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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms
Why do ordinary sounds like chewing, slurping, or pen-tapping trigger intense averse reactions in some people? And what does a parent do when it's her own kid screaming at her for having a case of the sniffles? Clinical psychologist Dr. Thomas W. Phelan, author of STOP THAT CHEWING! joins Amy to explain the neurophysiological underpinnings of misophonia, why it can be so difficult for sufferers and their families, and how to stop this involuntary response from completely disrupting your family life. Dr. Phelan and Amy discuss: Why anxiety, OCD, ARFID, and other neurological manifestations often accompany misophonia Why siblings and parents (especially fathers) are most likely to be triggers The impact of misophonia on relationships, school, work, and social life Practical ways to manage misophonia triggers and work towards sustainable solutions Here's where you can find Dr. Phelan: https://www.123magic.com https://stopthatchewing.com Buy STOP THAT CHEWING: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9798995697824 We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
ARFID and PDA can make eating feel difficult even when no one is telling you what, when, or how much to eat. For autistic and neurodivergent people with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and a PDA profile, hunger, meal schedules, food preparation, and even personal recovery goals can sometimes begin to feel like demands. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explains how ARFID, autism, PDA, sensory sensitivities, executive functioning, and interoception can intersect around food. A person may genuinely want to eat and still struggle to initiate eating. For some people, the thought “I need to eat” creates additional resistance, especially when eating already requires significant sensory and executive-function effort. ARFID, PDA & Demand Avoidance Around Food Dr. Marianne discusses why demand avoidance isn't always caused by another person applying pressure. Hunger cues, scheduled meals and snacks, meal plans, and self-imposed recovery goals can create their own sense of expectation. She also explains why this experience shouldn't automatically be interpreted as stubbornness, lack of motivation, or unwillingness to recover. You'll learn how autism and ARFID can make the process of eating more complex through sensory differences, low interest in food, fear of choking or vomiting, inconsistent hunger cues, transitions, decision fatigue, and executive-function challenges. When PDA is part of the picture, even a desired activity such as eating a familiar safe food may become harder to access once it feels required. Neurodivergent-Affirming ARFID Support Dr. Marianne offers practical ways to make nourishment more accessible without losing sight of nutritional and medical needs. She discusses low-lift eating, safe foods, sensory accommodations, reducing food preparation demands, simplifying choices, flexible eating environments, and autonomy-supportive language. For parents supporting an autistic child or teen with ARFID and PDA, the episode also offers a different question to consider when eating breaks down: What is making food difficult to access right now? Sensory overload, nausea, fear, executive dysfunction, transitions, too many choices, or the eating environment may each require a different type of support. ARFID Treatment, Medical Safety & Autonomy ARFID can have serious medical and nutritional consequences. Reducing unnecessary pressure does not mean ignoring inadequate nutrition, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, weight loss, or medical instability. Appropriate ARFID treatment may include medical monitoring, nutrition support, and mental health care. The goal of neurodivergent-affirming ARFID care isn't to eliminate every expectation around eating. It's to support adequate nourishment with as much collaboration, predictability, sensory accommodation, dignity, and autonomy as safely possible. Learn More About ARFID Want a deeper understanding of ARFID treatment, autism, ADHD, PDA, sensory needs, food avoidance, and selective eating? Dr. Marianne's self-paced ARFID & Selective Eating course is designed for adults with ARFID, parents and caregivers, and providers. It uses a neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, trauma-informed approach to understanding why eating becomes difficult and what may help. Learn more and purchase the course at drmariannemiller.com/arfid. Dr. Marianne Miller is an eating disorder therapist with nearly 30 years of experience in the mental health field. She specializes in ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, autism, ADHD, and neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder therapy. She provides eating disorder and ARFID therapy in California and Washington, D.C., including the San Diego area, as well as consultation and coaching for people outside those locations. Visit drmariannemiller.com to learn more about working with Dr. Marianne, her ARFID course, and other eating disorder recovery resources. Related Episodes PDA, ARFID, & Food Avoidance: Why “Just Eat” Doesn't Work & What to Do Instead on Apple & Spotify. When PDA Drives ARFID: Understanding Food Refusal, Control, & Safety on Apple & Spotify. ARFID, PDA, and Autonomy: Why Pressure Makes Eating Harder on Apple & Spotify. Why Sensory-Attuned Care Matters More Than Exposure in ARFID Treatment on Apple & Spotify.
