Is diet and nutrition essential for healing?

This is a question constantly on my mind since I have ARFID(Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)

My diet is terrible and always has been since graduating from baby food.  I’m just curious if I’ll go back to how I was without changing my diet because it’s not possible for me without professional help. 

Hi Stereo,

 

From all I’ve read it is very helpful to have a diet full of whole, unprocessed foods. I would think you have two options: 1) get that professional help 2) stay as you are and accept that it may take a bit longer to recover.

 

I would try to avoid adding stress to your life by letting this become a big issue. You will heal in time whichever way you go and very few people can implement all of the best practice suggestions in every area.  Just push forward as best you can and feel good about what you are doing.

 

 

Thank you for the reply Give me hope.  I think I’m just stressed because it’s a pretty rare problem and I kept seeing how diet has helped so many.  I’d be so upset if I couldn’t get better because of it.  I definitely need professional help and was looking at CBT since it was recognized as an actual problem in the 5th edition of DSM in 2013. The problem is that I’m not in my right mind at the moment to even go see a therapist or anything.  Thanks for giving me hope that I can heal regardless even if that means it’ll take more time. Unfortunately I can’t take out unprocessed foods since that’s all I eat but I can add things through supplements and vitamins if any are known to help the brain during this process.

Dont fret alot about diet at this point .  I fought anorexia for years but finally became manageable in the 80's so LONG time ago . During the final years of my taper I stopped eating due to extreme discomfort . My fam thought it was the ED returning but it was not  and I even had a scope to rule out other things , but it was this .

We talk alot about our nervous systems here and in my case it was not an eating disorder but actually gastroparesis from the dysautonomia. The only way I can eat at this point is by following a gastroparesis diet , soft/damp things , small amounts and NO FIBER , just none . I fill up way too fast and nothing moves . I walk a ton and take warm showers to help also .

 

I tell you if it had not been for deviled ham or the chicken spread they make I don't know that I would have made it this far . Everything has to be ground . I am not doing any red meat , I can do most chicken if ground up and small fish filet's , soft white bread only etc etc .  I can handle small amounts of canned fruits and some canned/ extremely cooked vegetables , but my digestive system was hit hard by this .

Thank you for the reply Give me hope.  I think I’m just stressed because it’s a pretty rare problem and I kept seeing how diet has helped so many.  I’d be so upset if I couldn’t get better because of it.  I definitely need professional help and was looking at CBT since it was recognized as an actual problem in the 5th edition of DSM in 2013. The problem is that I’m not in my right mind at the moment to even go see a therapist or anything.  Thanks for giving me hope that I can heal regardless even if that means it’ll take more time. Unfortunately I can’t take out unprocessed foods since that’s all I eat but I can add things through supplements and vitamins if any are known to help the brain during this process.

 

Stereo,

 

You can heal even with your diet. All of these best practice things are just the ideal, not the essential. I think low stress is an even bigger help to recovery so stop stressing about this aspect and just focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t.

 

Good luck

 

G