DR MARIANNE MILLER
CARING EATING DISORDER TREATMENT IN SAN DIEGO AND THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, AND WASHINGTON D.C. FOR ADULTS & TEENS
Living With Adult ARFID: The Relationship Challenges No One Talks About
When most people hear the term ARFID, or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, they often imagine children. ARFID is commonly misunderstood as a temporary phase of picky eating. In reality, many adults live with ARFID as a long-term, serious eating disorder that affects far more than just food. It shapes how people relate to their bodies, their emotions, and their relationships.
Adult ARFID can affect every area of life, including dating, long-term partnerships, parenting, friendships, and professional settings. Such relationship challenges are rarely discussed, even though they are often a source of chronic stress and grief. In this blog post, I explore how adult ARFID intersects with connection, autonomy, and sensory food issues, especially from a neurodivergent-affirming and trauma-informed perspective.
3 Key Ways Your Relationship can Trigger Stress Eating and What to do About It
It’s Valentine’s Day, and it’s important to acknowledge that intimate relationships have highs and lows. The highs are fantastic and amazing (believe me, I know!), and the lows . . .well, they can really suck. Some lows folks don’t often consider is how your relationship can trigger stress eating, emotional eating, or even binge eating. How? There’s a lot of emotional energy swirling around in relationships, and when things aren’t going well, it can feel intense. When you feel intense emotions, you may want a way to numb out or self-soothe or find any kind of escape you can, and food that tastes good does just that. Whether you are celebrating Valentine’s Day or going through a regular workday in Florida, California, or Colorado, being able to identify the relational triggers of stress eating goes a long way to helping your recovery. Here are three key triggers and how you can do something about it.