My son won't eat anymore???

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I have a 19 yr old son (diagnosed pdd-nos when he was 3) who stopped eating, he says it just doesn't feel right to eat and he's terrified if he eats he's going to regret it. He's developed an attachment to his food and how its arranged on the plate or in the cupboard and he doesn't want to mess it up, he also is seeing it as something he's bonded with. Has anyone had this happen, I'm so worried about him

How many hours has he not eaten?

Not with food, but I've read some posts here where parents report similar things with toys and even garbage (hoarding-type behavior.) I'd get professional help, which is what most of those parents did.

In the short term, have you tried a liquid diet? Maybe one that comes in the bottles or cans that are opaque and look the same whether they are full or empty (you could take the cap off or pop the top for him and give him a straw.) I wouldn't suggest that as a long-term strategy, though - you really should try to get some help. Disordered eating and hoarding are both very complex and difficult behaviors.

Yes - I have had it where I will "feel bad" if I wear one pair of shoes more than the other like the left out pair had feelings. But it has been many years since I have moved on from this. I have not seen this with food either... but it sure doesn't mean that it can't happen.

Arranging food and even how it is eaten I have heard parents talk about. I have to eat one thing then move to the next.

I know that sensory issues can make me feel weird to eat. So it may be two things at play and feeding off each other.

**edit - sorry there was no pun intended in my last part there

Get him multivitamins with trace elements & minerals, get him some tonic drinks/supplemental drinks that are for boosting weight. Make a GP appointment or talk to any therapist he is seeing as they need to tackle this asap.

You could try getting him interested in food by getting him to help you prepare it and encourage him to distract himself with hobbies or interests that take his mind off food.

Sorry I don't have more ideas, I would be terrified if my child did that too.

Thank you for all your replies, he hasn't eaten since Saturday and before that he's only eaten 4 times in a week and a half, he does have issues of getting attached and hoarding things, I guess the only thing I can do is try therapy, I've tried everything I can think of.

How much does he weigh?

He's 6' 1" and weighed 240lbs I think he's probly lost about 20lbs, I'm not worried about his weight yet but he seems like he's quit eating completely now

If your son were younger I would have a better idea what to suggest (Yo Gabba Gabba's Party in my Tummy stuff) but at his age this is an extra hard thing. (I know someone with a teen who had to be hooked up to an IV for awhile and given intensive training because of a gag reflex. He would still drink Ensure and the like, but would eat no solids.)

After you deal with the emergency aspect of getting nutrition into him. I am guessing your son will need some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to deal with this.

I hate to say this, but maybe take him to the ER (if his GP is little help) and then see what resources they can refer you to. That is what was done for the above mentioned teen.

Last edited by ASDMommyASDKid on 10 Apr 2013, 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

Is he at least drinking fluids? If not he will end up at A&E and God forbid they Section him for his own good if he's on some sort of hunger strike.

The trouble is, his stomach will shrink from not eating and he will therefore be able to eat less and it will become a vicious circle.

Hope you get some help very soon.

Maybe he's realized 240 is obese and this is his attempt at a diet. I know an Aspie type guy who decided he didn't want to be fat anymore and basically fasted for a whole summer. Perhaps some nutritional information about how to lose weight sensibly would help him.

He says he starting getting attached to the food (he gets attached to everything then he has to keep it forever) so he can't eat because he wants to save it in his room forever, plus he's really depressed right now because I started taking away some of the stuff he's getting attached to. I found a place to start counseling which he is terrified of going to, not sure how I'm going to get him there but it's a start

Why are you taking things that he's attached to from his room? Unless they are a danger or health hazard in some way?

Perhaps his refusing to eat is a reaction to you taking things away from him, so he's trying to replace that with the food. He will not like change and it will stress him, taking things away are removing his control of his own little world. Maybe he wants to keep the food because you won't let him keep the things you took.

Even if his room is a bit cluttered, if that makes him happy why would you take things from him?

Also, have you outright asked him what you could do that would make him eat?

There is a higher rate of eating disorders among Aspie women than typicals. I do not know if the same holds true for males. It is not uncommon for people with EDs to hoard food and to become obsessed with it. I have no idea if this is going on here, but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case.

I would be very careful about making drastic changes while this is unfolding. If you unsettle him more, he might become even more emotionally attached to his food. I think you will need to try to find a professional to help you with this who is very knowledgeable about how to fix food-attachment (Is this a word?) eating disorders. It is very easy to make something like this worse.

I took the food he wouldn't eat out of his room because I thought it wasn't good if I left it there for him to get attached to, he wasn't going to eat it anyway. I've always let him have all his obsessions and pretty much given him his way his whole life so it's understandable that he's freaking out now but I can't let this go on much longer, I'm just really worried if I have to take him to the hospital because he won't go willingly, I don't know what they will do to him. I tried to get his Dad to help me and he said just call the cops......ok, I will do that if I have to but I really don't want to. I did get him to drink some juice this morning though so that's a good sign.