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Your Recommendation
Based on your Level of Care Self-Assessment results, you may benefit from:
👉Treatment for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
Understanding Your Recommendation
For Treatment of Your Eating Disorder:
We recommend you and your primary care provider consider a referral to an eating disorder treatment program that treats Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). ARFID is a type of eating disorder where people avoid or restrict food, but not because of body image concerns.
People with ARFID might:
Feel no interest in food or eating
Worry about choking, throwing up or experiencing other unpleasant symptoms from eating
Struggle with strong reactions to certain textures or the smell of food
If your eating disorder has resulted in you losing a significant amount of weight, your primary care provider may need to refer you to an intensive eating disorder service that also treats ARFID. This setting will provide you with the nutritional support to weight restore to a healthier weight.
Working with Your Primary Care Provider
We encourage you to share your LoCSA results with your primary care provider. Your primary care provider plays an important role in helping you understand your care options, review medical considerations, and take the next step toward recovery. It can be scary to start this conversation. Usually, it’s best just to be direct: “I am worried about my eating and was hoping to talk with you about treatment options for an eating disorder”.
If you’ve never had a conversation with your primary care provider about your eating disorder or disordered eating concerns, we recommend you check out the resource below to help you prepare the information you might want to share with your primary care provider:
Follow-Up Questions:
Along with your LoCSA results, there are other important factors that can affect which care options may suit you best.
Here are some possible follow-up questions to ask your primary care provider:
“Will I need to take time off work or school for this type of care?”
“Are there local programs or virtual options available?”
“What happens if there is a long waitlist? What can I do while I wait?”
"I’m not sure I feel ready to recover or commit to this level of care — What supports can help me get started?””
“I’ve tried _____care before — what are my options if that wasn’t a good fit?”
Want to Talk Through Your Options First?
If you’d prefer to speak with someone about your care options before connecting with a primary care provider — or if your provider isn’t familiar with eating disorder supports — the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) can help.
Their trained support workers can listen, provide information, and guide you through available resources.
Live Chat: www.nedic.ca
Helpline: 1-866-NEDIC-20 (or 416-340-4156 in Toronto)
What if I Don’t Have a Primary Care Provider?
If you don't currently have a primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner), Health Care Connect is a free program from the Ontario Ministry of Health that can help you find one.
Resources to Explore:
What You Can Do While Waiting for Treatment
Talking To Your Primary Care Provider About Medical Monitoring:
While you're waiting for treatment, it's important that your primary care provider is keeping track of your physical health, especially if you are low weight. This medical monitoring can help keep you safe and supported.
To support your primary care provider in this process, we recommend sharing this resource with them:
What This Care Might Look Like:
Working with a therapist or team that specialize in treating ARFID
Helping you to understand some of the biological reasons behind developing ARFID
Investigating and addressing nutritional deficiencies that may have resulted from your eating disorder
Helping you with the experience of trying new foods or eating in different ways
Providing you support and skills for managing fear or discomfort around eating
Getting the nutritional support to weight restore if you have lost a lot of weight.
Access Community Support:
Community-based support programs are not a replacement for eating disorder treatment, but they can play an important role in your recovery journey. These programs can help you prepare for treatment, support you as you transition back home afterwards, and offer a space to build a sense of community. You can also learn helpful coping strategies and tools to support your well-being along the way.
An example of this kind of support is offered by Body Brave, a Hamilton-based organization offering low-barrier, online eating disorder support.
When to Seek Emergency Care
Eating disorders can cause serious medical complications. You should go to the emergency department if you experience:
Very slow, irregular, or racing heartbeat
Chest pain or pressure
Fainting or dizziness upon standing
Severe headache, confusion, or seizures
Severe muscle cramps or weakness
Vomiting blood or severe abdominal pain
Very little or very dark urine
Swelling in limbs
Suicidal thoughts or not feeling safe
For those with Type 1 Diabetes: High blood sugars associated with the presence of ketones; symptoms of DKA such as stomach pain, shortness of breath, feeling sick, feeling tired, sleepy or confused.
When in doubt, go to the emergency room. It's always better to be safe.
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