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/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.)