DR MARIANNE MILLER

CARING EATING DISORDER TREATMENT IN SAN DIEGO AND THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, AND WASHINGTON D.C. FOR ADULTS & TEENS

ARFID and PDA: Why Pressure Makes Eating Harder for Autistic and ADHD People

ARFID and PDA: Why Pressure Makes Eating Harder for Autistic and ADHD People

If you've ever wondered why someone seems to eat less the harder you encourage them to eat, you're not alone. Many parents, partners, teachers, and healthcare providers assume that more encouragement, reminders, or expectations will help someone with ARFID expand their eating. Unfortunately, when someone has ARFID and PDA, the opposite often happens.

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Why Letting Go of Restriction Feels Unsafe in Eating Disorder Recovery
neurodivergent, ARFID, Anorexia, Restriction Marianne Miller neurodivergent, ARFID, Anorexia, Restriction Marianne Miller

Why Letting Go of Restriction Feels Unsafe in Eating Disorder Recovery

Letting go of food restriction is often framed as a step forward in eating disorder recovery. But for many people with eating disorders in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and elsewhere, it doesn’t feel like freedom. It feels like fear.

If you’ve been told to “just eat more” or to “stop being so rigid,” but your nervous system screams unsafe, this post is for you. There’s a reason this step feels so hard. It’s not a lack of willpower. It’s about survival.

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Autism & Anorexia: When Masking Looks Like Restriction, and Recovery Feels Unsafe

Autism & Anorexia: When Masking Looks Like Restriction, and Recovery Feels Unsafe

What if restrictive behaviors instead reflect a way to survive a world that overwhelms your nervous system?

For many autistic people, anorexia is misunderstood. It’s not always about thinness or body image. Restriction can serve as a way to manage sensory overloadsocial pressure, and the exhausting demands of masking.

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