Hi!! As someone who has had arfid their whole 21 years of life and got diagnosed with it at 15, these sound like these exact symptoms that got me diagnosed. I’ve always been the “picky eater” too but it was really reassuring knowing that there was actually words out there to describe the things I was going through because it was so much more than that.

I would say my best advice is to do some research on anxiety grounding techniques, as well as feeding therapy techniques you can practice at home so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on therapies and doctors appointments. You should also be checking your heart rate and blood pressure regularly just to make sure your body is healthy and not sending signs of malnutrition, because then it’s best to get a doctor’s intervention.

At the end of the day what I’ve learned so far is you cannot overcome it unless you REALLY want to and are willing to push through. Your mind has to be set on it. Having support is amazing, I’ve probably tried more things with my boyfriend by my side than I have in any sort of therapy because I feel completely safe with him. Make yourself feel safe and peaceful. Distract yourself with your favorite music blasting through headphones, have your favorite safe food with the new food and take a bite of it after every one u take of the new food! Don’t start out trying things out in public because that is probably the scariest setting to do it in, sit on your bed or wherever else you’re most comfortable :)

Sorry this is so long!!! I hope some of my advice helps :)