Autism and Eating Disorders⎥NATIONAL EATING DISORDER AWARENESS WEEK

[@pierocastrololi483]

Great vídeo. In many cases eating disorders are the manifestation of an autism (or adhd) that hasn't been identified. I can see it everyday at my work. As you said, it is crucial to make a right diagnosis for offering the adaptations and an individualized treatment. If teams who work with ED patients don't know this and keep treating an autistic person with the 'traditionals' methods for EDs, they can cause a very big damage and traumas (sorry about my English)

[@Margaritaaa88]

It takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable and share❤ it is so important and should be spoken about more so we can learn how to help ourselves and also be helped in a helpful way! I’ve been in and out of hospitals for a severe eating disorder (anorexia b/p) since 2005, and it wasn’t until my admissions in 2019 that anyone started talking about or accommodating for autism for me. Looking back I find that so strange it is pretty obvious to me now, but I didn’t know about autism. I was always blamed when treatment didn’t ‘work’ and I struggled. I always felt like I was hopeless and broken and could never cope with life. I found a lot of the treatment I received (and that was often forced upon me) quite traumatic and unhelpful. It is easy I suppose to focus on what is really visible and not look for what lies beneath. Or look at things differently. It’s been a few years since, but it’s only very recently that things have started to make sense for me and I’ve really had the chance to breathe, space to find things that work for me and create more space for myself to find peace and not be completely overwhelmed all the time. I see a way forward, I can be as free as I always wanted to be. I am just lucky to still be alive. I don’t have to hide. I am not broken😌

[@lisa_wistfulone7957]

This was difficult to click on. But it’s so important, I want to boost it. I had a secret undefined eating disorder for decades. I was also undiagnosed autistic, very high-masking. I didn’t stim, I lived with chronic anxiety, and also had digestive/acid issues, and when it became too much, the eating replaced stimming or other healthy coping. I finally overcame it just months before my autism diagnosis. Thank you for talking about this 💜

[@neurodivergentme]

Thank you for the engagement. For me, the secrecy fed the shame, creating a toxic cycle that would loop over and over. I'm happy to hear that you've found peace in recovery 🫶🏻

[@TheWilliamHoganExperience]

I'm a 59 year old man who was diagnosed with Level 1 Autism 2 years ago. Taylor Heaton (Mom on the Spectrum YT Channel) did a piece on the topic of eating disorders several months ago. She gave a similar trigger warning, and I dismissed it. "I'm not anorexic, bulimic, or overweight" I thought... 5 minutes in I bust into tears. Uncontrolled sobbing. Full meltdown. My entire life I've been shamed about my restricted diet, and aversion to most foods. I'm thin, and have been urged to "put on weight" by doctors at times. I have digestive issues and food allergies and aversions related to taste, smell and texture. I tend to eat the exact same thing every single day for years at a time. Then, I'll suddenly become averse to it, and have to find another source of nutrition. I have trouble telling when I'm hungry. Issues with body image are present because as a male, I was shamed for being thin by my peers. My mother shamed me for refusing to eat most vegetables, yet she had her own food aversions. Body image doesn't drive my food aversions however. Lack of interception and hunger do, as well as nausea when I'm not hungry at the thought of eating. According to Heaton, Psychologists are now supposed to ALWAYS screen for autism when someone presents with an eating disorder. She said the correlation is very high - over 30% of patients with a diagnosed eating disorder will also qualify for an autism diagnosis. Eating disorders probably explain part of the incredibly high morbidity associated with autism. Our lives are 20 to 30 years shorter than allistic people on average. Thanks for having the courage to talk about this topic. It may save someone's life. You are a beautiful person. Good luck and good health to you.

[@neurodivergentme]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I struggle with identifying hunger signals too. Routines around food have helped me a lot but I still have days when my body send off emergency signals because I forgot to eat. Wishing you well friend 💕

[@dickottel]

My autistic high school classmate looked like a short skinny child, she was obsessed with healthy eating. I've always been overweight 🫤 but sometimes I eat my first meal in the afternoon, I hate eating in front of people and I'm very picky. I hate lots of types of meat and fruit. Veggies and pasta are the best. Pizza, pancakes 👍

[@neurodivergentme]

Do you feel that your food preferences are sensory based? If so, do you feel more impacted by taste/smell or texture? Texture is a big one for me (soft/soggy texture gives me the ick). I love meat but I'm very picky with fruit.