a steady definition.
Glad you mentioned ARFID - I've had doctors trying to get me to admit to unhealthy body image for years, and I got so incredibly tired of telling them "yes I'm not happy with my weight, but that's because my average is 20-30lbs under the healthy minimum for my height".
It's like most doctors dont think it's possible to have a reason other than body image for not eating. This particular diagnosis really needs to be more well-known.
Yeah, I either just don't *feel* hungry, sometimes for days, or I'm hungry and try and eat something, but have to stop after like 3 bites because I can't swallow that specific food. wouldn't be to bad if my parents didn't only buy a couple kinds of food that all have similar taste/texture. other than the ramen and hummus, of course, but that's not really a *meal.*
Yeees. I just found this video and I've been having trouble with eating all my life, but it's not because I want to be thin. In fact, I want to gain weight, but eating is a chore. I even feel disgusted with eating sometimes and I have a lot of food anxiety. Doctors always asking me if I'm unhappy with my weight and I say yes, but because I'm too thin and it's affecting my health, then they're like confused. For years, I didn't feel hungry. I had to remind myself to eat with timers and I have safe foods I can eat.
And so many doctors refuse to understand that having trouble eating sometimes has nothing to do with eating disorders. I've got chronic nausea and so many medical professionals have tried to get me to admit to an eating disorder. Especially after I lost 25 pounds/11.3 kilograms in three months while waiting three months for an "emergency priority appointment". Like yeah, of course I lost weight because I had an untreated migraine and even with the nausea meds I could barely keep water down, let alone food. Apparently I just need to eat when I want food but am actively not hungry to "train" my stomach. Yeah, that goes about 🤢🤮.
Its so me. I'm autistic and have extreme sensory issues, eating is like, total sensory hell
I know I have an ED, I just didn’t know it had a name… now I do.
Another thing he didn’t cover (that i’ve suffered with) is an obsession with the pain of hunger as a side effect of depression like a sort of self mutilation. It felt like being hungry was something I “deserved” which was some super messed up thinking.
That sounds like a hybrid food disorder. That's not a medical term but what I mean is it's like a mix of 2 disorders. Anyway, hope you feel good man
Keagan Dunham You could say that about most people though. Most mentally ill people are not diagnosed with only one disorder. It’s actually rare for someone to have depression without anxiety, and eating disorders often occur comorbidly with OCD or OCPD.
It’s less that for me, and more that I’m too lazy to cook... and my definition of cooking includes using the Microwave
This. I began starving myself as a way of punishing myself, then once I noticed the weight loss and how much better I felt just losing a little fat, I let it progress into more 'eating disorder'-typical behaviours.
I don't even associate hunger pangs with eating food anymore, it's odd...
Edit: Just forgot where I was commenting, sorry for the oversharing.
You have other side of coin with depression as well. Comfort eating. You turn to food in order to feel better but you risk becoming overweight as a result.
I got an ad for a weight loss program right before this video. Yikes
Anja Mook i got healthy super yummy breakfast blend
Is there something wrong with that?
@@downsjmmyjones101 .....did you watch the video at all?
@@rin_okami Yeah. What in the video said that diet advertising was a bad thing?
James Downs dieting and weight loss ads can be incredibly triggering for someone with anorexia or bulimia.
Will also note that anorexia isn't about just looks for everyone. When I hit rock bottom, I was very suicidal, but knew I wouldn't but wanted to. So I turned to anorexia to not only starve myself, but my brain, hoping I'd be miserable enough to follow through with it. I wanted to see smaller numbers on the scale each day, bc that meant I was getting closer to death.
Today, I am in a much better place, and my only desire is to get better. I'm currently getting help and being active about my recovery. If anyone reading this, who's struggling with an eating disorder. Help is out there, and you deserve to be happy and healthy, it my be scary, but there will always be someone who will help and support.
It’s so important to talk about passive SI (suicidal ideation). Just because it doesn’t result in a direct attempt, doesn’t mean that it’s a safe health condition or “less severe.” Paired with a physical condition that puts you at risk, it’s especially important to seek therapy, medication, and non-medical ways to increase your happiness.
❤
I know this is old but im so glad ur doing better
@@emilysmith2965 This. Because no one talked about it except in a mocking manner, I ignored depression symptoms for a long time, even when they noticeably worsened when I was 14.
People said it was normal in teens to feel that way, and it was just us being dramatic, so I just tried to wait it out until it eventually went back to a milder level (that I was used to tolerating).
Looking back, that was dangerous. It's honestly upsetting that I only realized that years later, after having another particularly bad bunch of weeks that hit even harder, and talking with people who had been officially diagnosed and had the same experience.
Only then I thought "oh, maybe I do need help".
@@naolucillerandom5280 yeah, the complete disregard for teenagers mental health, especially if they come from a "good" family, is appalling. Like just because someone doesn't have adult responsibilities doesn't mean they can't struggle.
I lost seven pounds in one week a while back which alarmed me as I was not dieting nor working out. Seven pounds, one week, accidentally. I saw my doctor at the end of the week and she just said, “well, you could stand to lose some weight.” Thanks, doc, you’ve really eased my mind. 😑
Did you ever found out what was going on?
No. I started eating a high-fat diet because my arms and legs were so skinny I was anxious about going out in public. I gained some weight back, but then had to have my gall bladder removed because apparently a high-fat diet comes with other issues. Ugh. I gained the weight back, but I don’t know what caused the rapid weight loss.@@iCupcakeMelaniex3
Your weight can actually fluctuate wildly just based on when you weigh yourself in relation to when you eat vs when you use the bathroom.
Literally just today I clocked in at 240 lbs in the morning, followed by clocking in at 245 lbs this evening. (Yes, I'm medically obese. No I don't look obese, I just look chubby. It's much better than the 365 lbs I clocked in at 16 months ago, or even just the 300 lbs I clocked in at 3½ months ago.)
Literally just had eaten a couple small tacos and had a glass of 2 of water.
I *_ALWAYS_* have to keep it in mind when I weigh myself, and it's why I only really log my weight in the mornings after a bathroom break but before I've eaten. I want to make sure what I'm recording is what *_I_* weigh, not my meals.
My weight always fluctuates about 5 pounds. Im sure what i eat has some to do with it but 7 ppunds in a week isnt crazy. Now if it kept going down fast I'd worry. But like i said my weight is always 165 but usually falls between 160 and 170. Ive never weighed myself weekly so don't know exactly how fast. But when i do weigh myself i always expect it to be in that range
I swing about 5 lbs from night to morning every day it's pretty normal
As a therapist I fully agree that Binge Eating Disorder should have been included here
SamaChaos i have binge eating disorder so I definitely agree
Larissa Nuñez-Hill girl, I do too...
SamaChaos
Exactly, I suffer from binge eating disorder and it pisses me off when people tell me that binge eating disorder isn’t actually a thing. It definitely is a thing and I know because me and my older brother both suffer from it.
@@IrisStellaGrace09 it's in the DSM for f*ck's sake! of course it's real! it really grinds my gears when people are willfully ignorant like that. i'm sorry you've had to experience that.
it's only a dollar you ain't special
People always tell me that I choose to be that way...If I actually had to choose, I definitely wouldn’t choose having binge eating disorder. People are honestly just ignorant assholes. Nobody wants to be obese or suffer from any eating disorder of any kind. It honestly doesn’t make sense how people only feel sorry for people with Anorexia, but judge and shame anyone that has binge eating disorder. There is a lot more of a social stigma that comes with having binge eating disorder than there is for having Anorexia. At least Anorexia is actually acknowledged and has support groups for it. People with Binge eating disorder don’t have any kind of support, let alone therapy for the condition. Anorexic people get therapy and support, while people who suffer from Binge eating disorder are called gluttonous pigs and fat, ugly freaks. I really wish I could control how much I consume, I really do. I really wish that I could just simply go on a diet, but that’s just not how it works. I can’t just wake up one day and magically change my habits and try to control something that I have little to no control over. People with Binge eating disorder are suffering just as much as people who suffer from Anorexia. There needs to be more awareness on binge eating disorder, more people need to get educated. Not everything is about Anorexia or Bulimia...
It always annoyed me that people just think it's skinny girls who have eating disorders. One of my best friends in high school constantly starved herself and was not skinny. I however was skinny (by nature) and was the one who was always told to "eat a burger" *rolls eyes* when really it was actually my friend who was bigger than me who wasn't eating. Btw, she is not starving herself these days and is beautiful.
Emily xo I’m happy that your friend is doing better.😊
The result of starving yourself is losing weight. If she wasn't losing weight, she clearly wasn't actually starving
Michelle not necessarily, if not enough calories are eaten to an extreme extent your body can go into starvation mode and essentially store even more fat , therefore it would take even more time to lose any weight and you may even gain some. plus starvation disorders can go hand in hand with binging disorders where you go from extreme to extreme daily
Michelle what this girl has atypical anorexia, I have it
it👏 is👏 real👏
Michelle wow good job invalidating all people who struggle with atypical eds.
I'm kinda disappointed there wasn't mention of binge eating disorder
And that bulimia doesn't always involve eating an excessive amount of food, just the act of "compensating" for your food intake
"just the act of "compensating" for your food intake" this sounds like purging disorder, not bulimia. bulimia is predicated on binging
I read that now doctor make difference between bulimia and "purging anorexia". Something like when some eats kinda 5000 kcal and then purges is bulimia but for people who purge after eating even an apple or a piece of bread it's purging anorexia.