Tradwife culture is having a moment, but what happens when traditional femininity, purity culture, the thin ideal, and disordered eating begin to overlap? In this SOLO episode, Dr. Marianne Miller examines the growing popularity of tradwives and renewed interest in conservative Christianity among some young women. She considers why messages about modesty, discipline, self-denial, homemaking, and being a “good woman” may feel especially appealing during a time of uncertainty, loneliness, and cultural change. Tradwives, Purity Culture, & the Thin Ideal Tradwife content often presents an idealized picture of femininity: beautiful homes, homemade food, motherhood, marriage, modesty, and clearly defined gender roles. Yet many of the women who represent this aesthetic online are also conventionally attractive and thin. Dr. Marianne asks whether the resurgence of traditional femininity is happening alongside another cultural shift: the return of an increasingly narrow thin ideal. In the age of GLP-1 medications, “what I eat in a day” videos, wellness culture, and shrinking celebrity bodies, young women are once again receiving powerful messages about how much physical space they should occupy. Disordered Eating, Diet Culture, & the “Good Girl” Diet culture and purity culture can also share a familiar vocabulary: discipline versus indulgence, clean versus contaminated, good versus bad, and control versus temptation. For people vulnerable to eating disorders, self-denial can easily receive praise. Food restriction may look like discipline. Compulsive exercise may look like dedication. Orthorexia may look like wellness. Ignoring hunger may look like self-control. This episode also examines a striking contradiction in tradwife culture: women may be celebrated for producing abundant homemade food for their families while still being expected to maintain thin bodies themselves. Feed everyone else, but keep your own appetite contained. Eating Disorder Recovery Means Reclaiming Appetite Dr. Marianne expands the meaning of “shrinking” beyond body size. Women have long been encouraged to minimize their hunger, anger, sexuality, ambition, needs, and voices. Eating disorders can turn those cultural expectations inward. Eating disorder recovery can involve reclaiming appetite in a much broader sense: permission to want food, pleasure, rest, relationships, independence, motherhood or no motherhood, a career or homemaking, and a life that does not require becoming smaller to belong. Rather than mocking women drawn to tradwife culture or conservative Christianity, Dr. Marianne encourages curiosity about what these movements may provide: certainty, community, spirituality, belonging, structure, or relief from hustle culture. At the same time, we can question any system that ties women's goodness to restraint, purity, desirability, self-denial, or thinness. In this episode: tradwives and eating disorders, disordered eating, the thin ideal, purity culture, conservative Christianity, diet culture, orthorexia, wellness culture, GLP-1s, body image, traditional femininity, women and food, and eating disorder recovery. Work With Dr. Marianne Dr. Marianne Miller is an eating disorder therapist with nearly 30 years of experience in mental health. She specializes in ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, neurodivergence, autism, ADHD, and complicated relationships with food and body image. Learn more about eating disorder therapy with Dr. Marianne in California and Washington, D.C., her neurodivergent-affirming ARFID resources and course, and additional support at drmariannemiller.com.
Eating disorder recovery often requires developing a relationship with food, hunger, movement, and body size that differs sharply from what society considers “normal.” In this conversation, Dr. Marianne welcomes back psychotherapist Shira Collings, LPC, to discuss a powerful question: Can eating disorder recovery become its own form of neurodivergence? Shira describes neurodivergence as a way of thinking, processing information, or living that diverges from dominant social expectations. From this perspective, rejecting diet culture, anti-fat bias, intentional weight loss, and rigid rules about “healthy eating” can place someone outside the cultural norm. Recovery may change how a person understands nourishment, pleasure, rest, exercise, body acceptance, and the right to eat without trying to control their body size. Eating Disorder Recovery in the Ozempic and GLP-1 Era Dr. Marianne and Shira discuss why eating disorder recovery can feel especially isolating in the Ozempic and GLP-1 era. As weight loss becomes culturally celebrated again, people in recovery may experience grief, loneliness, body-image distress, or renewed pressure to shrink themselves. They also examine the growing tendency to call hunger, cravings, and thoughts about food “food noise.” For many people recovering from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, chronic dieting, or other eating disorders, noticing hunger and responding to food cravings represent meaningful signs of healing. Treating these experiences as problems that should disappear can undermine body trust and reinforce disordered eating beliefs. Hunger Cues, Neurodivergence, and Body Trust Hunger does not feel the same for everyone. Autistic people, ADHDers, highly sensitive people, and others with neurodivergent eating experiences may not notice traditional hunger cues such as a growling stomach. Hunger might appear as lightheadedness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, thoughts about food, emotional changes, or a desire for sensory regulation through eating. Dr. Marianne shares how ADHD hyperfocus can interfere with recognizing when she needs food and why mechanical eating helps her nourish herself consistently. Shira explains that eating without experiencing a specific type of physical hunger does not mean someone is eating incorrectly. Rebuilding body trust can include recognizing your individual hunger signals and releasing the fear of eating “too much.” Diet Culture, Anti-Fat Bias, and the Fear of Eating Too Much The conversation also addresses how anti-fat bias, purity culture, healthmaxxing, and