Choosing Residential Treatment for ARFID and When It’s Needed
When should you consider ARFID inpatient treatment programs for your eating disorder? Unlike anorexia nervosa and bulimia, ARFID is trickier to identify and treat until you have red flags waving in the wind. It can be hard to tell when picky eating crosses the line into disordered territory and co-occurring conditions may mask its severity.
Residential treatment for ARFID should come when you notice the physical symptoms of a nutritional deficiency. Significant weight loss often comes first, followed by physical symptoms like anemia, low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, and more.
Inpatient care allows you to have 24/7 access to medical care for your nutritional needs, comprehensive mental health assessments, and personalized treatment plans for ARFID. Icarus Behavioral Health can provide all this to help you take the first step toward healing.
Keep reading to learn more about how residential care for ARFID can help when your eating situation (or that of a loved one) becomes untenable.
ARFID: The Newest Eating Disorder in the DSM-5
Our knowledge of the human psyche and the conditions that can develop is constantly evolving. In the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) used to diagnose a variety of illnesses, a newer eating disorder surfaced: avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
Previously, it was known as Feeding Disorder of Infancy or Early Childhood, but it can affect people of all ages. The new name is more inclusive of the people who struggle with it, estimated to be about 0.3 to 15.5 percent of the population including people of all ages.
Unlike other eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, ARFID has nothing to do with the size of the body or body image in general. Instead, food intake is dramatically limited due to a lack of interest in eating, sensory characteristics, or fear of choking and vomiting.
Because people are less inclined to try new foods or expand their palate, they often have nutritional deficiencies. As with any eating disorder, early intervention is crucial for strong outcomes (the best change of lasting recovery).
Going through ARFID treatment on an outpatient basis can be challenging, so residential treatment for disordered eating is often the first phase.
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When to Seek Residential ARFID Treatment
How do you know when it’s time to seek out an ARFID treatment team to come alongside your healing process? The signs and symptoms of this eating disorder may not be as noticeable at first or may only be visible to the outside observer.
Consider asking a close loved one if they notice any of the symptoms of ARFID in your behavior or health, including some of these warning signs:
- Significant weight loss or stunted growth
- Gastrointestinal issues without an obvious cause
- Restricted food intake or lack of appetite and interest in food
- Body image concerns
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Anemia
- Low hormone levels
- Slower heart rate or low blood pressure
- Muscle weakness
- Dizziness and frequent falls
If you experience a combination of these symptoms, you may benefit from eating disorder treatment. A mental health professional can help you work through food and body image issues based on concerns.
Why is Residential Treatment Best for ARFID and Other Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are notoriously difficult and tricky to treat, especially on an outpatient basis where the medical team can’t observe all food intake. If you have a significant nutritional deficiency or can’t seem to achieve expected weight gain, you might be at risk of a medical complication.
If you tried outpatient care and experienced failure to achieve your goals or gain weight, it may be time to enroll in a specialized program with our effective eating disorder treatment staff. You can transition back to outpatient care once your situation has stabilized and family members are equipped to support you.
Getting help right away matters, and inpatient is the best treatment opportunity for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. What can you expect from medical treatment at Icarus Behavioral Health?
Around-the-Clock Access to Care
Perhaps the most significant benefit of residential ARFID treatment is that you can access our entire team of medical professionals 24/7. This includes not only doctors and nurses but also counselors and support staff. Plus, you have the camaraderie of other clients who may face their own struggles.
No matter what problem you may be facing, residential treatment options are great because you can rest easy knowing that you are physically taken care of. This allows you the space to reflect and focus on the heavy mental load required to heal from an eating disorder of any kind.
Treatment for Other Co-Occurring Disorders
Picky eating may not be the only hurdle you have to overcome. Many clients come in for ARFID and other eating disorders but quickly realize that they may have anxiety disorders or even obsessive-compulsive disorder, both of which exacerbate eating issues.