@@allakuznetsova7684 you also don’t have to “purge” in the way commonly thought in order to be diagnosed with bulimia. Compensating for binges by use of extreme restriction, diuretics or laxatives also counts.
I’m an emetophobe with bulimia. Which I honestly used to think was impossible. Now it’s almost like a sick kind of joke.
Does extreme exercise (intended for "weight loss") count as a type of purging? It's definitely a calorie compensation behavior, hours on the stairmaster or cardio workout while wrapped in plastic to sweat more. I remember seeing wrestlers at school doing stuff like that, it made me anxious before I knew how bad it could be on a human body, let alone a still developing human body.
@@learningtobeme5195 yikes. For that to be encouraged by the school is bad in and of itself. It's not inherently and eating disorder under those conditions, that is left up to the individual impact and mindset, but it's never healthy.
Thank you thank you thank you for mentioning ARFID. I’m 28, have had ARFID practically my entire life, but only learned of the term in the last few years. A tip for parents with a “picky eater”:
-If your child chooses STARVATION over trying the food they insist they will vomit from...this is more than just being picky about dinner.
-Work WITH your kid, not AGAINST your kid. Work with the food groups they like and foods similar to it. Don’t expect them to try absolutely everything. And pay attention to their triggers.
-Remember that a diet need not be widely varied to be healthy and nutritious.
asmRTPOP Thank you! I’m autistic and when I was a child, I would only eat very few foods due to texture things. I still refuse to touch eggs or beans.
another thing that I felt has a large influence is the attitude towards new foods. if your child likes a new food, make sure they are encouraged but dont act surprised. mostly because I was older and wanted to spite my parents, if i liked a new food my parents would say "finally!" that it would cause me not to eat it because I didnt like the way they gave it attention. I know that's a real subtlety but the way that children interpret parenting is v important
@@niamhb811 absolutely agreed, I've been trying to get help with my eating and everytime I try a new food I always do it by myself and whenever my parents ask how I did, I just tell them I'll talk about it when I talk about it and they are pretty understanding that it takes a lot of energy and anxiety to try these foods that they will leave me alone until I'm ready to talk about it with them
Omg, I've always had a problem with texture of food, once at the dinner table I gagged trying to put some chicken in my mouth that had some gristle, and my parents said I was being dramatic and I started crying
@@synflwr I feel this. I would argue with my mum for hours and just refuse food if it wasnt done right because of texture. I asked my mum to put liquid like foods, pasta with sauce,beans, gravy, in a bowl next to my food because I didnt like how soggy it was. Eventually she would just do it because I would built a wall with the rest of my food, and not eat anything touching it. I have a lot more but this was one people found most odd. I'm fine with gravy on cooked dinner now but still not the others lol
My ex-girlfriend studied dietetics and nearly 40% of the people that studied in that field at that university developed some sort of eating disorder during the 4 years of the course.
i did always wonder that. I noticed a similar trend in the people i knew that were studying anything fitness related and their classmates. they almost all went one of three ways. SUPER thin, SUPER lean and bulky or super fit, low bodyfat long distance runner/swimmer/cyclist. no kinda normal, no 'being good enough'. was worrying
I studied addictions and noticed something similar. I think human services workers are generally more open and sensitive, which predisposes us to deep emotions. If someone can't cope with that, they may begin dealing with strong emotions by self medicating or pathological attempts to gain control.
Yikes. That's concerning especially since, I'm assuming, these are the people who go on to help manage other people's diets?
@@EndohMiharu Yeah it's super messed up. If my ex turned up to class in the morning with a white grilled cheese sandwich she did get some weird looks. Luckily she was very chill when it came to food, never took too much of anything and ate healthy but wouldn't skip fries and coke every now and again.
But many people who go into that course already have their ideas about diets and maybe have small symptoms of an ED. So being constantly confronted with food and diets and what's good an bad could obviously trigger an actual ED.
Just like you might trigger an ED in someone who is not necessarily eating a lot or healthy but who you're constantly reminding that they need to eat more, or more healthy or whatever.
This seems like a chicken/egg scenario. As someone in recovery, I can see how people would get into studying it when they already have an eating disorder, but also how someone could develop and eating disorder while studying.
Eating disorders can be hard because it happens over time and privately. This video did a good job at expanding my understanding and awareness for these disorders.
not to mention, it’s hard for others to help them. they can really only get help if they want it :/
Especially because in the beginning people compliment you on your body changes and encourage the toxic behaviour.
It’s frustrating that BED wasn’t included in this. It’s recently been said it’s the most common eating disorder in America. It should definitely be talked about more.
It is - and I hope SciShow engages with their comment section. Having said that, these are short videos that are almost never able to cover an exhaustive list on their topic with the detail they deserve.
BED IS really important - and even though it isn’t goal-directed towards body image, it’s typically about seeking comfort and safety and is triggered by feelings of shame - which can definitely be a huge vicious cycle when paired with body image pressures.
They have a video about it from last three years ago.
I had a friend in elementary that probably had ARFID. She was really thin and the nurse tried to give her these nutrient shakes that she could hardly eat. She ended up going on a feeding tube and I think afterward she switched schools. I really hope she’s okay because she was a really good friend 😔
Thank you for using non-triggering stock photos/clipart in this video! Triggering images and stuff like "thinspo" and even some "fitspo" is such a big problem for people with ed's, it's really great to see you be so conscientious :,)
BUtheBabyUnicorn I noticed the art choices too. Evocative, but there is no possibility of aspiration. Excellent call!
Eh, 50/50. A big part of treatment in general involves learning how to recognize triggers so they can be willfully addressed, effectively coped with, and eventually eliminated rather than allowed to control over a person's life. Research hasn't greatly supported the idea of trigger warnings as beneficial and avoiding showing materials that may be triggering (granted actual triggers aren't obligated to obey any sensible line of logic, which is why identifying and addressing them generally requires professional help) does little than enable, you guessed it, avoidance, which helps to maintain conditions. It's a tricky issue to navigate, but it's been repeatedly shown avoidance rarely leads anywhere positive and the best way to recovery is through the issue, but it's also important not to retraumatize (obviously). Ultimately and harshly, the real world isn't responsible for you or culpable for not molding itself to the myriad variations between the billions of individual yous. You are responsible for you, but we can help, if you choose that first step.
Custos I agree, trigger warnings are polite, but, they can’t really solve the issue for you.
However, in this case, it’s less that I appreciate the abstract images being non- triggering for those who have trauma around thinspo, and more that I appreciate that the abstract images avoid being aspirational or appealing to any of us.
For example, I mostly like my body. I’m pretty comfortable with my looks despite not being “beautiful”. But, I’ve had a lifetime of indoctrination telling me: I should aspire to beauty, and that requires me to be thinner, and therefore I need to eat less, and eat the right things, and that if I only tried harder... I am weak because I look like I do. Because of those years of messages, seeing an image of a thin person, even in this context of discussing illness, it’s entirely possible I will see something attractive and aspirational in that image. For a person who is less comfortable with their body, and more invested in the idea that “thin is beautiful”, an image of a sick, but thin, person may be something their brain chooses to compare them to in an unhealthy way.
So yeah, person with trauma and accompanying triggers or not, I still appreciate the decision.
Yes, this was a nice change from the typical shocking images.
If i ever need a good indication that sci-sho has gone full snowflake, here it is.
Trigger warnings? How weak do you have to be? How about face the truth no matter how horrible and deal with it?
I have ARFID. I’m literally scared to eat foods on my “ no go” list. Its something I’ve lived with for as long as I can remember. When I was 16 I went to a summer camp at a local university and didn’t eat almost the entire week because the foods they served were types that would scare me to to death. I’m so happy to see a video talking about this because it’s very real and very exhausting to live with. After working for years I can proudly say that I can eat most fruits without gaging at the sight of the .
You are doing great! 🥰
ARFID is also more common with neurodivergence like autism and ADHD - which present additional challenges with eating related to “executive functioning” or the ability to perform complex tasks.
I’m autistic and ADHD without ARFID, but have met a lot of people who are autistic and/or ADHD with ARFID. Even without the ARFID diagnosis, the topic of “safe foods” comes up a lot.
It’s really nice that the community is so encouraging, though. It’s way more common to see people encouraging each other to succeed at eating regularly and cheering on each other’s safe foods than any other kind of behavior. ♥️
Fruit is a big step! Not everyone with ARFID is comfortable with eating fruits. You are awesome even for trying! 😎 much love to you♥️
Mood, I always get nervous going to some events that have food because I'd feel bad bringing food, and I always feel a bit guilty that my family specifically chooses restaurants based on if it has something for _me_
(and the fear thing I get the fear version of it)
Also congrats on the branching out! I can't see myself getting very far in eating fruits but I'm glad you can :)
My list (so far, I'm only a young teen, so I'm probs gonna find more): Cheese, Most pastas, raw broccoli, green beans, plums, stromboli, grilled/baked chicken.
I have a friend who was somewhat recently diagnosed with ARFID, and it finally clicked that there was a reason why they mostly eat their “safe” foods- namely pizza and a few other options. We always joked about it (and still do), but I think knowing there’s a real reason that isn’t being “picky” has helped him.
did i get teary eyed hearing ARFID mentioned? you bet. but in all seriousness, as someone who was diagnosed with ARFID in 2016 and has been in treatment for 3 years now, just exposing myself to new foods and trying to break the cycle, hearing it mentioned is a relief. all eating disorders are so difficult and revolve around thought processes and even if ARFID is not focused on weight loss, the effects are obvious. I was nearly underweight before treatment and now i’m a more normal weight because i’ve expanded and improved nutritionally.
i also teared up as someone with arfid, i feel you so hard, i felt so seen in that moment like no one ever talks about it
When you're praised for losing weight, no matter the way you're doing it, and when you live in a culture that praises weight loss at all costs, it's easy to continue destructive behaviors, because they're encouraged. Coming from someone who has only lost weight through ED and exercise bulimia, realizing this was eye opening.
