[-]Lanthanae2 points2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)
I have ARFID so I can give some insight.
Generally, how hungry I am has little bearing on what I can or cannot force myself to eat. In my experience, it feels that it's more of an anxiety response to certain foods than it is a "ew that tastes bad" thing.
As a result, not only does being hungry not change anything, but if I've skipped enough meals, I'll also feel weak and have less ability to mentally self-regulate, and so it gets worse making it even harder to eat (or more accurately, shrinking my circle of foods I know I'll be able to eat)
On the flip side, two things that do help me venture out of my safe foods a bit are
recent exercise
being drunk
Exercise helps like everything in the brain, and being drunk lowers my inhibitions. Either way, the anxiety is more manageable, the nausea doesn't come in as strongly, and it's a lot more likely I can be adventurous.
I have ARFID so I can give some insight.
Generally, how hungry I am has little bearing on what I can or cannot force myself to eat. In my experience, it feels that it's more of an anxiety response to certain foods than it is a "ew that tastes bad" thing.
As a result, not only does being hungry not change anything, but if I've skipped enough meals, I'll also feel weak and have less ability to mentally self-regulate, and so it gets worse making it even harder to eat (or more accurately, shrinking my circle of foods I know I'll be able to eat)
On the flip side, two things that do help me venture out of my safe foods a bit are
Exercise helps like everything in the brain, and being drunk lowers my inhibitions. Either way, the anxiety is more manageable, the nausea doesn't come in as strongly, and it's a lot more likely I can be adventurous.