Our team will give you a thorough assessment upon admission so that we can start to set the stage for your treatment plans. Psychosocial functioning is an important component of living a healthy lifestyle, so we will want to treat any applicable mental disorders alongside your avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
According to the National Institutes of Health, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety disorders are all common with an ARFID diagnosis. It might not be as simple as getting you to eat certain foods when you have other comorbid conditions that require simultaneous help.
Physical Supervision for an Eating Disturbance
Understanding ARFID is key to getting the treatment you need for your eating disorder. We understand that particular foods might be hard for you to eat, but we also know how crucial it is to combat some of the significant weight loss you have experienced up until now. You’ll have a supportive environment for mealtimes to encourage you to eat.
We may also combine meal times with exposure therapy, allowing you the opportunity to get over the fear you might experience while eating. Our multidisciplinary team is experienced with treating ARFID and can take multiple approaches to find the perfect fit for you.
If you have failed to achieve weight gain or have nutritional deficiencies, our medical team may also have the option of enteral feeding to get you healthy. Meanwhile, we will work during individual therapy and group therapy to help you overcome eating challenges.
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Personalized Treatment Plans and a Variety of Therapies
Once we have an assessment, every client receives individualized treatment plans. There are no cookie-cutter approaches to eating disorders and co-occurring disorder care, if dual diagnosis treatment is needed. Two people who share the same mental disorder may not require the same treatment. We offer the help you need in the right format at the right time.
Icarus Behavioral Health in New Mexico wants to ensure that you have more than simple nutritional stabilization. We work with you one-on-one, in group sessions, and during family therapy to help you develop coping skills to treat ARFID.
While it may not be a magic pill, our holistic approach can help you move beyond the psychological aspects of eating that trouble you. We can work on expanding your food preferences and help you conquer your fear of specific foods.
Your recovery path doesn’t end with your ARFID diagnosis. You have a life to live when you leave the four walls of our residential treatment program. Our goal is to help you with long-term recovery and the structure necessary to combat your medical condition.
Scaling Care for a Lasting Recovery
Last but not least, you may not always need this level of care for your eating disorder. Once you have a few coping skills on deck to conquer your feared foods and are medically stable, you might be able to transition to a lower level of care with more freedom.
Many clients move from residential treatment to partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient. Your team still oversees your treatment, encouraging you to eat certain foods and work in both individual and group settings. Your family members can even remain a part of your care.
The difference is that you get to sleep in your bed, giving you a degree of comfort and familiarity while you work through the other factors of being an avoidant or severely picky eater that hinder day-to-day life.
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Call Icarus New Mexico for Effective Inpatient ARFID Treatment
Are you concerned that you might develop ARFID or already experience the aversive consequences of an eating disorder? Icarus Behavioral Health in New Mexico understands that every patient’s unique situation means we need a personal touch rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
We design the initial treatment plan and help with relapse prevention for eating disorders as well. Let us help you take the first steps toward your recovery process today so you can eat without fear or issue.
Our admissions team is always available to answer your questions about treatment and to verify your insurance benefits. We can help you remove the barriers to receiving treatment so that you can get the help you need right away.
Reach out today to learn more about our program for treating ARFID!
References
- Sanchez-Cerezo, J., Nagularaj, L., Gledhill, J., & Nicholls, D. (2023). What do we know about the epidemiology of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder in children and adolescents? A systematic review of the literature. European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association, 31(2), 226–246.
- Seetharaman, S., & Fields, E. L. (2020). Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Pediatrics in review, 41(12), 613–622.
- Brigham, K. S., Manzo, L. D., Eddy, K. T., & Thomas, J. J. (2018). Evaluation and Treatment of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in Adolescents. Current pediatrics reports, 6(2), 107–113.
- Thomas, J. J., Lawson, E. A., Micali, N., Misra, M., Deckersbach, T., & Eddy, K. T. (2017). Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: a Three-Dimensional Model of Neurobiology with Implications for Etiology and Treatment. Current psychiatry reports, 19(8), 54.
