The first priority in ARFID treatment is ensuring that a person is meeting their basic nutritional needs. This often starts with introducing foods that feel “safe”—ones that the individual can tolerate and are less likely to trigger anxiety. Once an initial, balanced eating pattern is established, the focus shifts to the individual’s specific experiences and goals.

While diagnoses can provide useful frameworks for understanding a person’s experience, they often don’t capture the full picture

As an eating disorder therapist, I’m going to share my expertise on three ways Avoidant Retractive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is different from picky eating.