Yes but also lets not forget that obesity is a gigantic problem...
I lost my weight in a healthy manor, but now that I'm finally at a slimmer point I've started to become obsessive and anxious over my weight and food. I'm terrified I'll gain the weight back, and I feed off of the praise people give me for losing the weight, so I've developed incredibly unhealthy and disordered eating habits. I weigh absolutely everything I eat- which makes putting a meal together take so much time, I count every calorie & my macros, I only allow myself a certain amount of calories, I won't eat anything I can't measure, I carry a travel size food scale wherever I go, I don't eat anything that doesn't have nutritional facts available, I stay away from anything I think is "bad," and if I do eat something "bad" I purge, I make myself exercise- at the very least- 6 days a week, I will avoid doing things with friends & family if I know it involves food and I wont have any way to track it, if it's unhealthy food, or if I won't have a way to purge after eating something "bad." I don't even have to have binged to get to the point that I'm so anxious about my calorie intake that I purge. At one point I stopped tracking because it consumes so much of my time and energy, and just estimated, but I was so paranoid, and I was convinced I was eating more than my allotted 1,000-1,200 calories, so I started tracking again and found out I had only been eating around 700-800 calories the entire time. I will restrict my calories to less than half of my usual intake if I ate more than I should the day before or don't exercise that day, and I often times excessively exercise as a way to "undo" what damage I've done. The irony is that the tactics I use to "undo the damage" are far more damaging than getting off track or occasionally overeatting ever will be. The worst part is being painfully aware of all of this and wanting to stop, but also being afraid to let go of doing these things due to my irrational fear of gaining back the weight or not being able to lose any more. Part of me wants to be able to keep these "tools" in my back pocket just in case I mess up or don't follow my plan exactly. When I follow my diet plan exactly, weigh everything, and eat what I'm "supposed to," I don't get anxious- it actually gives me a huge sense of relief, but if I stray from that even the slightest bit, I have an incredibly hard time dealing with it. And it's easy to stray because I'm often times hungry, have cravings, and absolutely exhausted from not eating enough to provide the energy I need to get through the day. It's getting out of control and starting to consume a big chunk of my life.
Emily Please get help hun
@@AmericanThighs97 yeah that sounds like anorexia, please go get help before it gets even worse :(
@@AmericanThighs97 Hey Emily, I think this video might help you: th-cam.com/video/Txl-m1_xbBw/w-d-xo.html
I understand how you feel, I just almost achieved the figure I want and was trying to figure out the next step. How do I keep the fat weight off? I've never tracked calories, I just estimated how much I should eat based on feeling, based on what I eat (sugar, carbohydrates and fats) and based on experience. Honestly, it worked really well. But now that I'm already there (well, almost) I got worried about it and thought about tracking calories which to me seems like such a hastle, I never wanted to do it. And I found this video which for me tied together some of the science stuff I know, my experience and layed out tactics for reaching my goals. I really recommend this video! I never thought that _increasing_ calories could help, but this girl explains why it does. But you have to hear it from her, she explains why. Also, if you haven't already, look into how our body metabolizes sugar, especially insulin's role, and into the process of ketosis. I recommend the channel What I've Learned for those topics.
I hope this helps, I encourage you to keep on learning but just don't obsess over it, don't fear small "mistakes", you already said those thigs yourself so I know you realize them, but just wanted to encourage you to put those things you know in your head into your heart as well. The more you think these things through rationally and convince yourself, the better it'll get. I've made thus experience with other topics.
Edit: if you can find someone competent then I think it'll be good to seek help too. Sometimes we need some outside help to really change our thinking patterns.
All the best to you! :)
When I get stressed, I don't eat. I always feel like I'm on the edge of puking and I feel shaky. Food textures become disgusting, and they make me sick. This can happen for months at a time, and tends to happen around midterms and finals. I usually forget to eat because I don't feel hungry, most likely because I am constantly on an adrenaline rush.
By the way, if you have ever been on an adrenaline rush for weeks at a time, you know it is remarkably unpleasant. I might recommend it as a form of torture. Not because of intense pain or anything, but it's exhausting and it will wear you down to nothing.
I have slept around 14 hours per night for about a week after it's over. It's very exhausting.
Apparently, because I don't have any focus on getting thin, it's not a problem. And I'm fat, so how can it possibly be a problem, right? My doctors are kind of idiots.
OH MY GOSH. You understand me!!!
When I feel stressed or worried, my physical problems stop and my brain goes haywire. I have ZERO hunger for hours to days. Food is too weird when I try. I start sleeping 5 hours max a night if any at all. I've easily not slept over 24 hours many many times. I'm too wired. It's horrible downward spiral.
I've been hospitalized for it, they put me on steroids. They thought it make me hungry but nope they still had to force feed me because I refused to eat something so gross ironically though it did make me gain 18 pounds in 2 weeks.
I have the same issue. When I'm anxious or upset, the very idea of food makes me feel even more anxious. Sometimes my family has a hard time telling if it's related to my other food-related issues or if it's just my stress keeping me from having an appetite.
I’ve always been like this. This is the first time I’ve heard of this. A year ago, my family took me to the doctor because I would have fits of energy for weeks then collapse and not be able to get out of bed for days. The doctor said if I don’t gain 25 pounds in 2 months I will be put on a feeding tube. Those 2 months were horrible. I force fed myself 6 full meals a day and I constantly felt sick and threw up a lot. But after those 2 months, I quickly lost that weight again. I just never had an appetite after stuffing myself for weeks.
I have the very same thing! When I am stressed, I barely eat because I feel sick all the time.
Also, when someone is expecting me to eat all the food I have in my portion, even though I don't really like it or I'm already full, I get ver stressed as well and feel sick.
I can have symptom-free periods that last years sometimes, but it's always coming back and usually when it does, it's worse than it was before. I am starting to have IBS syptoms now, where I didn't have that problem before.
I do the same exact thing around exams times. But I ended up fainting due to hypoglycemia. Take care of yourself. I find that when I can’t eat because I feel nauseas, I go for clear soups or smoothies and just drink my calories.
I have ARFID and am terrified of eating new foods and I have been for as long as I can remember. It's as if my brain tells me that an unfamiliar food is unedible and if I force myself to put an unfamiliar food in my mouth, it's like my brain automatically goes into fight or flight, thinking I've been poisoned. Thank you for mentioning ARFID; it's very unknown and not widely understood.
I feel with that so strongly... most people don't understand it and brush it off as picky eaters or make fun of it. And the amount of stress it causes in social life, on top of the internal struggles with health and balanced diet
OMG YES I am so glad someone mentioned that! I'm still in my teen years and I have been labeled as the "picky" kid in my family and family thinks I will just grow it out but I get so worked up over trying new foods. I think it came from a history of being in a family that is like "you will eat it and you will like it" and I wouldn't be able to leave the table until it was done. I hate trying new foods to this day BC of it
I really feel orthorexia should be included as a majority of anorexia recoverers usually manifest their symptoms into these habits instead. Eating but becoming fixated on food nutritional value and often even go vegetarian or vegan seeing healthy food as safe” foods .
I agree. I feel like this is often overlooked
Me:/
You'd have to take a look at the DSM 5. I think it falls under OSFED
Well said. I went vegan for eco reasons but a piece of it was wanting control. Which is the backbone of anorexia as well. However when my health plateaued I went back to being vegetarian. But I’m glad to eat cheese & ice cream again. I could work out a lot and likely develop muscle dysmorphia but thank god I like sleep, otherwise I’d work out a lot. At the end of the day it’s about being kind to yourself.
This video was good.
It had it's own video altogether
Binge eating disorder should've been included ( not to be confused with Bulimia which is binge then purge).
It feels like sufferers of B.E.D. aren't being validated.
This is a HUGE problem with a lot of people that struggle with obesity. We also need help to understand it better.
It's like void that makes us feel an insatiable hunger. To the point that we eat more food in secrecy before or after a big meal, or binge eating junk food or anything available when stressed out upset. There NEEDS to be awareness for B.E.D. too.
People are afraid of speaking up about it, so sufferers aren't getting the help they need.
Totally agree. It's ruined my life. The only help I've ever been offered medically was to have a gastric band (which they quickly backed off from when I went to them with two formal diagnoses of B.E.D. so now there's literally nothing on offer) and they just ignored me when I kept saying 'it won't fix the problem, which is in my head.' Almost all of the morbidly obese people I met in association with the bariatrics unit showed repeated signs of having B.E.D themselves, and those who had the surgery would lose a bit of weight but would typically gain it all back and/or be unable to change their diet. There's no support and SO little knowledge about it, even though it's so prevalent and serious. People have literally said to me 'it's just an excuse for a fat person to stuff their gob'. I'm so sick of it. I want to gain control over it, but I can't do it alone (I've tried for a decade). There must be so many in the same hopeless situation. Is it so much to ask for and get some help?
My best friend has this, and she’ll eat until she literally makes herself sick. She got prescribed Vyvanse to curb her appetite, but it’s such a temporary fix. I really wish they had long-term support for people with this condition.
Laci Kaix I know someone who has bed but people around them but close family think it’s just a phase (they are around 14) the Mum is at witts end and child is in denial need help.
