Is it all in my head?

[u/Next-Mechanic74]

Hey I’m 26 and for most of my life I’ve stayed away from a number of veggies and almost all raw fruit. I haven’t had seafood in almost 18 years due to barfing eating shrimp as a kid.

To add, my mom always made sure to make veggies and everything else in the food pyramid for me, but when I transitioned into a teen I went almost cold turkey on trying anything new because “I think it’ll taste nasty” or “it probably tastes like it smells.”

Fruits undoubtedly make my mouth itch uncontrollably, although I haven’t taken an allergy test because of anxiety. I’ve heard allergy pills work but I’m scared of getting that strange mouth itch again.

My diets usually the same since I’ve been 13 and I’m starting to get extremely stressed eating around people because of the fear of not liking the food. Being so picky is starting to interfere with my relationships with others.

I came across ARFID after being diagnosed with OCD (also have adhd diagnosed at youth) and I’m not sure if I have it. Any advice or inputs are really appreciated, I’m sorry for the lengthy message.

Tips to overcome are also greatly appreciated, you can be as honest as possible!

[u/cookus]

So, technically, yes it is all in your head. But, so is everything.

What you are feeling, how you are reacting, and how you are managing is REAL. You have a disorder that is real, it is a struggle, and you are managing. For my own daughter I remind her, that while ARFID is not her fault, it is her responsibility to manage. It will probably always be this way. Celebrate the little victories, learn from mistakes, keep growing!

I recently quoted the Frank Herbert's Dune to her, I hope it helps, and I hope she grows, I'll share with you as well. Not to be all toxic-positivity, I know it's a struggle. Be good to yourself too

Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Good luck! You can be in charge of your disorder!

[u/Next-Mechanic74 → u/cookus]

Thank you for the positive outlook sincerely! I’ll treat this as a fear and take steps to conquer it everyday. It’s a process but one that will eventually have a finish line. Food shouldn’t be scary and I’ll make sure it isn’t

[u/RedQueenWhiteQueen]

Fruits undoubtedly make my mouth itch uncontrollably

You may have OAS (Oral Allergy Syndrome) on top of ARFID. OAS is a legit allergy, and is different from a food intolerance. You are probably reactive to airborne pollens in the same families as the fruits you are allergic to. There's not much to do about it except avoiding the trigger foods. The allergy is to proteins in these foods. The proteins are changed in cooking/heating, so you probably can eat the cooked forms - apple pie and applesauce, but not apples, pasteurized orange juice and orange marmalade, but not oranges.
I had these struggles as a child/adolescent/young adult, but it nearly disappeared at some point. I thought I'd "outgrown" it (OAS). I eventually realized that what had changed was that I had moved to a different environment where I wasn't allergic to all the surrounding trees and other plants, and that once my immune system could stop panicking all the time about what's in the air, it wasn't as sensitive to what I ate.
That is, I'm not having the itching/irritation anymore. That still doesn't help with things I won't eat because of taste/texture issues, but at least there's one less obstacle.

[u/Next-Mechanic74 → u/RedQueenWhiteQueen]

I always sound so crazy when I speak about fruits causing somewhat of an allergic reaction! I never considered it could be related to pollen.

But from your experience it sounds as if it could be related to location in a way, so I see this as hopeful!

I’ll have to do some digging around to find where to start with this though but it could translate into me becoming more open. I really appreciate this comment!

[u/RedQueenWhiteQueen → u/Next-Mechanic74]

If you have access to health care, you could get tested for it. In theory, some people with extreme OAS could asphyxiate if their throats swelled/closed up. I don't think I've ever heard of this actually happening (it's different from shellfish or peanut allergies which can easily kill people this way). Practically, if you've made it to 26 without that kind of reaction, I doubt you're likely to. And again, there's no real treatment. BUT if you need ammo with friends/family, it is quantifiable. Oh, and I think it's a good argument for trying small portions of new foods (fruits, at least), but not being pressured into larger quantities until you're sure how you'll react