Last year for ARFID Awareness Day I did a post on 5 Ways My ARFID Presents, so this year I thought I’d remind people of that post, which can be found HERE, and also share 5 More Ways My ARFID Presents!
I hope sharing a few of my personal experiences of ARFID might encourage others to share, or at least you might also relate to them, and find comfort in knowing you’re not alone!
Living with my ARFID, and other mental health conditions, is really, really hard, but writing these things out made me feel a bit less ashamed!

1. I really don’t like uncontrollable mixing. I don’t like putting custard with crumble because you don’t know what ratio will be on your spoon. I also don’t like mixes, like ‘cereal with berries’, because the berries are always at the bottom of the packet, and that’s not consistent.

2. I find making decisions around food very difficult. I am constantly searching for a right or wrong.

3. Food is one of my special interests, so I ‘collect’ certain foods and also like to review food generally. This actually helps me make decisions over what to eat because it feels purposeful!

4. I am very sensitive to the environment – I struggle with temperature regulation and feeling comfortable in clothing, and if I don’t feel okay, I don’t feel like eating.

5. I also struggle a lot with executive function. It feels so tiring and stressful sometimes to prepare a meal, because it involves so many different steps, and then when it comes to eating, I have to think about what order to eat the food in, which is overwhelming.