moral judgments about food teach people to distrust hunger and reject pleasure. Larger-bodied people often face added pressure to become the “good fatty” by pursuing weight loss, exercising frequently, or proving that they eat according to society's definition of health. Sustainable eating disorder recovery may mean letting go of the belief that you must control your weight to deserve nourishment, rest, pleasure, care, or belonging. Dr. Marianne and Shira acknowledge how difficult this work can feel when friends, family members, healthcare providers, therapists, treatment programs, and social media continue to reinforce diet culture. About Shira Collings, LPC Shira Collings is a feminist, neurodiversity-affirming, LGBTQIA+-affirming, fat-affirming, and disability justice-aligned psychotherapist. Their specialties include eating disorders, body image, reproductive mental health, trauma, grief, and loss. Shira supports clients in healing from external and internalized oppression and creating lives aligned with their values. Learn more about Shira at threadandthreshold.com or follow them on Instagram at @threadandthreshold.therapy. In This Eating Disorder Recovery Episode Dr. Marianne and Shira discuss eating disorder recovery as neurodivergence, hunger cues in autism and ADHD, mechanical eating, body trust, food noise, Ozempic and GLP-1 medications, anti-fat bias, diet culture, body acceptance, fear of eating too much, weight-neutral recovery, and the loneliness of rejecting cultural expectations around food and body size. Related Episodes What If You're Not Broken? Neurodivergence, Sanism, Eating Disorders, & Radical Acceptance With Shira Collings, LPC on Apple & Spotify. About Dr. Marianne Miller Dr. Marianne Miller is an eating disorder therapist with nearly 30 years of mental health experience. She specializes in ARFID, binge eating, anorexia, and bulimia through a neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, trauma-informed, and weight-neutral approach. Dr. Marianne provides therapy in California and Washington, D.C., as well as coaching for clients worldwide. Learn more about working with her, her self-paced ARFID course, and her Binge Eating Recovery Membership at drmariannemiller.com.
Autism and eating disorders can create a complicated relationship with food rigidity, routines, sensory needs, and predictability. For autistic people recovering from anorexia, ARFID, bulimia, or other eating disorders, repetitive eating patterns aren't always symptoms that need to be challenged. Sometimes autistic food routines and preferred foods make consistent nourishment more accessible. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explores the difference between autistic food rigidity and eating disorder rigidity, including why they can be difficult to separate. Sensory processing differences, executive functioning challenges, autistic inertia, interoceptive differences, and a strong preference for sameness can all shape autistic eating and eating disorder recovery. Autism, Food Rigidity & Eating Disorder Recovery A familiar breakfast, preferred brand, predictable meal schedule, or small rotation of foods may look rigid from the outside. For an autistic person, however, these routines can reduce sensory overwhelm, decision fatigue, and the executive functioning demands involved in eating. Dr. Marianne explains why autism and eating disorder recovery may require a different definition of flexibility. Mechanical eating and predictable meal routines can be particularly helpful for autistic people who experience inconsistent hunger cues or difficulty interpreting internal body signals. You'll also learn how the same autistic traits can sometimes complicate recovery. Changes to meal timing, unfamiliar foods, unexpected sensory experiences, and disruptions to established routines can create significant distress. What appears to be eating disorder resistance may actually involve autistic sensory needs, difficulty with transitions, interoceptive differences, or a need for predictability. Autism, ARFID, Anorexia & Sensory Issues With Food Food variety is another area where neurodivergent eating disorder treatment requires nuance. Expanding someone's range of foods can be important when limited intake creates nutritional or medical concerns, particularly with autism and ARFID. But eating more variety isn't automatically the same as eating disorder recovery. Dr. Marianne discusses how sensory sensitivities can overlap with ARFID, anorexia, and other restrictive eating disorders, and why clinicians need to understand what a food behavior is doing before trying to change it. Avoiding a food because of texture, smell, temperature, or unpredictability isn't necessarily the same as avoiding it because of eating disorder fears about calories, weight, or body shape. Sometimes both are present. Related Episodes Neurodivergent-Affirming Eating Disorder Treatment Successful autistic eating disorder recovery doesn't require making someone's eating look neurotypical. An autistic person may continue to plan meals, repeat breakfasts, rely on preferred foods, check restaurant menus ahead of time, use sensory accommodations, and maintain predictable eating routines after the eating disorder has significantly improved. Dr. Marianne also explains how autistic traits can become recovery strengths. A preference for routine can support regular meals and snacks, pattern recognition can help identify situations where nourishment breaks down, and understanding sensory needs can make eating more sustainable. Rather than automatically trying to eliminate food rigidity in autism, neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder treatment asks a more useful question: Does this pattern strengthen the eating disorder, or does it help this person stay nourished? Dr. Marianne specializes in autism, ADHD, ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and neurodivergent eating disorder recovery. Learn more about working with Dr. Marianne and her eating disorder therapy services at drmariannemiller.com. You can also explore her self-paced ARFID & Selective Eating course for adults with ARFID, parents and caregivers, and eating disorder providers.
