Apparently it’s Eating Disorder Awareness Week! And I have a lot of wonderful followers with EDs, so you might want to skip over this post if talking about my experience might trigger you…

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Sooo, I’m going to take the opportunity to discuss my “eating disorder.” Which I have mixed feelings about. Because it’s like- “oh, this isn’t in the DSM-IV, that means it’s not a real disorder.” And, obviously, the DSM can’t possibly list everything…but I generally don’t talk about it because I worry about getting those reactions of: 

• It’s not real.
• You’re making it up.
• You’re choosing to be this way.

Well. I have Selective Eating Disorder. Usually tell people I’m a “picky eater” because that’s easier to explain and understand. There aren’t many resources about SED and most of the studies have been conducted in the UK, but increasingly more people are talking about it:

The British Journal of Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry describes selective eating disorder as a “little studied phenomenon of eating a highly limited range of foods, associated with an unwillingness to try new foods. When this happens social avoidance, anxiety and conflict can result.”

It’s not a huge problem in my life- actually, for me it’s mostly not a problem at all. But it bothers the people around me, particularly my parents, who assumed I’d grow out of my “picky eating” phase. They tried so many tactics for years and years to get me to change and nothing worked. ‘Cause. Y’know. I’m not choosing to limit the type of foods I eat- that’s just how it is.

It’s sort of like- I bet most of you can think of one or two foods you absolutely can’t stand. Popular ones are like- brussel sprouts, sardines, strong cheeses, etc. So you go on living your lives, eating whatever- except for those foods. I merely have a…rather extensive list of “foods I absolutely can’t stand.”

Some of those foods:

• tomatoes (and anything with tomato products)
• meat
• chicken
• pepper (the spice)
• mayo
• mustard
• anything spicy
• citrus fruits
• most fish

Basically I eat a lot of carbs. And cheese. And bubble tea.

I’m fine- and I’m able to manage. I’m definitely not the healthiest person around (though I look healthy, so- please keep in mind not to judge people’s health based on appearances), but I get by. So- I don’t go all “activist” about it, because somehow- it doesn’t feel like…it’s as important as other things, I guess. That’s just how I feel though. I’d rather spent time advocating for other EDs (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, more knowledge about the “not otherwise specified” category) and other mental illnesses in general, rather than…talk about something that isn’t creating a huge impact in my life. But I wanted to mention it here. So people know.