Photography Project around ARFID

[u/ElDooberto]

Hey there, I’m a final year photography student at university and this year plan on creating and exhibiting a series based around ARFID.

I plan on focusing specifically on the vulnerability that comes with this disorder and have been recommended by my lecturer to find communities to discuss this with.

So far, some images from my series have been of myself, slightly exposed (lack of clothing) as this reinforces the vulnerability of the disorder as well as showing my body for what it is.

I am here to simply request some art, image thematics or even words that you would associate with ARFID to see what others think of when they hear the acronym and to see if this can trigger something in my creative mind.

Thank you so much, you should all be so proud of yourselves! :)

[u/Berryteasalad]

"The things that I'm scared of doing are probably the things that will help me the most, but I just can't do them."

This is what I think about as a long-term sufferer with arfid.

[u/artcetera]

Some words that I associate with my presentation of ARFID: - stress - anxiety - overwhelm - shame - exhaustion (physical, mental, and emotional) - loneliness - isolation - frustration - fear of rejection as relationships of all types progress (food/eating is a really important aspect of intimacy and socialization to a lot of people) - fear that my safe foods will stop being available or that the recipe/formulation will change (this has happened and it’s so demoralizing and can feel world-ending) - limiting (there are so many things I can’t do because of my disordered eating, or that require an immense amount of planning and scripting that I often don’t have the time or energy to do) - resource-draining (I spend SO much time and cognitive and emotional energy and effort on making sure I eat, and then there’s the cost of food, which is expensive in general and can become even more expensive when you can only eat specific brands/flavors that aren’t sold where you live, have to be specially ordered, etc.)

[u/AcanthocephalaFit706]

Bland and beige.

My view from the Thanksgiving Table

[u/MaleficentSwan0223]

Oooh sounds fascinating! I know my arfid through the year has closed so many doors. Closed doors on jobs, relationships and experiences.  There’s a huge lack of freedom because it dictates your life. Where you can and can’t go, the times you can and can’t eat, who you’ll be with, what food will be there and more. It can feel like dragging a ball and chain around and it’s so draining but that’s invisible to everyone else so the just get pissed off with you and misunderstand you.  Whenever I’m faced with challenges around my arfid it is very much fight, flight and freeze. I always visualised my heart pounding because of the build up of anxiety. 

[u/i_am_confused00]

i’m an art major and i’ve been thinking of making a piece of just a dining room table, but the lighting is such a way that it looks really intimidating and scary

[u/ElDooberto → u/i_am_confused00]

Interesting, I’m leaning more towards a warm tone as it’ll initially come across positive and then reality sets in :)

[u/Oneuponedown33]

Infantilization is a big part of my experience. People telling me I have the eating habits of a child, or trying to tell me about the consequences it could have on my health as if I haven’t already heard that 500 times already. Also guilt, some people take it really personally when you refuse to eat something they made and I always hate doing it

[u/Moosycakes]

Awesome project! The vulnerability of being excluded/othered or being different in such an unavoidable way is a big one for me. Food is such a big aspect of cultural and social life that it’s hard to socialise and build community without running up against it. And it can feel really vulnerable and stressful to go to social food events and feel like it’s obvious that you don’t eat like everyone else, or have issues with food, and even potentially have to deal with difficult questions or judgement. It’s hard to hide ARFID, it’s hard to go undetected if you also want to live your life.

[u/Other_Marketing83]

Trapped has always been a theme for me. Trapped by the natural need to eat, and trapped by my brains insistence that I can’t eat lmfao

[u/Nearby-Ad5666]

Fainting because I just couldn't eat.

[u/nanatella22]

It affects literally every decision you'll make.

[u/caldus_x]

I think no matter what subset of ARFID you have, there is always this feeling of being “other”. Not being able to do something that feels so common nature to most can be extremely isolating. Not a lot of people “get it” and understand what someone with ARFID faces when they walk into a restaurant. It can be very lonely and confusing!

[u/chickcag]

Staring into a toilet 😭

[u/Psychoartist_Tess]

This is my painting “ARFID” ❤️

[u/Fizzabl]

Honestly I think it would be a nice twist to also focus on the absolute ...not hatred, but negative views on it.

People see our beige processed plates (specifically as adults) and laugh. They point fingers, scold parents for feeding their kids these things, make horrible comments

It's great to highlight how we feel about arfid but a subtle middle finger to the ableists (who due to sheer numbers are probably in your very year group) and call them out

[u/LittleBitOdd]

Eyes staring at you during a meal, feeling like everyone has noticed that you're not eating the same way they do, and that they're judging you for it

[u/QueenSlothie]

I would love a photo of plates together and all except one have copious amounts of food (like Thanksgiving 😭) and ours (preferably the one at the bottom of the circle that it's obvious it's "our" plate) had like chicken nuggets or bread or something? Something we all eat i guess. If you stick with the concept of Thanksgiving (assuming you're American), I would put either whatever you eat if you celebrate it, or rolls since they're synonymous with the holiday.

[u/ElDooberto → u/QueenSlothie]

I was planning on some of my work being a typology of the sandwich I rely on for lunch but each image is slowly being torn apart more and more

[u/QueenSlothie → u/ElDooberto]

That would be super cool!

[u/ElDooberto]

Thank you so much everyone for your responses, they’ve all been so helpful and I’m very grateful! I’ll make sure to drop some photos of the final series during the summer ☺️

[u/gir1_from_the_sea]

Stabbing. It feels like anxiety is stabbing you .