Eating disorder recovery can feel surprisingly scary, even when you genuinely want to get better. Letting go of restriction, binge eating, purging, compulsive exercise, food rules, or body checking can trigger intense fear because eating disorder behaviors often serve functions that go far beyond food and body image. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explores why recovery from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and other restrictive eating disorders can feel unsafe. When an eating disorder has become connected to predictability, emotional regulation, control, or relief from anxiety and sensory overload, changing those patterns may feel threatening rather than freeing. Fear of Weight Gain, Food Anxiety, & Losing Control Fear of weight gain is one of the most recognized parts of eating disorder recovery, but the fear underneath it can be more complicated. Body changes may bring up concerns about weight stigma, identity, sensory discomfort, social judgment, loss of control, or being treated differently by others. Dr. Marianne discusses why food anxiety and fear of eating cannot always be addressed by simply challenging the food itself. Understanding what the eating disorder behavior has been doing for you can help uncover what needs additional support during recovery. Autism, ADHD, Neurodivergence, & Eating Disorders Neurodivergent people may experience additional challenges during eating disorder recovery. Autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, interoception, executive functioning, transitions, routines, and PDA can all shape someone's relationship with food and change. A neurodivergent-affirming approach to eating disorder treatment recognizes that predictability and sensory accommodations can be genuine needs. Recovery does not have to mean stripping away every source of structure or forcing someone to tolerate overwhelming uncertainty. Nervous System Safety in Eating Disorder Recovery Instead of asking only, “How do I stop this eating disorder behavior?” it can help to ask what the behavior has been accomplishing. Restriction may create structure. Binge eating may provide regulation or relief. Exercise may offer predictability. Food rules may reduce uncertainty. Eating disorder recovery can include building new sources of safety, regulation, flexibility, support, and autonomy so the eating disorder no longer has to carry so much responsibility. Related Episodes Eating Disorders as Safety Systems: Why Letting Go Can Trigger Fear on Apple and Spotify. If Recovery Feels Unsafe Right Now: A Guided Moment for Eating Disorder Recovery Fear on Apple and Spotify. Eating Disorder Therapy & ARFID Support With Dr. Marianne Dr. Marianne Miller is an eating disorder therapist specializing in anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, ARFID, and neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder treatment. Learn more about therapy and working with Dr. Marianne at drmariannemiller.com. Dr. Marianne also offers consultation services. For additional ARFID support, Dr. Marianne's self-paced ARFID & Selective Eating course offers a neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned approach for adults with ARFID, parents and caregivers, and providers. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com/arfid.
Jennifer Anderson, registered dietitian, founder of Kids Eat in Color, and author of the new book Feed Them Well: A Guide to Raising Healthy, Confident Eaters for Life, joins me to help parents cut through the noise around nutrition, focus on what actually matters, and let go of the guilt, perfectionism, and fear that so often surround mealtimes. Together we explore: Why the atmosphere around the table may matter just as much as what's on your child's plate. The surprising reason play can be one of the most effective tools for helping picky eaters become more adventurous. How to tell the difference between nutrition advice that's worth paying attention to and the headlines designed to scare you. The simple framework Jennifer uses to help parents stop worrying about every food trend and focus on the changes that make the biggest difference. Why talking about foods as "good" or "bad" may shape the way children think about eating in ways we don't always realize. What parents can do when the usual feeding advice doesn't seem to work for their unique child. How your own relationship with food may be influencing your child's, often without you even realizing it. The permission every parent needs to stop chasing perfect nutrition and start building a healthier relationship with food for the whole family. Whether you're navigating picky eating, trying to cut through the endless stream of nutrition advice online, or simply hoping mealtimes can feel a little less stressful, this conversation will leave you feeling calmer, more confident, and equipped with practical strategies you can start using right away. LEARN MORE ABOUT MY GUEST:
Supporting a child or teen with an eating disorder can leave parents caught between the urgency to help them eat and the fear that increasing control will create more conflict around food. In this episode, Dr. Marianne welcomes psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr. Tom Wooldridge to discuss how parents can help a child with an eating disorder by replacing control with connection. Drawing from his book, Ending the Food Fight: Replacing Control with Connection to Help Your Child Heal from an Eating Disorder, Dr. Wooldridge offers a different way to understand eating disorders in children and teens, anorexia recovery, family dynamics, and the role of parents in eating disorder treatment. