My Journey with ARFID, Autism, ADHD and Food Intolerances
How understanding my body changed the way I live and work
Food can affect our bodies, emotions and everyday lives in deeply individual ways. In this resource, I explore how understanding my body changed the way i live and work with compassion, curiosity and respect for the person behind the symptoms.
If someone had told me as a child that one day I'd be writing articles about food, eating and the relationship between our bodies and our minds, I would never have believed them.
I developed ARFID when I was nine years old, although nobody knew what ARFID was back then. Like so many children of my generation, I was labelled a fussy eater. People thought I was being difficult, stubborn or seeking attention.
Looking back now, after receiving my autism and ADHD diagnoses at the age of 50, I understand my childhood through completely different eyes.
And when your nervous system experiences the world differently, something as ordinary as eating can become incredibly complicated.
As a child, I didn't have the language to explain what I was experiencing.
Those comments weren't intended to be cruel, but they completely misunderstood what I was experiencing.
The aim is not to create fear around food or encourage unnecessary restriction. It is to help people notice patterns, understand the difference between allergy and intolerance, and make informed decisions with appropriate support.
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Testing should be considered alongside symptoms, clinical history and appropriate professional advice. A food allergy can be serious: suspected immediate allergy symptoms require medical assessment. IgG food-reactivity testing is different from diagnostic IgE allergy testing and remains debated, so results should not be used alone to diagnose illness or begin a highly restrictive diet.
By Maggie Learoyd
Psychotherapist | ADHD, Autism & ARFID Specialist
Founder of Space to Breathe Therapy