No because they just think we can stop eating and being fat. It's our fault.
Oh my god, Hank. Thank you. THANK YOU. I’ve suffered from ARFID for thirteen years, and I’ve never felt more seen than hearing you say it out loud. I’m crying as I type this, because for years I was called a picky eater and ostracized at social gatherings. It’s horrible. My diet is extremely restricted. I’m deficient in nearly every nutrient there is. But hearing you, an idol of mine, tell me to my face that ARFID is real and that others feel the way I do... I have never felt more hopeful that I can get well again. Thank you for covering ARFID too.
My Dad was extremely controlling in many aspects of my life, especially in what we ate and how much, as well as my weight.
When it came to dinner time, HE had to be the one to make our plates, and more often than not he really overfilled my plate, even if it was with the healthy stuff. We weren't allowed to get up until we ate every single bite of food, even if we were stuffed and pleading that it was too much. In high school, he'd tell me the reason I couldn't finish my dinner was because I shouldn't have been "stuffing my face with pizza and french fries all day," even though I would often eat very small meals for breakfast and lunch, if I ate at all (though one day after hearing it one too many times something in me snapped and I started eating whatever tf I wanted - starting with a large DQ Blizzard - because I didn't want to make a liar out of him, did I? ;))
He'd also make me stand on a scale anytime I wanted to go anywhere and would ask me to compare my size to those of my friends. When I was a freshman in highschool he made me stand on the scale while my Gran watched; I weighed 118. My Gran looked at the scale and exclaimed "damn that's huge!" and said she never even weighed that much when she was pregnant. It was a humiliating process. I bet they wish I still at such a "huge" weight, haha.
All of this continued until I finally moved out (only days after graduation and days before my 18th birthday) to be with my mom before heading off to college.
All of this to say that growing up like this lead me to have a very unhealthy relationship with food and my body. I look in the mirror and feel physically sick at the sight of myself, I'll restrict my food intake as a form of self-punishment during intense depressive episodes, I would dabble in purging (though I was never particularly successful because I have a trash gag reflex), and I'm technically currently overweight at my current weight of 150 for my 5'3" frame (though I'm down from my heaviest after my medication made me rapidly -- as in 5-10lbs a WEEK -- gain weight a couple years ago going from ~135 all the way up to 180).
I'm currently working on HEALTHILY losing weight by reshaping my relationship with food and what/how much I eat (the Noom app is actually pretty helpful); so far, I feel pretty proud of myself :)
I'm sorry this happened to you
My mom's boyfriend when I was in highschool was pretty similar. He was the cook in the house and often gave me adult man ass sizes portions yet call me fat after having expected me to overstuff myself every day. Glad he's out of the picture now.
I felt so sad reading about what that man did to you, so abusive and absolutely unforgivable 😢 I wish you well healing from such awful treatment and I hope life gives you all the good things because you deserve it ❤
Wtf! That’s straight up abusive I’m so sorry you had to go through that but glad you’re on the road of recovery ❤️🩹
I am diabetic, and i noticed diabulimia is extremely 'easy', in my mind its kinda a win/win, if i dont take insulin, and thus dont have to inject myself with a needle, i can eat and not gain, and even lose weight while having to do nothing, and the problem is that the consquences are too far away in the future, i dont notice anything in the moment, or barely anything if i dont take insulin
I do realise how dangerous it is, but the consequences are just too far away to affect my current behaviour, i have been in the hospital because of this, but it still doesnt, like, make me change my behaviour
Now, im not officially diagnosed, but i wouldnt be surprised if i got this tbh, but i am also embarrassed to bring it up to my doctor
Thank you for mentioning this, it is usually overlooked or not mentioned, even though it really a dangerous disorder
Diabullima is so terrifying! I really hope someday soon you get some help and get better. ❤️
i hope you can recover from this, i know how terrifying it is knowing you're harming yourself logically, but not finding it in you to stop. maybe talking to a psychologist might easier than a physician?
@@issaposter idk, my doctor does often ask if im still taking insulin, i always mention that i dont take it daily anymore, she just says okay and continues (she isnt my actual doctor, more like an assistant cuz he has too many patients)
I do have a therapist, but i dont know how to bring it up to her tbh
@@Sam-on5jf sorry i thought i had replied to this!
It really is, especially cuz not even all doctors seem to know about it
Thank you so much tho, ill try my best:)
I have PCOS and I’m pre-diabetic due to that condition, so I take metformin. Metformin has the same effect for me as diabulimia where I don’t have to exercise or eat no food to lose weight. It might just be that I eat so little before that the low metabolism I had has fucked me up. I’ve been struggling to eat recently especially now spring is around the corner. I can’t imagine not taking metformin because I’d gain so much weight without it
I feel like BED was completely left out of this video and it really belonged in there. 😕
(Edited for clarity: BED is binge eating disorder)
Agree. People think of eating disorders and they think of excessive restriction ... BED could have used the boost toward being taken seriously.
BED?
@@suicune2001 Binge eating disorder.
Yup. BED speaks to me. Im fighting against it but how can you fight with something that you are thinking all the time?
@@TheAmandaSerroul no it's not, there's no purging in BED
I am so incredibly happy they covered ARFID. No one knows about it and people often write it off as childish picky eating. That brings so much pain.
I have it and I didn't even know it was a thing until recently. Awareness of less known disorders is so important!
It’s so upsetting when I have to fake eat at my friends house/ eat something different than everyone else
because the symptoms for it are picky too
Fangirling109 i know the pain. time to bring out the “i already ate”
@@TheAnimeViber If they can't accept your eating oddities, they're not real friends
Thank you so much for mentioning ARFID! I've had a shaky relationship with eating for so long, and I knew my food habits would likely be considered an eating disorder, but when I was looking up reasons for why I couldn't eat, all I would find was things related to body image. My body image is fine. In fact I'd much rather gain weight. I'm lucky I stumbled across ARFID at one point because I'd felt so alone for having so many issues with eating that in no way related to what I look like. I felt like a freak.
Now, although I haven't been officially diagnosed, I feel like I can find other people who understand me which is so reassuring.
I just found this video, and honestly I feel the exact same way you do. I always had a problem with most foods. I was abl to find some foods I rather enjoy, but I always felt like my eating problems was a bunch of chains preventing me from trying anything new. I actually started to cry knowing I was not alone.
@@phoebesmith273 yep i'm tearing up at this. even in these comments it seems like most people who are suspected to have ARFID have issues with what eating could do to you and not issues with the foods itself so even here i feel really alone so it was nice to see this comment
Hi! Ditto!
I was diagnosed as autistic last year and I definitely think my eating habits could be explained by arfid. I know I have to gain weight, and I want to gain weight, but I don't eat enough to put on pounds let alone get through an entire day. I'm now in college and despite my unlimited 7 day meal plan I only enter a dining center like 2 times a day if even.
I just feel sluggish and Don't want to leave my bed even if my stomach is begging me to eat. I Don't know if this is because of what covid (when recovering from covid I wasn't able to stomach meats and seasoning without pinching my nose shut) did to me but I struggle with seasoned foods especially. If there's lots of spices it just overwhelms me and certain textures are a no go. Biting on a piece of fat will immediately kill my appetite. I feel like I've always been this way. Suprisingly though I really like black licorice aka actual licorice.
I never knew I had an eating disorder until now. My mom just said I was picky and refused to eat healthy... I weighed 30kg at the age of 13, and I’m tall. How did she not see how malnutritioned I was?
What the
I was wondering why EDNOS wasn't mentioned and then I realised it's OSFED, the name was changed. I'm behind in the times.
i was wondering the same thing! is osfed supposed to be more specific maybe?
@@aluminium4303 I already knew about EDNOS no longer being in the DSM and about OSFED, but never heard of UFED before! Thank you for the information!
I still call my disorder ednos ig its just habit haha
I was diagnosed as EDNOS in 2007 (back when it was a thing) ‘cause I didn’t quite meet the criteria for anorexia, even though those were my behaviors. The diagnosis itself was triggering ‘cause I felt like I “wasn’t good enough at my eating disorder” because I didn’t meet the criteria to be diagnosed with it. OSFED would have been a much healthier diagnosis for me if it was around at the time.
I still refer to mine as ednos too just out of pure habit
You didn't even mention Binge Eating Disorder (BED), which is also a widespread and serious eating disorder.
That disappointed me too.
"widespread"? citations
Agreed, I was hoping to hear about it
Jack Lam binging is quite common
I'm sure there are a few other eating disorders they didn't mention. We can't expect a video of this type to go over EVERYTHING, it's enough that they give people an idea of what's out there and raise awareness to the field as a whole, and I think they did this well enough
Man. The eating problems I had still weren’t addressed in this vid- there’s so many! Mine I think stemmed from anxiety (never a diagnosis, never told a doc). As a toddler & young kid, wasn’t ever fed enough. As a teenager until nearly my 40s, didn’t ever eat enough because was always too sick from anxiety & when I wasn’t literally nauseous, which was often, had no appetite & eating was an act I forced upon myself & was so difficult to get through a meal.
I finally left a long abusive relationship & for the first time in my life I can eat 3 full meals a day + snack(s)/desserts sometimes. Constant high stress/anxiety must’ve been the culprit.
I really wanted to see PICA on this list. It's rarely mentioned and more people should be aware of it.
I wonder what the comorbidity of Pica and other eating disorders is. Eating the Things That Shouldn't Be Eaten, worsened by the desire to avoid eating food.