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Dr. Marianne and Dr. Wooldridge discuss why weight restoration and nutritional rehabilitation are essential in anorexia treatment, but may not address everything happening beneath eating disorder behaviors. A young person may restore weight and normalize eating while still struggling with perfectionism, obsessive thinking, emotional regulation, or other patterns that contributed to the eating disorder. Understanding these underlying dynamics can be an important part of longer-term eating disorder recovery and relapse prevention. They also explore how an eating disorder can sometimes function as a source of order, regulation, or safety when a child's internal world feels overwhelming. Dr. Wooldridge explains how attachment and emotional safety can help us understand why moving away from anorexia, binge eating, or other eating disorder behaviors can feel threatening, even when a young person wants to recover. PARENTS, CONNECTION & EATING DISORDER RECOVERY When a child or teen has anorexia or another eating disorder, parents may feel frightened, frustrated, angry, or desperate to make their child eat. Dr. Wooldridge describes three important areas for parents supporting eating disorder recovery in children and adolescents: self-regulation, emotional attunement, and the ability to reflect on both their child's internal experience and their own. The conversation introduces mentalization, a way of becoming curious about the thoughts, feelings, fears, and needs that may be driving a child's behavior rather than responding only to the behavior itself. For parents navigating anorexia treatment or adolescent eating disorder recovery, this can create space between the understandable urge to react and the ability to respond with greater connection and emotional attunement. Dr. Marianne and Dr. Wooldridge also discuss perfectionism and eating disorders, family dynamics, and intergenerational patterns around food, weight, and body image. Parents may carry their own histories of dieting, body shame, weight stigma, trauma, or perfectionism. Recognizing what belongs to the parent and what belongs to the child can help interrupt the unconscious transmission of these patterns. Importantly, replacing control with connection does not mean abandoning structure, nutritional rehabilitation, medical monitoring, or professional eating disorder treatment. Children and teens with anorexia and other eating disorders need appropriate treatment and a qualified care team. Connection provides an emotional foundation that can support that work. ABOUT DR. TOM WOOLDRIDGE Dr. Tom Wooldridge is a board-certified psychologist and psychoanalyst, founding dean of the School of Psychology at Golden Gate University, and an eating disorder specialist. His books include: Understanding Anorexia Nervosa in Males Psychoanalytic Treatment of Eating Disorders: When Words Fail and Bodies Speak Ending the Food Fight: Replacing Control with Connection to Help Your Child Heal from an Eating Disorder. His work brings together eating disorder treatment, anorexia recovery, psychoanalytic therapy, attachment, family relationships, perfectionism, and the psychological factors underlying eating disorders. EATING DISORDER & ARFID SUPPORT WITH DR. MARIANNE If you are looking for an eating disorder therapist, ARFID therapist, anorexia therapist, or neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder therapy, Dr. Marianne Miller provides eating disorder therapy for clients in California and Washington, D.C. Her work includes support for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, autism, ADHD, and complex or long-term eating disorders. Dr. Marianne also offers a self-paced ARFID & Selective Eating Course for adults with ARFID, parents and caregivers of children and teens with ARFID, and providers who want to learn more about neurodivergent-affirming ARFID treatment. Visit Dr. Marianne's website to learn more about eating disorder therapy in California, ARFID treatment, eating disorder recovery, parent support, and neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder care, or to explore the ARFID course and additional resources.
Can you have anorexia and struggle with binge eating, too? If you find yourself moving between food restriction and binge eating, you may wonder whether your eating disorder has changed or whether you're somehow failing at recovery. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne talks about the binge-restrict cycle, why eating disorder symptoms can shift over time, and what it means when binge eating shows up during anorexia recovery. Binge eating after restriction does not automatically mean you have binge eating disorder (BED). Extreme hunger, reactive eating, subjective binges, and eating that feels out of control can all occur in the context of restriction and long-term eating disorder recovery. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Dr. Marianne discusses why restriction can make food feel increasingly urgent, why returning to restriction after a binge can keep the cycle going, and why subtle forms of restriction are easy to miss. She also explains why restriction may feel safer or more familiar than binge eating, especially for people who have lived with anorexia nervosa or other eating disorders for years or decades. For neurodivergent people with ADHD, autism, or AuDHD, food restriction can also become intertwined with routine, sensory needs, predictability, executive functioning, autonomy, and nervous system regulation. You'll learn why binge eating doesn't erase a history of anorexia, why eating more isn't automatically evidence of BED, and why the goal isn't necessarily to determine which eating disorder you "really" have. BREAKING THE BINGE-RESTRICT CYCLE What happens after a binge or an episode of eating more than you intended matters. Skipping meals, delaying breakfast, cutting portions, avoiding certain foods, or exercising to compensate can restart the restriction-binge cycle. Instead, Dr. Marianne discusses returning to consistent nourishment, identifying hidden restriction, getting curious about what preceded the binge, and resisting the pull to romanticize anorexia when binge eating feels frightening. For people with chronic or long-term eating disorders, progress may mean recognizing the cycle sooner, reducing its intensity, and responding to difficult eating experiences without punishment or compensation. EATING DISORDER THERAPY & SUPPORT If you're navigating anorexia, binge eating, bulimia, ARFID, or a long-term eating disorder that doesn't fit neatly into one diagnostic category, Dr. Marianne offers neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, trauma-informed eating disorder therapy. Learn more about eating disorder therapy, working with Dr. Marianne, and additional resources at drmariannemiller.com. Topics include: anorexia, anorexia recovery, binge eating, binge eating disorder, BED, binge-restrict cycle, restriction-binge cycle, restrictive eating, extreme hunger, reactive eating, chronic eating disorders, long-term eating disorder recovery, neurodivergent eating disorders, autism and eating disorders, ADHD and eating disorders, eating disorder therapy, and eating disorder recovery. RELATED EPISODES ADHD & Bulimia: Dopamine, Impulsivity, & the Hidden Link to Binge Eating With Kirsten Book, PMHNP-BC on Apple and Spotify. Beyond Anorexia: The Truth About Long-Term Restrictive Eating on Apple and Spotify. Why Eating Feels So Chaotic With ADHD: Binge Eating, Bulimia, & Executive Function Challenges on Apple and Spotify.
