How to Support a Friend with ARFID

Supporting a friend with ARFID in California [Image description: a woman with her hand on the shoulder of another woman who appears distressed] Represents a potential client getting help for ARFID in California

Maybe you have a friend or coworker who is struggles to eat enough for reasons other than body image–or who eats differently. This struggle to eat or eating difference may be something more than a quirk, but something known as ARFID. It may be frustrating to try to have meals with them, especially if you …

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Feeding a Child with ARFID and a Narrow Range of Foods

Feeding a Child with ARFID in Los Angeles, California [Image description: photo of a girl eating broccoli and rice and looking unhappy] Represents a child with ARFID in therapy in California

Helping a Child with ARFID to Eat Feeding a child with ARFID is challenging and most parents are not adequately prepared. Children with ARFID are not just “picky eaters” and may not respond the same way as other children. Well-meaning advice you may have received—such as, “They will eat when they are hungry,”—often does not …

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ARFID in Children

Therapy for ARFID in Children in California [Image description: a boy eating breakfast of cereal and juice and looking unhappy] Represents a potential client receiving counseling for ARFID in California

Does My Child Have Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)? For the most part, kids are pickier eaters than adults. If your child is a “picky eater” you may be wondering whether their eating is normal or not. You may have heard about Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and wonder whether your child might have …

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Helping Others in Your Life Understand Your ARFID

Helping Others in Your Life Understand Your ARFID [Image description: 4 friends of diverse sizes and skin colors sitting at a picnic table] Represents supportive friends of a potential client seeking help for ARFID in Los Angeles, CA

If you (or your child) have Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), you may have struggled with how to help others in your life understand this little-known disorder and how profoundly it affects you. ARFID can make eating uncomfortable in social situations if you or a child have ARFID. You may experience people trying to …

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Adults with ARFID

Adults with ARFID in Los Angeles, California [Image description: drawing of a woman looking at her food and eating very slowly] Represents a potential adult patient with ARFID seeking counseling in Los Angeles, California

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) was only recognized as a disorder affecting those older than age 6 as recently as 2013. Treatment and recognition of this disorder are in their infancy. Thus, many people with ARFID have lived with it for years without any treatment. Many adults with ARFID have simply had to learn …

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How Diet Culture Can Harm Your Recovery from ARFID

ARFID and Diet Culture in Los Angeles, California [Image desciption: photo of a woman buying bread] Represents a potential eating disorder client in Los Angeles, California standing up to diet culture

by Carolyn Comas, LCSW, CEDS-S, Clinical Supervisor People diagnosed with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) struggle with consuming adequate nutritional intake due to either 1) fear of aversive consequences (i.e choking), 2) low interest in food altogether, or 3) sensory sensitivity to food textures, smells, or appearance. Usually, people with ARFID do not report …

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ARFID Parent Support Group

ARFID Parent Group for parents in any location over Zoom [Image description: purple scrabble tiles spelling: "ARFID Parent Group"]

We welcome parents of children and teens 10 to 20 with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) to our virtual support group. Parenting a child or teen with ARFID is challenging. Feeding a child or teen with ARFID is extremely challenging. Meals may feel like a constant struggle. It’s likely you’ve been given conflicting advice …

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Supporting Your Loved One with ARFID

Supporting a Loved One with ARFID [Image description: woman looking disgusted at bowl of cereal] Represents a potential client with ARFID seeking treatment in Los Angeles, CA

by Carolyn Comas, LCSW, CEDS-S There’s an eating disorder that often gets overlooked amongst the better-known eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder that can involve difficulty tolerating certain foods due to textures, tastes, or smells. It can also manifest as …

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FREE Virtual Adult ARFID Support Group for people in California

Free ARFID Adult Support Group for people in California [Image description: jpeg flyer advertising "Free Virtual Adult ARFID Support Group. Open to people in California, Thursdays, 5 to 6 pm. Email hello@EDTLA.com or call 323-743-1122 before attending. EatingDisorderTherapyLA.com"]

Our FREE Adult ARFID Support Group is currently running and ongoing as of Feb 2023. We have been running for 2.5 years. Group WILL NOT Meet on Thursday, February 15, 2024 Thursday, March 14, 2024 Group conflicts are always listed here. Any Thursdays not noted here, the group is on! ARFID Adult Support Group Meetings …

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