I have pica and I was searching for this comment
I'm pretty sure it's not considered a mental disorder
@@aletheiaverite It's considered an eating disorder and can really widely differ in severity
@@annieshakespeare7613 Just looked it up. It's in the DSM-5, I'm stupid. I have no idea where this thought I had came from.
Thank you for talking about this. Especially the fact that it's not just women. I'm a guy that was struggling with dangerous anorexia. I'm still struggling a bit but I'm okay, I'm eating and I've found how to be healthy and how to feel more comfortable
Keep up the good work, i'm happy for you and agree that the issue Should be talked about mpre
Good for you man, I’m glad you’re doing okay now.
@@supermouse73 thanks man
Good to hear! Hope you continue to take care of yourself and keep working through any problems that arise 👍
@@ryanhofmann6233 honestly dude you deserve the world. You deserve something as good as or exactly someone who gets as excited about you as the guy in the "Ryan" vine. (Look it up if you wanna)
Best of luck!
Arfid is real and serious. My brother who is over 20 never eats enough because of the paranoia he has about it and was hospitalised last year because his weight dropped so low. People don’t realise how serious these things can get
I hope that he's ok! It really worries me that he had to be hospitalised...
Most days I wait until I'm super hungry to eat because I see it as such a chore
Dominick Napoli, due to ARFID or due it it just being a pain to make and eat something? If it’s the latter, somebody came up with Soylent, a liquid meal replacer made of basically all the nutrients you need except the trace ones. Overworked Silicon Valley types use it to eat while working without munching on junk food. Drink it slow, though. It’s meal, not a drink, and can cause room clearing flatulence.
@@evilsharkey8954 isnt soy full of female hormones. Turns men to mush.
@@Andytlp Depending on how much you consume( I think), I feel like scishow has done at least one video on soy though, so that might be a good resource. But soy does contain phytoestrogens, I am just not sure how they interact with the body.
I'd love to see a part two with some of the stuff that got left out here! Pica, orthorexia, binge eating.
I'm kind of disappointed that orthorexia wasn't mentioned here. It's pretty common with people who have chronic illness. I know it's not considered an official diagnosis but it's pretty serious
Me too. My mother has what I consider to be religiously-motivated orthorexia. She's a religious fanatic who is obsessed with only eating completely vegan, organic, natural, raw, and freshly-picked foods that she thinks God intended humans to eat "before sin". While that may sound good and healthy, she mostly just eats green, leafy vegetables and that results in extremely low caloric intake, various vitamin deficiencies, and protein deficiency too. She is tall but her weight hasn't exceeded 100 pounds for decades now.
Currently she weighs about 90 pounds soaking wet, yet she insists she eats "plenty". She does eat large helpings, but with such low-calorie foods, it isn't enough. She seems to be convinced that eating this way is an act of piety and to eat anything containing such "sinful" things as meat or grains or sweets - even honey - will condemn her to hell or something. Over the years she's become ever more restrictive, cutting out all oils or fats, even in nuts, until I wonder that she doesn't just become one of those "breatharians" who believe they can survive on air.
Eating disorders like this are incredibly hard to treat. Nothing anyone says, no amount of medical or scientific fact, can convince my mother to abandon this starvation diet - and yes, she's intelligent and college-educated and was a licensed nutritionist years ago. And in spite of the supposed "healthiness" and "purity" of her diet, she has all kinds of physical problems, is extremely frail, has had two strokes in recent years, and is beginning to suffer from cognitive decline and possibly Alzheimer's dementia.
@@Pipsqwakalright your mom has basically a death sentenze i think she a victim of brainwashing by toxic workers involved in church and fun fact if you had severe eating disorder like very its a death sentence. Also are there any updates on this? Just a question
Bye
I like how he mentions that in the US most men feel pressure to look stronger and people think it’s normal and expected for men, which can make men dissatisfied with their bodies
Semaj Patterson
This is because of Media
We have to promote heath (which actually results on beauty too) and self confidence and appreciation
Yea people expectation is growing higher....can you imagine theres a time that having a stable job is good enough for dating....nah wtf today expectation are ridiculous and the entertainment industry doesnt make it easier from romantic movie to anime theres always exagerated trait of some sort yes most people doesnt take that seriously but some do and if they suceed the some people will think was i aiming too low im not saying who wrong its not one group (its all of us) im just saying it happens
Nowadays isnt the standard 2k+ while minimum wage is like 1k or ofc substitute with other "heavier" expectation like looking handsome muscular body etc its def not bad in fact its quite reasonable but its indirectly causing people to do more extreme methods
Wonderful inclusion of EDs not related to body image, it really helps change the public's outlook. I would however have mentioned Binge eating disorder (BED) since it is defined in the DSM-5 and is not related to body image. ☺
i agree and BED would have probably been useful to mention as its also to do with consuming lots of food challenging the stereotype of people with eating disorders purging or restricting their diet
I agree. BED is so often overlooked, or just dismissed as people being greedy or lazy. Would have been fantastic to have had it addressed here.
I was disappointed that BED was completely left out. It’s one of - and perhaps THE most common eating disorders. Except most people with BED are not aware it’s an actual disorder. Plus there’s a TON of stigma around it. Look at TH-cam videos about super skinny anorexic type bodies and people express concern and see it as an illness. Videos about fat people have very different comments. The person is seen as lazy, a slob, and far far worse. It’s seen as a character failing. The bigger the person, the worse the comments. It’s awful.
I too was super disappointed to not see this mentioned.
@@carasachs4004 It's even worse because the other side of the coin is the extremists in the "body positivity" movement, who are in denial of the health risks of obesity and morbid obesity, and that a lot of these people might have BED. It is horrible that the media has negativity on all sides when it comes to fat people, and that being fat devalues them as a person, but it's also seen as a crime to get help for a problem they might have.
arfid explains so much lmao when i was younger i was violently terrified of throwing up so i ate as little as possible (preteen logic: if there's no food in my stomach there's nothing i can throw up) thank u for this
Nele K mood. I never underate much because I was scared of throwing up but I was definitely terrified of throwing up.
When I was little I was always forced to finish my meals by school. Now I always try to finish my food, even if it means I feel sick after, because I feel like I have to finish the food. I’m learning to finish eating when I feel full, but it’s difficult
Something I find very helpful is to give myself small portions at a time that I know I can finish. I remind myself that leftovers can be a meal for later or tomorrow. I hope this helps.
I had the same issue. In eating disorder treatment, they taught us that parents doing this to their kids disrupts their "hunger cues" and therefore have trouble in the future knowing when it's okay to stop eating.
My mum forced me to finish all my food as a child & I struggle to know my hunger cues these days as an adult, I now am going to see an obesity dr as it has really messed up my life not helped by being called fat from when I was 4 years old. It's frustrating & I feel like it needs to be discussed more. Yes, my school also would punish us if we didn't eat all our food & another child told on us.
My grandma did the same thing to me once. But it was because I was being a bratty 7 year old who thought I could make my own plate. When. She tried to fix my plate so it didn't have as much on my plate, told me I can out more on it if I wanted more after I finished the first one, and I snapped at her. she went, okay, but you're not leaving the table until you finish it. I agreed. The plate wasn't even half gone when I couldn't eat any more. True to her word, she made me sit there and eat it. I had spaghetti coming out of ears, I was crying, sick, hating her all the while, and I can't remember if I did finish it hahaha.
Guess what I never did again? I always put what I know I can finish on my plate and no more, even now and I'm 30.
I tend to try to finish plates other people make for me too, even when I'm full. Just because I feel like I should finish it, but I won't make myself sick if someone else put my plate together. I'll pack it up for eating later.
I am actually thankful she taught me to be more restrictive of what I put on my plate. It's harder to over eat of you don't have a mountain of food, you waste less, and if you're hungry, you can always get more. 7 yr old me was a brat. Hell, I'm still a brat, but I pick my battles better.
I think the key difference on my experience was this was a one time thing, and it was because I made the plate myself. I wasn't forced to eat a plate someone else made for me. I tend to do so, because as a kid we didn't have a ton of money, so we would eat anything we were given really. Granted, I was still a picky eater.
We also had a lot of family living together at one point because my aunt didn't have a place to live for a bit. So we had 10 people in our dinky little home for about a year. You at fast, so you can have a second plate. So I eat all my plate and fast.
Not sure if that's unhealthy or not, but I know how much to eat to be full, even if my body doesn't realize it's been fed yet-the result of eating fast, your mind hasn't quite caught up yet.
Think many of my eating habits are from more of not wanting to spend money, than the food itself.
Thank you THANK YOU for bringing awareness to OSFED. Its so incredibly important that we acknowledge that eating disorders are not "one size fits all" and that patients can have any body types, be any gender or age, and can be any size. We can't assume someone's health based on how they look.
This comment is what I was looking for. It also can relate to parental behavior like my father's eating habits to eat everything. I learned to eat everything and I'm still trying to set boundaries
Thanks for talking about ARFID, it feels like no one has ever heard of it and its so hard for people to understand it.
I just avoid the topic and try to change the conversation best I can. I’m increasingly just avoiding social interaction for fear of being asked to eat somewhere I’m not comfortable in...
I should get help
Amber Oakheart It's talked about a lot in the autistic community
I feel you 100%, not even my doctor knew what it was and she had to look it up in front of me
So much food isn't healthy anymore.
Can't trust others. They're not trying to hurt me, they just don't think they are. I know myself. I know why I have to be this way.