I det tvåhundraåttioåttonde avsnittet av podden pratar vi om ARFID (undvikande restriktiv ätstörning). Gäst är Lisa Dinkler som är psykolog och docent på Karolinska institutet där hon forskar om ARFID. I den första delen av fyra av intervjun berättar Lisa hur hon blev intresserad av ätstörningar och hur hon hamnade på Gillbergcentrum i Göteborg. Hon förklarar även vad ARFID är för något och vilka konsekvenser det kan få.Vi pratar även om kopplingen mellan neuropsykiatriska diagnoser och ätstörningar – för vilka diagnoser är sambandet starkast? Lisa får även svara på en expertfråga från Michael Iannou, överläkare och forskare vid Göteborgs universitet, som undrar om ARFID är en mer prototypisk ätstörning än andra.Om du vill kommentera avsnittet finns både Lisa och Christian på Twitter, där Lisa heter lisadinkler och Christian heter c_dahlstrom. Christian finns även på Bluesky där han heter christiandahlstrom.bsky.social. Trevlig lyssning!Hjälp till att hålla merparten av avsnitten gratis och få tillgång till exklusiva avsnitt på: http://patreon.com/sinnessjuktBipolär-serien i Svenska Dagbladet: https://www.svd.se/story/bipolar-balansLisas ARFID-tips: http://sinnessjukt.se/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ARFID.pdfMental Health Evening-biljetter: https://showtic.se/forestallningar/mental-health-evening-2026Synka Patreon med Spotify: https://www.patreon.com/posts/sa-lyssnar-du-pa-34442592Köp signerade böcker och Beckomberga-printar här: https://vadardepression.seKöp Sinnessjukt-tishan här: http://sinnessjukt.se/butikBoka föreläsning här: http://vadardepression.se/forelasning-psykisk-ohalsa/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Food rationing and scarcity fears can show up in eating disorders in surprising ways. You might save the last few bites even though you're still hungry, carefully make favorite foods “last,” become anxious when safe foods run low, or hesitate to eat something because you're worried you won't have it later. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explores how food scarcity anxiety can affect people with anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, and other eating disorders. Restriction can teach the brain and body that food is scarce, even when food is physically available. Over time, saving food may start to provide a sense of certainty, predictability, or safety. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN You'll hear about why people with anorexia may ration foods they enjoy, how the restrict-binge-purge cycle in bulimia can create a sense of food urgency, and why ARFID safe foods may become especially difficult to use when someone fears running out. Dr. Marianne also discusses how autism, ADHD, sensory differences, executive functioning, and food insecurity can shape scarcity fears. For neurodivergent people, keeping backup foods may actually support eating. The important question is whether those foods remain available to eat or become so protected that using them creates anxiety. ARFID, AUTISM, & SAFE FOODS For people with ARFID and autism, food availability can carry additional meaning. A brand change, discontinued product, altered texture, different packaging, or unavailable restaurant item can eliminate a previously reliable food. Protecting or stocking safe foods may therefore reflect a genuine need for sensory predictability rather than weight or body image concerns. Understanding the reason behind the behavior can help parents, providers, and people with ARFID respond with more flexibility and less pressure. If you want to learn more, Dr. Marianne's self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course covers ARFID treatment through a neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, trauma-informed approach, including autism, ADHD, PDA, autonomy, safe foods, sensory differences, and nervous system regulation. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com/arfid. KEY TAKEAWAYS Food rationing isn't always about restriction. Sometimes you're saving certainty, sensory predictability, pleasure, permission, or tomorrow's sense of safety. Rather than immediately trying to eliminate the behavior, consider asking: What am I afraid will happen if this food is gone? That answer can help identify whether you need more consistent nourishment, greater access to safe foods, support with anorexia or bulimia recovery, practical backup foods, or repeated experiences of learning that food can be eaten today and become available again tomorrow. If you're looking for eating disorder therapy, ARFID therapy, anorexia treatment, bulimia treatment, or neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder support, visit drmariannemiller.com to learn more about working with Dr. Marianne. RELATED EPISODES Food Allergy Anxiety & ARFID: When Safety Fears Shape Eating & Family Life With Tamara Hubbard @foodallergycounselor on Apple & Spotify. Eating Disorders as Safety Systems: Why Letting Go Can Trigger Fear on Apple and Spotify. If Recovery Feels Unsafe Right Now: A Guided Moment for Eating Disorder Recovery Fear on Apple and Spotify.
