Hi, my name is Rebecca.
I have struggled with ARFID/SED for a very long time. I am 19. I think I started showing symptoms when I was a toddler. I remember being able to happily eat apples and cheese.
I don't know what started my symptoms but it totally turned everything around. Like most of you guys, I am limited to what my friends often tell me is "a 12 year old's birthday party" diet. I often feel lucky that my friends recognize it as something else at all. My whole life I have been totally ridiculed and shunned and blamed for my eating habits. As a kid, I had no idea what was "wrong with me", and constantly tried to find reasons or excuses to eat the way I do. I was often punished by my parents too, some of which I don't remember at all, but I do remember a lot of nights spent alone in my room, crying, because I couldn't eat the Chow Mein my mum cooked. After many doctor visits and seeing a dietitian I took it into my own hands and started doing some digging. That's how I found out about this. Wow. It blew my mind. I always felt so out-cast and alone, but it isn't just me. This stuff is deeply psychological. Deeply. It hurts that other people don't recognize that, for me, at least. It has taken its toll on my mental health (social anxiety, OCD symptoms, feeling depressed, etc) but my most rock bottom was standing in the bathroom and feeling so disgusting and awful and alone and wanting to throw everything up in the toilet and call it a day. I didn't. It's so hard. People need to look beyond the "picky eating" part and dig a little deeper. I don't want pity from the people around me - I want so badly for some acceptance and recognition. I struggle with this a lot too. Friends will often brush off the severity of it, of how I feel especially. Hence a lot of teasing, even light-hearted, it hurts me.

I will say, I've come a very long way. I have been experimenting and trying in tiny baby steps, where-ever I can. It is very slow, but I am relieved to be taking steps in the right direction. I still have a very long way to go. The path ahead is kind of frightening. But I want this more than anything. I have already been to psychiatrists (though I recently moved so I should start searching for a new one, they helped me SO much in facing my eating).
This is just my story. I need a platform to share, especially one where people might take me seriously. Thank you for taking the time to read - and sorry if I got a little dark in there. I'm doin' alright, and it will get better.