I know what you mean,. I'm glad he brought it up. I hate having it
You really feel warmth and sincerity at the end when recommending help. It's not just filled with triggering photos and then bye, they actually really want to help and that's sweet
Thank you. I have ARFID and I’m a 33-year-old cis woman. I often don’t intend to lose weight and I’m happy with my body in general. However, sometimes certain foods repulse me. I have sensory filtering issues, and mushy textures are a problem. I wind up accidentally losing weight to an unhealthy extent sometimes or not getting adequate nutrients.
Also, I know a lot of transgender men and AFAB non-binary people who suffer from anorexia due to gender dysphoria. They do not feel comfortable having breasts, so they may severely restrict eating in order to prevent breast growth.
Thank God I didn't know about that breast growth thing when I was a teen! I otherwise would've starved myself half to death just to dodge the dysphoria.
I almost cried when ARFID was brought up, it's so unknown and no one ever knows about it when I try to explain, I'm just really damn happy that it was brought up, it makes me feel real
I felt the same way! And it sucks when people just chalk it up to me being picky or me not liking something and it's so frustrating.
@@kaelastevens4431 All doctors I've seen so far in my life have just written it down as picky eater on my papers, both me and my mother have tried desperately to explain, but due to me not being concerningly over or under weight, they refuse to write that I have an eating disorder anywhere. It's frustrating beyond belief that countless doctors just ignore me because I don't fit the standard eating disorder "body types" (note that eating disorders don't HAVE specific body types, but all doctors I've seen so far don't agree)
@@mistythemysterious in my case I've never really had an issues with the doctors. I'm really sorry that you have to go through that and I hold on hope for you that they will eventually learn not to judge a book by its cover and understand that they don't know everything there is to know about medicine or psychology. 😞 For me it's educating other people about ARFID, my Father still believes that I'm just being picky. It's gotten to the point when if there's anyone interested in learning about it and how it works, he will kinda just dismiss everything I've told that person, and also occasionally tell me that no one wants to hear about it. (I don't push it on to people I just answer their questions when they come up and satisfy their curiosity.)
@@kaelastevens4431 Just thought I'd give an update about my situation since it's a happy one! So I've been switched between a lot of psychiatrists lately due to issues at the department they work at or something, but that's not important, what IS important is that the newest one actually listened to me and my mom! She not only knew what ARFID was when we were like "yeah you probably haven't heard of it but it's real we swear", but she used to work at a treatment facility out of state that specialized in eating disorders and one of them was ARFID! She kept asking us if we had tried going somewhere for treatment, to which my mom told her that no doctor has listened and even going to a special treatment program place in town declined us because I "didn't sound like something that fits their criteria" and she was just as annoyed as us. My case isn't as severe as some and I am able to maintain a pretty healthy body with my limited food options and my supplements, but she recommended some places and programs for treatment, as she didn't want me to feel alone or left out when I leave for collage. It was really refreshing and I was riding that high for days lol, then I figured I should pop in here and let people know that while this is still an ongoing process, there ARE people out there who know, who are on your side and will be outraged at the lack of acknowledgement you've gotten in the past if any.
@@mistythemysterious OMG I'm so happy for you! I'm really glad you found someone who will listen to you! Thank you so much for letting me know!!
This is an excellent video, thank you so much Hank! I had ARFID for the first 16 years of my life. I would eat basically nothing other than very plain, basic foods because I was too afraid of trying anything new. I was afraid that it would cause me to throw up, or that it would just be unpleasant. I was pretty underweight, and might have contributed to my slow development and late puberty. When I was 16, I finally went to therapy for it and after so long, I finally started trying new things. I'm 20 now, and I'm still what you would call a little bit of a picky eater. I dislike sauces and some strong things, but I've branched out a whole bunch, am trying new things I'd never thought I'd eat, and am no longer underweight. Thank you for helping to bring light to something that people dismiss as just picky eating and scoff at!
I feel like he completely avoided the other side of eating disorders, eating too much and being unable to recognise when they've had too much.
:)
He's done a BED episode
I bet there's a correlation between RFID and autism due to sensory sensitivities
That's the first thing that popped into my head when I saw that, too. Especially considering the fact that it's more often seen in guys, and Autism is more common in males.
I’m autistic and I agree. I won’t eat foods that have a weird texture.
@@foxcheetah6035 its roughly equal in males and females, females and males show different symptoms however and most people are only aware of the male signifiers, making it more difficult to identify in females.
@@nigellien7511 is right. Women and girls can present it so differently they can slip through the cracks of getting diagnosed. I spent 27 years being told I was fine but knew there was something off. People just don't understand the symptoms and convincing masking females do, but it's getting better! And yes, definitely a correlation -- I've got ARFID -- totally a sensory issue.
The Golden Summer Rose yes. I was diagnosed with ARFID which helped us to discover the fact that I have autism. Girls are usually diagnosed later on or never
Oh damn ARFID is almost never mentioned in ED videos I feel included for once.
Riley aroha same ! It’s very rare that I hear in mentioned .
Yeah I'm kind of shocked I haven't heard of it until now :/
a fellow aroha💜
I’m starting to think I have it now that he mentioned it. All of the symptoms he talked about were things I’d been experiencing since I was 3 or 4. People always think I’m just a picky eater, but it’s more than that. Even now though, I’m scared to tell my doctor or family, because I feel like they’ll think it’s an excuse for me not to try new foods...
I've been suffering with ARFID for the last 3 years in therapy twice a week. When I saw this video I prayed that it included it and it did :) finally some conversation about it!
I used to go days without eating because nothing sounded good or I didn't like what was offered and it took me 8 or 9 years to realize that I have an eating disorder. I am so lucky that all of my friends are so caring and concerned and always make sure that I've eaten at least one proper meal that day and if I haven't they'll make me something. I get super sick when I don't eat so I'd willingly throw up for 3 days instead of eating a piece of toast because of my ED. No one made me feel bad or sick or weak or fake or attention seeking when I came forward about my problem. They've all tried their absolute best to make me feel safe and taken care of. Idk where I'd be without my support system. I hope other people seek help and surround themselves with a support system that truly cares about them and their health.
When I restrict my calorie intake, I eat paper. Or I'll eat food and then spit it out. Like the feeling of hunger, of feeling too weak. But then I also love food sometimes. My intentions with my body are insane.
I know this vid’s almost a year old but I just had to say thank you so much for helping me find the name for my eating disorder. I’m on the autism spectrum and I’ve had ARFID symptoms pretty much my whole life and still do to this day (I’m almost 19), but I never knew there was a name for it. I always thought I was just some kind of freak of nature by being so anxious around food, so thank you for letting me know I’m not alone here
I've learned that issues with food is rather common with autism, so its not surprizing if you have that combo.
I’m so glad somebody finally mentioned Diabulimia. It used to be a huge problem for me.
I have to say the video didn't explain it very well. Is it more than a person with bulimia also having diabetes?
Limi V If they are insulin dependent, they can not take it as indicated, which leads to weight loss, but also their diabetes not being controlled, which can lead to irreversible kidney damage and even death.
I’m just a wee bit nervous about this. My brother has had weight problems since puberty. It was like a switch got flipped. Now he’s diabetic. He’ll lose weight and it’ll be so difficult for him. With his regimens, someone else could lose five pounds, but he’ll maybe lose one. I think he gets it from my mother, who’s metabolism was really messed up due to her thyroid. Then he’ll end up gaining it back, plus some. It’s continued for years. I’m just nervous if he realized what he might “achieve,” if he messed with his meds, he would be more than tempted to try it. If he lost sufficient weight, he might not be diabetic anymore, so I can just hear his argument for it right now. But last year he was in stage two kidney failure, so I really hope to God this wouldn’t happen. It just makes me nervous. I hope he’s already realized it and outmaneuvered the temptation.
Limi V it’s where a type one diabetic (insulin dependent) cuts their insulin dosing in order to lose weight. A diabetics blood sugar will rise without insulin and high blood sugars cause your body to starve aka lose weight. It’s *extremely* dangerous because not only are they starving themselves to death, long term high blood sugars cause damage to the whole body resulting in organ failure or loss of limbs. It’s hard to spot, because no one can constantly see your not taking insulin, and you can lie to your doctor about it and you can 'get away' with eating in front of people.
It’s really hard not to have problems with mental health and eating disorders when you’re a diabetic. I’ve been diabetic nearly 10 years and I definitely have done a lot of disordered eating and binging. When everything has to be so controlled it can really get to you.
I hadn't heard of it before, but I think specialists in diabetes or other diseases that are managed with a diet really need to be aware of possible eating disorders developing in their patients. I've got a different type of diabetes, entirely managed by being on a diet currently, and that fucked me up. I'd probably call what I got in response orthorexia - an unhealthy preoccupation with eating the "right way", and had trouble getting taken seriously with that, since I was loosing weight and that's deemed good for diabetics. Never mind that I was never very overweight to begin with (and even that was only due to meds) and actually lost so much I became underweight. I was miserable, afraid of eating and losing weight I didn't want to lose, and it was really scary that everyone just praised how good I was doing.
thank you for raising awareness for EDs :)
Erectile Dysfunction? 🙄
@@tonicrvnts no meant eating disorders
I have ARFID and it's so rare to see people talking about it so I just want to thank you for bringing it up. Many people just tell me that I'm picky and need to "grow up" like omg I wish I could've thought of that!! It's not that easy and no one seems to understand it, so thank you for spreading awareness of it :)
I’m really happy to have learned about arfid. I went to a science camp a few years ago that was six weeks long, and I just kept having issues with the few food options I had available. I knew something was wrong, because I hit a point where I could only manage to eat salad, soup, bread, or things with chocolate in them. I definitely wasn’t getting enough protein, and I ate the same set of things every day. I recovered after returning home and getting away from the stress of the camp, but I’ve always known that I moved into a dangerous area at that time, and I’ve never known exactly what it was.