Psychological and social factors that contribute to disordered eating, especially in relation to IBS and health misinformation. I cover how this can build up, including personality traits, social media influence, and practical strategies for managing food-related anxiety.Why diet layering is more difficult in IBSRisk factors for orthorexia and disordered eating in IBSLinksEp 43 - ARFID in IBSEp 159 - with Anne Richardson - The Eating Disorder NutritionistBuy my book - Inside Knowledge for people with IBS & SIBO (find it on Amazon)Get free weekly IBS & SIBO emails - https://mailchi.mp/goodnessme-nutrition.com/h6acndd1bsWork with me3 month Gut Reset - https://www.goodnessme-nutrition.com/consultations/Ready for your gut reset?
What happens when years of hearing that you talk too much turn into the belief that you are simply too much? In this episode, Dr. Marianne welcomes back eating disorder therapist Stacie Fanelli for a conversation about hyperverbalism, ADHD, autism, and eating disorders. They discuss why some neurodivergent people process thoughts and emotions through talking, why hyperverbal communication is often misunderstood, and how repeated messages about being “too loud,” “too emotional,” or “too much” can create lasting shame. Stacie explains how this shame can extend beyond communication and relationships into body image and eating disorder behaviors. For some autistic and ADHD people, the desire to become smaller, quieter, less visible, or less burdensome can become intertwined with food restriction, weight loss, and eating disorder symptoms. They also discuss neurodivergent masking and unmasking, rejection sensitivity, fear of being misunderstood, anti-fat bias, and the vulnerability that can follow sharing a lot with another person. Hyperverbalism does not cause eating disorders or body shame. Instead, this conversation looks at how eating disorders can capitalize on an existing belief that your natural way of existing is excessive. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Stacie and Dr. Marianne discuss how hyperverbalism can show up in autistic and ADHD adults, why talking can serve as a form of processing and regulation, and why traditional expectations about communication can leave neurodivergent people feeling ashamed of how they naturally connect with others. You'll also hear how “I talk too much” can gradually become “I take up too much space,” why eating disorders may offer the illusion of becoming less visible or burdensome, and how neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder therapy can address these experiences without encouraging more masking. They also examine why eating disorder recovery is not about teaching neurodivergent people to communicate more like neurotypical people. Healing can include learning how to navigate relationships, advocate for your needs, and take up physical and conversational space without believing you must become a smaller version of yourself to deserve connection. WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR This conversation may especially resonate with autistic, ADHD, and other neurodivergent adults who struggle with eating disorders, body shame, masking, rejection sensitivity, or the persistent feeling of being “too much.” It may also be helpful for eating disorder therapists, dietitians, clinicians, partners, and loved ones who want to better understand neurodivergent communication and eating disorder recovery. CONNECT WITH STACIE FANELLI Stacie Fanelli is an eating disorder therapist whose work focuses on the intersection of eating disorders, ADHD, autism, and neurodivergence. You can read her blog, including “The Loneliness of Being Hyper Verbal,” and learn more about her work at autonomousmindstherapy.com. Follow Stacie on Instagram: @EDADHD_therapist RELATED EPISODES WITH STACIE “Stuck” Isn't Lazy: Inertia in ADHD, Autism, & Eating Disorder Recovery on Apple and Spotify. Recovering Again: Navigating Eating Disorders After a Late Neurodivergent Diagnosis (Part 1) on Apple and Spotify. Recovering Again: Navigating Eating Disorders After a Late Neurodivergent Diagnosis (Part 2) on Apple and Spotify. Minding the Gap: The Intersection Between AuDHD & Eating Disorders on Apple and Spotify. WORK WITH DR. MARIANNE Looking for neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder support? Dr. Marianne Miller is an eating disorder therapist specializing in ARFID, binge eating, anorexia, bulimia, and neurodivergence, including autism and ADHD. Learn more about eating disorder therapy, coaching, and Dr. Marianne's self-paced ARFID & Selective Eating course at drmariannemiller.com.
