46. ARFID, Eating Disorders & the Neurodivergent Body: What We Got Wrong with Marie Camin

⚠️ Content Warning

This episode contains discussion of eating disorders, food restriction, and medical trauma, including misdiagnosis, inpatient treatment, and NG tube feeding. These themes may be triggering if you’ve experienced eating disorders, hospitalisation, or trauma in medical settings. Please listen with care and step away if you need to.

🥄 Your child isn’t “picky.” They’re hungry, terrified — and too often, the world still blames parents.

In this raw and validating episode, Jane speaks with Marie Camin, autistic clinical psychologist and researcher, about ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), eating disorders, and why neurodivergent bodies are consistently misunderstood and mistreated.

Marie shares her own lived experience alongside her clinical insights, unpacking how trauma, sensory needs, medical neglect, and stigma collide to create deeper harm — and why curiosity, agency, and neuro-affirming care are essential for healing.

What We Cover in This Episode

• The difference (and overlap) between ARFID, anorexia, and other eating disorders
• Why ARFID is misdiagnosed and why body image isn’t the driver
• Marie’s lived experience: being mislabelled with anorexia, medical trauma, and refeeding through an NG tube
• How restriction cycles worsen when safe foods are lost
• The role of sensory overload, anxiety, and co-occurring health conditions (POTS, MCAS, celiac)
• Why dieticians, trauma-informed care, and curiosity matter more than control
• Reframing progress: eating “enough” vs eating “everything”
• Identity, food, and family culture — and why pressure around mealtimes backfires

This Episode Is For You If…

• You’re parenting a child with ARFID, “extreme picky eating,” or food refusal
• You’ve been blamed or dismissed by professionals who don’t understand neurodivergent feeding differences
• You’ve experienced medical trauma tied to eating or food treatment
• You want to understand how trauma, sensory needs, and stigma intersect with eating disorders
• You need solidarity and language that validates your lived experience

References & Resources Mentioned

• Marie Camin’ website: https://www.mariecamin.com/
• Hermeneutical Injustice — concept by philosopher Miranda Fricker on the harm of missing language for lived experience

Related ADHD Mums Episodes

• Could it be ARFID? Spotting the Signs + Why It’s Not Just Fussy Eating
• Beyond ‘Picky Eating’ — What ARFID Feels Like: Claire Britton’s Personal Story
• You’ve Tried Everything… They Still Won’t Eat: Real Strategies for ARFID at Home
• Navigating Psychology Assessments: Avoiding Key Mistakes

If you’re struggling, you don’t have to go through it alone. In Australia, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Butterfly Helpline on 1800 33 4673. If you’re outside Australia, please reach out to local crisis supports in your area.

🎧 Listen now: ARFID, Eating Disorders & the Neurodivergent Body: What We Got Wrong — on Spotify, Apple, or adhdmums.com.au

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