Interesting! You guys should do a similar video on Sleep Disorders.
I have an exam on the psychology of sleep tomorrow. Two months until I graduate!
Good luck!
@@devifitz5195 Thank you!
Elastichedgehog you got this!
Yes! People seem to think insomnia is the only kind of sleep disorder in existence. It's really annoying
I’d love that. I have hallucinations when I wake up at least once a week. Usually less than ten seconds, visual only. I thought I was perhaps starting to show signs of Schizophrenia, since I’m at an age it can start to crop up for women. Then I realized since my grandmother had epilepsy, I had the gene, and it can express as epilepsy or narcolepsy. And hallucinations upon waking, paired with feeling as tired when I wake up as when I go to bed, and it being basically impossible to keep a sleep schedule, they’re all big red flags. There’s a lot of interesting ways the brain can malfunction around sleep, like not paralyzing you during dreaming (my dad has that issue; he dreamed he was in a fight and he smacked mom when she was trying to wake him up; he was horrified!). They’ve covered sleep paralysis, but they could mention it and link the video. It’s such an interesting subject.
Well I'm nearly positive I have ARFID I'm gonna go take the screening test
thanks scishow
Hope you get the help you need
I know a friend who meets those criteria to a T and now I'm very worried about him
Same here. All my life I’ve been “picky” with food, to the point of going without eating if something I liked to eat wasn’t available. Having to try new foods is super anxiety-inducing for me, even now at 26. I always kind of thought it was a side affect of the OCD I deal with, and maybe it is, but it does feel vindicating to hear it described in others.
I hope you get treatment, I am going to look into this now too
Nick Williams I also have OCD and am generally super restricted about eating, so perhaps it is possible that ARFID and OCD could be common co-morbidities.
@@Starfloofle I hope your friend can get help if he needs it. You could try gently bringing it up sometime, like 'hey, I noticed you're not eating so much, are you doing okay?'. (And I don't know how old you are, but if you're under 18, it wouldn't hurt to mention this to a trusted adult.)
I'm so glad to see someone covering arfid. I've always dealt with it and it's caused me so many issues whenever I go out to eat or try to be healthy... Thanks for making us more visible.
I know it's really common but thank you for addressing Anorexia Nervosa the way you did. I've had so many people tell me that I couldn't have been anorexic due to my weight now, but thats not what it is. Our roommate tried to tell me that it's a body type too...
Thank you for talking about ARFID
Where were the OVER eating disorders???
The most obvious symptoms would involve body configuration, weight, fat, obesity, maybe organ failure/distress from overconsumption - not the underlying psychological disorder.
@@pwnmeisterage theres the overwhelming sense of guilt but sure thats totally not a psychological symptom.
@@asteri8299 its kinda just common sense tho
@@chaoskind9012 i guess its also common sense that u shouldnt vomit your food out when youre done
or that u shouldnt starve yourself to the point of killing yourself?
oh yeah and its also common sense that u shouldnt cut your wriest just because youre sad
you have a pretty flawed way of thinking about this stuff
Binge Eating Disorder (which is not Bulimia) is one. Over eating disorders are to do with the structure/how foods are consumed. Being obese and general over eatig isnt an eating disorder, but BED is. It has a specific pattern and is a distressive and disruptive part of an otherwise healthy lifestyle. it is characterised by a minimum of twice a week for a minimum of 2 months, eating rapidly in 2 hours or less an amount that is out of character and excessive for that person, even if the person was not actually hungry in the first place, feeling out of control or compelled to eat without the ability to stop during the episode; being unable to stop, despite physical discomfort. Feeling guilt and shame over their actions, eating alone and concealing any evidence of their eating. No compensatory action specific to the binges (excessive exercise, severe dietary restriction outside bingeing, etc). You can google for the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria if you're curious to know more. Its really quite frustrating and unpleasant to live with. Eating disorders involving weight gain just dont seem to be addressed due to the overall weight gain of society. they get lost in the general overconsumption of food that is becoming the norm.
im 20 and have ARFID. i was only diagnosed last fall but i think ive had it my whole life. on top of that i have generalized anxiety disorder, chronic lyme disease, and GERD, all of which also affect my stomach.
ive had to take long breaks from school, be hospitalized, rely completely on ensure shakes and at one point a feeding tube. i throw up twice a week on average and it's never on purpose. i dont like how i look but it's not bc of body dysmorphia. i hate that im so skinny and ill looking. my face looks sunken in and everything is bony. i weigh the same amount as i did at age 9.
my relationship with food is not healthy. i can only eat if there's a TV on so that i dont have to think ab the fact that im eating.
the worst part is that no one knows what ARFID is and no one recognizes that im sick and feel sick constantly. im still laughed at every time i go out to a restaurant or party for wanting the plainest, most tasteless food possible or no food at all. im still treated like a whiny picky eater. im still always told that im sooooo skinny and it makes me feel bad about myself but im supposed to say thank you. sometimes i tell them it's bc i have an eating disorder called ARFID and they tell me "i wish i had that so i could lose weight!"
i appreciate the awareness raised in this video. i hope anyone reading this is staying safe and healthy and happy. please be kind to yourself and to one another.
I have AFRID, PANS, and Lyme and I totally get you, it may feel like your the only person in the world but your not. I hope your doing better now but I know first hand that even three years hardly puts a dent in treatment
It took me 7 years of recovery to get over ARFID, I'm so glad to have gotten myself out of it!
im so happy for you !!
there's hope?? would you mind explaining how you overcame it? i realize this is a very sensitive question and you absolutely don't have to answer that i just feel stuck and like i'm doomed to eat the way i do know for the rest of my life
I've had ARFID my entire life and I can't imagine recovering from it, though I want to badly. I'm so happy you did so!
Congratulations! 👏🏻💗
I have been wanting you guys to make a video about for a while already, I'm so happy you guys finally got to it.
You neglected to mention Binge Eating Disorder, also listed in DSM5. It can be life threatening.
What is that?
@@conlon4332 - BED is a disorder where the person just keeps eating to their detriment, even past the point of fullness. There is no elimination like vomiting or excessive exercise as seen in bulimia.
I spent the whole video waiting for you to mention what I have. These last few years I began realizing more and more that I must have an eating disorder but I didn't know of any disorder that fit my symptoms. When the disorders you presented all talked about body image I started to lose hope. And then you got to arfid and I could finally, FINALLY put a name on it. All of my life I have just been dismissed as a "picky eater" and I never thought it was fair to call me picky for not wanting to eat things that literally make me throw up as soon as they touch my tongue. Knowing that even just a few people in the world acknowledge that it's a disorder means so much to me. I would like to thank the whole SciShow team for making this episode. I have been watching the channel since 2012 but this has gotta be my favorite one so far.
I've always had difficulties with eating disorders.
I never knew about ARFID until now.
I have always been a picky eater, but to extremes due to texture. It used to be severe where I didn't eat 70% of foods because they were " slimy " or " goey ".
When I was 8, I had a huge fear of choking for about 3 months before I fainted. I did go to a doctor but was told that I just needed to get over it.
I have struggled with anorexia and orthorexia ( orthorexia is my worst struggle at the moment. )
Just know, if you have had an eating disorder in the past, keep watch over yourself. Eating disorders can swap forms.
Keep fighting my friend, you are a really strong person for going through and acknowledging such a scary disorder. How are you dealing with it?
Why did you not talk about Binge Eating Disorder?
Maybe they're planning on an expansion video like pt2.
Episode length, maybe
I was wondering about that too
It's a pretty important one, I'm surprised it was skipped.
Maybe they didn't want to be called fatphobic or told they were fat-shaming? The majority of folks with BED are overweight/obese and idk if that's why they didn't mention it but with the current social climate I wouldn't be surprised at their hesitance
So.. I think I may have ARFID to some extent, as that description kinda hit me in the face...
That may well be a good kick for me, thank you.
I had a similar feeling, at least of me before about a month ago, when I found a vegetable I can eat. I spent 21 years of life surviving only because of multivitamins and feeling constantly exhausted.
For reference, once you find a way to get all your vitamins in your diet in a pleasurable way, everything about life gets so much better.
It's a lot more common than people like to think about, and it's rather stigmatizing in my personal experience. Try eating new foods that are less scary, a little at a time, and work your way towards the scarier ones. Also, you don't have to eat the ones that are absolutely terrifying. I refuse under any circumstances to eat mushrooms (and make up lots of jokes as to why I won't eat them, but it's really the disorder), but I'll make myself try a few things here and there. It's very helpful to have a supportive girlfriend who does eat lots of different foods and who encourages me to try new ones, but it's also good that she doesn't make me try them when it's too much for me.
Here are a few questions I recommend asking yourself when it comes to new foods:
When was the last time I tried something new?
Is this something I'm a little uncomfortable with, or is this terrifying, or does this seem poisonous, or does this seem like it's not food?
Is this something that is commonly eaten by others without problems?
Trying new meats is easy for me, trying a new fruit or grain can be a little tricky sometimes, trying a new desert can range from tricky to scary, and trying a new vegetable ranges from scary to impossible, but it's possible to get a less restricted diet over time with some effort and a lot of support. DM me if you have any questions about my own experiences with this.
You should check out this guy, his videos are actually really helpful: www.felixeconomakis.com/
@@NewMoonStarlight Out of curiosity, what veggie was it?
