After three years of eating nothing but KFC, this 21-year-old decided it was time to get help.
From a young age, Georgie Scotney has suffered from Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), according to Metro. While Metro reports the illness as Restrictive Eating Disorder, America's foremost psychiatric manual has since renamed the illness in an attempt to more accurately describe it.
People with ARFID may appear disinterested in food, or they might avoid certain foods based on their texture or appearance. Most importantly, though, people with ARFID have a "persistent failure to meet appropriate nutritional and/or energy needs,"according to the manual, known as the DSM-V.
Growing up, Scotney would reportedly only eat fried chicken and fries. As time went on, she became more specific in what she would eat, and for the last three years she's only eaten toast and some specific items from KFC's menu.
Nearly every day, Scotley says she would order KFC boneless chicken strips or popcorn chicken and fries for lunch. She’d skip dinner, and occasionally eat some toast for breakfast.
Scotney decided it was time to seek professional help when planning a trip with her boyfriend, and realizing she may not be able to find any KFC locations while traveling. A hypnotherapy session reportedly resulted in what Scotney calls an "instant" change.
Hypnotherapy is a way to put patients in a state of heightened focus and concentration, allowing them to relax and become more open to suggestions.
Despite ongoing misconceptions and some mixed results, hypnotherapy has become a tool in treating a wide range of ailments, from cancer to irritable bowel syndrome. The practice been utilized as a treatment for some eating disorders, though it is widely seen as best used as part of a multi-pronged treatment plan instead of as a sole tactic.
However, Scotney says she's pleased with the results of her single hypnotherapy session thus far.
"Never in my life had I eaten any fruit or veg and I’ve even managed to try a roast dinner now," she told Metro. "I can’t believe that I missed out on so much."
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