This is a difficult thing to get across to people some times, I have always been a "picky" eater but it isn't just that, the fear is all to real. One thing that has helped me branch out is to try and NOT THINK as I am about to try a new food, if I can just pop it in my mouth and start chewing that can make it less scary, then if I don't like it I can just spit it out. Some times that first step is the hardest, but there are some things I thought I would hate that I can now tolerate.
I don‘t want this to be more common than I think, I don‘t want anyone to feel the same, not even my worst enemy.
I honestly teared up when you mentioned ARFID. I have it, and it's just so, so good to hear it acknowledged. I also used to struggle with Pica, which is eating or wanting to eat something that isn't food - for me that was cardboard, and it's been seven years since my last relapse.
I have Binge Eating Disorder and I couldn’t count the number of times people have said something along the lines of, “you’re just overweight and that’s why you eat too much”. Mental disorders are vast and complex. It’s not just about food.
It's overlooked and not taken seriously enough. Such a shame they didn't even mention it in this video.
Food addiction/bingeing can be just as dangerous as everything else you mentioned.
THANK YOU for covering ARFID! It's something I've struggled with my whole life (I'm 19) and it's so hard to describe to people, so having an easy video to link to people with a timestamp is... honestly kind of a lifesaver! It made me so happy to hear you talk about it! Thank you!
You only talked about one side of the spectrum; not enough food intake. Their are disorders at the other end of the spectrum you know; too much food intake.
Because “healthy at all sizes”
He talked about bulimia.
@@marin4311 Bulimia is a restrictive, vast majority of the time, weight loss type disorder. Those who have it do not have enough food intake. There was nothing mentioned about the excess intake disorder side of the spectrum.
Susan Falconer bulimia is an eating disorder that is characterized by episodes of excessive eating followed by compensatory behaviours. most suffers are of a normal weight or overweight. i do not think it is a restrictive ED
MARIN That is one disorder that involved periods of binging, not the full spectrum of eating disorders
wow this was really intense, I didn't know people were having experiences like these. thanks for making this topic more public, and for focusing in on awareness being the first step to change, balance and increasing calm & happiness. seems important.
When I was 9 I was afraid of getting sick from the food I ate and over the course of around a month? I lost 20 of my 90 pound weight. I had no idea ARFID was even a thing, so thanks
Also I’ve been fine for a long time now :)
AMAZING video! I actually tweeted to you guys about doing an ARFID episode this past summer shortly after I was diagnosed. This is such an important video and I’m so so happy that it’s another tool to help spread awareness about different ED’s
I’ve waited my entire life to hear others talk about ARFID, I only learned about it 2 years ago but I’ve had it for 15 years. I can’t believe it’s becoming more known and understood, and researched. I can’t believe one day I can finally be free of it. It’s amazing
I've recently accepted that I have disordered eating. It sucks, I hate that I focus so much on food.
I was told I have disordered eating. I thought it was BED though. Now I know I'm screwed.
@Arora Thorne Not that easy. I wish it was.
@Arora Thorne mental illnesses are not easy to recover from.
Just recently hospitalised for ARFID, and getting into an eating disorder clinic very soon. Thanks for mentioning it! I wish more people knew about this. It’s something that I’ve struggled with my entire life and only recently have I been able to describe it, and have found people who understand and who will listen to me about it.
I’m so glad you mentioned the fear of choking. I’m doing better now but I used to have a lot of anxiety (to the point of going from ~190-~140lbs @ 6’4 in under 6 months) because I could not make myself eat. I knew it was unhealthy and I was HUNGRY and I wanted to eat but I just couldn’t. I was afraid of choking and food poisoning.
As someone who regularly struggles with episodes of ARFID-like symptoms I found this video really comforting! It's always good to know I'm not the only one :3
Mary Waters You should check out the ARFID subreddit. Small but really nice community.
@@EnitVal Thank you for the information! its always nice to find people you can relate to, now im invested in reddit haha
There are a few elements of eating disorders that I wished you had addressed (maybe good fodder for a future video):
Orthorexia: a preoccupation with eating healthy foods and its related practice of obsessive diet planning, even if not to the point of malnutrition
Societal attitudes about fatness: for many people, losing weight is viewed as a necessary thing for health or moral goodness, e.g. the association of fatness with laziness
I've been investigating ARFID for myself and I am so darn happy you mentioned it! I have autism and heard that ARFID is more common in those with autism, I have a fairly limited variety of foods and even have trouble drinking enough. Because of that I've gained weight because my "safe foods" are all junk but whenever I try something new it causes me anxiety and I end up just not having it. Even worse I also have physical limitations in the form of celiac and FODMAP intolerance. It makes eating very annoying and uncomfortable. I also have the issue that if the food I want isn't available it causes a lot of anxiety because I can't just easily have whatever's in the house even if they're "safe foods" because they don't have the right flavour or texture for how I feel at that moment. If I try to force myself to have those foods I run the risk of turning myself off them... I don't know if I have ARFID or if my issues with food aren't severe enough to count (I also have other issues with food like cravings and emotional eating) but I also don't know how to get a hold of someone who can make that diagnosis :/. It's especially hard right now with the extreme strain on the psychology profession. So many professionals are quitting and moving on yet there's a high in people seeking help! It makes it all that much more frustrating...
Thank you so much for sharing the resources at the end!
If you’re like me and have ARFID, I suggest looking into occupational therapy in your area. The treatment for this is exposure based sensory integration with food, which can be done through OT.
Unfortunately, because it’s so recent in the DSM, it’s very difficult for adults with ARFID to seek treatment. Especially since OT is usually focused on children and fine motor skills. Good luck!
How do we increase accessibility to treatment bc THAT IS A HUGE PROBLEM
It's practically non-existent for people over 25. Somehow I guess we're supposed to age out of it?
blackswan1983 Not to mention people who aren’t clinically underweight. BMI shouldn’t be part of any of the diagnostic criteria, nor treatment.
People think it isn’t an emergency when someone’s weight isn’t low but that’s not true.
Talking about eating disorders I find is one of the most effective steps in the long run for awareness that leads to access. I talk about mine with no shame towards myself and it, like I would with any type of illness, physical or mental.
There are also support groups and centers for people in recovery. If there isn't one close by, it might possible to start one of your own. It is something I am considering.
Best of luck to you!
@@sourgreendolly7685 Definitely. I was unhealthier in a "healthy" BMI range with bulimia. They should assess by complications.
Thank you for covering ARFID. I'm thrilled to see more people getting to know what it is. I'm 17 years old and struggling with it, but I'm trying my best to get better.
Thank you for publishing this video. I casually stumbled across this in my recommended, but this actually ended up being exactly what I needed to know, so thank you
ARFID sounds like a form of sensory processing disorder. I'm autistic and I have SPD and the way you described ARFID is almost one to one with how my SPD affects my eating habits.
I think they may be related, I've been calling my "picky eating" a sensory issue for a while just because I didn't know how to explain it.
AFRID is common in autistics and people with SPD yes but can occur without.
@Anne-Lou You can treat sensory overload as it has to do with ion channel diseases. Also AFRID is very much associated with anxiety ( and truma?! ) which you could do something about ( e.g.: familial attitudes, school stress... )
@Anne-Lou I'm not a therapist but my 6 year old son has autism (fairly high functioning, verbal, etc.) and for 90% of things we don't change his environment. I'll give an example: We have a big, extended family, so we attend a lot of birthdays. My son absolutely hated the volume level and off key singing associated with "happy birthday". At 2 he would scream, at 3 he would shout "no singing please!", at 4 he would go to the other room, and by 5 he would stay in the room but wouldn't participate, and at his 6th birthday he actually sang with everybody. We didn't change the social rules of birthday parties, we exposed him to them and eventually he began to cope. Also receiving cake afterwards certainly created a positive association I'm sure lol
Ashley Newland my parents thought i had spd forever until i got told i basically have arfid!! still wonder if i might have spd as well 🤔🤷♀️
Athlete body dysmorphia is almost too common within lifters. Even I see myself as super thin while at bmi 22
Try some other sports like gymnastics to cure yourself of the bs.
@@clray123 It's not that easy. If it was that simple he wouldn't be struggling.
@You Should See Her In A Crown What I'm saying is that the "must gain muscle weight" attitude is a mental sickness related to certain sports, and perpetuated by their practitioners. It doesn't exist beyond this particular community (never heard of a runner who is obsessed about their too low BMI), or it assumes the opposite form (e.g. emaciated ballerinas considering themselves too fat).
My heart sunk a bit when you mentioned ARFID... I've always been called a picky eater and that I should just "expand my horizon". But trying new foods can literally send me to tears or close to a panic attack. I always knew there wasn't something right and I'm relieved to see that this is being recognized and I'm not just categorized under "picky".
Thank you!
i was talking to my therapist about my eating problems for a long time and every time she told me i was fine and that i “wasn’t skinny enough” to have an ed. i don’t wanna get into calories or anything cause it’s really triggering but it’s just really sad that even some doctors don’t believe people who know they have an issue.
i had the same conversation with a few of my doctors. it feels like such an insult when i spend everyday feeling sick to my stomach. i know myself and i know when somethings wrong. i worry that it makes some people worse bc they feel like they need to starve themselves just to prove that they need help. i am so sorry you are going through this, i hope things get better 💕
catie thank you i’m doing a lot better in quarantine! i hope you’re doing well!💕💕
Thanks for the shout out for ARFID, had it all my life, and has always dominated my life.