Why does eating feel easier, more appealing, or more intense at night for some neurodivergent people? In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explores Night Eating Syndrome (NES), ADHD, autism, and neurodivergent eating patterns through a neurodivergent-affirming lens. Rather than assuming nighttime eating comes from a lack of willpower, she looks at what may be happening across the entire day. ADHD and autism can affect interoception, hunger cues, executive functioning, sensory processing, sleep, circadian rhythms, and appetite regulation. Hyperfocus, masking, sensory overload, stimulant medication, and difficulty transitioning between tasks can also make daytime eating harder. By evening, the body may finally have the opportunity to catch up. What You'll Learn Dr. Marianne discusses why neurodivergent people may miss or misinterpret hunger cues during the day, how ADHD hyperfocus and executive functioning can delay meals, and why autistic people may find it easier to eat once sensory and social demands decrease. You'll also learn how masking and sensory overload can disconnect people from physical needs, why food can provide sensory regulation and stimulation, and how delayed eating can contribute to stronger nighttime hunger. The episode also explains the differences between Night Eating Syndrome and Binge Eating Disorder, including why eating more at night does not automatically mean someone is binge eating. Night Eating and the Restrict-Eat Cycle Fear about nighttime eating can create another problem: restriction the following day. Someone may eat more at night, feel guilty, skip breakfast or restrict during the day, and then become intensely hungry again that evening. For people with inconsistent hunger cues, ADHD, autism, or an eating disorder history, stricter food rules may reinforce the very pattern they are trying to change. Dr. Marianne also discusses low morning appetite, mechanical eating, sleep differences, circadian rhythms, and nighttime nervous system regulation. Sometimes nighttime is the first part of the day when a neurodivergent person feels safe, quiet, unmasked, and free from demands. Understanding that context can change the way we think about nighttime eating. A Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach to Night Eating Instead of asking only, “How do I stop eating at night?” this episode encourages a different question: What is making eating harder or less accessible earlier in the day? Night eating may provide important information about unmet nutritional needs, sensory safety, executive functioning, appetite timing, nervous system regulation, or the need for autonomy and decompression. If you're navigating Night Eating Syndrome, ADHD, autism, binge eating, anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, or another complicated relationship with food, Dr. Marianne offers neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, trauma-informed support. Learn more about therapy, coaching, courses, and other resources at drmariannemiller.com.
Rachael is at her absolute wit's end: her 8-year-old is such a fussy eater he'll only eat McDonald's chicken nuggets and chips (and a bit of toast) — and she's getting torn apart for it, online and even by her neighbours.Adrian and Jeremy ask the big question: if your child literally won't eat, what are you supposed to do… let them starve, or feed them what they'll actually swallow?Live callers go to war over “lazy parenting” vs sensory issues, autism/ARFID, “McDonald's is poison”, and whether “hunger is the best sauce” is real life or just something people say when they've no kids.
We explore the difference between picky eating and ARFID, and we also discuss food allergies in schools and how families can feel confident navigating them, before unpacking the myths and realities of ADHD and what meaningful support can look like.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode Catherine Asta is joined by autistic psychotherapist and registered dietitian Camilla Ferraro to explore autism, ARFID and our relationship with food. Drawing on her professional expertise, alongside her own lived experience, Camilla explores why autistic eating differences are so often misunderstood and why what can look like "picky eating" from the outside can be something much more complex.Together they explore ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and the differences between food preferences, sensory-based eating differences and eating difficulties that can have a significant impact on someone's health, wellbeing and everyday life. They discuss the role of sensory processing, distress, executive functioning and the eating environment, as well as the shame and judgement many autistic people experience around what, when and how they eat.The conversation also looks at how parents, carers and professionals can better support autistic people around food by moving away from pressure, forcing and rigid expectations and towards curiosity, choice and agency. And they explore why feeling safe is so important when it comes to eating, the value of understanding individual sensory preferences and why sometimes seemingly small adjustments to mealtimes can make a meaningful difference.Camilla reminds us that when we remove judgement and become curious about what someone's eating differences are communicating, we can begin to build a safer and more positive relationship with food.What's on at Autism Central?Explore the Autism Central website for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.Subscribe to our FREE newsletterConnect with Camilla WebsiteInstagramConnect with Catherine Email: hellocatherineasta@gmail.comWebsite I Instagram I Art | The Late Discovered Club | Books: Rediscovered and Still Living
What happens when you've spent years working on eating disorder recovery, but anorexia or bulimia still shows up? Long-term eating disorder recovery can feel exhausting, especially when you understand your patterns but still struggle with restriction, bingeing, purging, compulsive exercise, or persistent food and body image thoughts. Knowing why something happens doesn't always make it easy to change. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explores what it means to feel stuck in recovery from chronic anorexia and bulimia and shares five practical strategies for approaching long-standing eating disorder patterns differently. Through the fictional story of Tiana, a woman whose eating disorder has shifted between anorexia, bingeing, purging, and compulsive exercise over many years, Dr. Marianne examines how recovery can continue even when progress doesn't look dramatic. What You'll Learn You'll learn how to recognize eating disorder recovery progress beyond complete symptom elimination, identify smaller places to interrupt the binge-restrict cycle, and create an eating plan that actually works when your capacity is low. Dr. Marianne also discusses why persistent eating disorder behaviors may serve important functions, how neurodivergence can complicate eating and recovery, and why you don't have to feel completely ready before taking a recovery-supportive action. The episode includes practical strategies for mechanical eating, low-lift nourishment, binge eating and restriction, purging urges, compensatory exercise, body image distress, and getting back to regular eating after a difficult day. Chronic Anorexia & Bulimia Recovery Can Still Change Living with an eating disorder for years or decades does not mean every part of your recovery will always look the same. Sometimes getting unstuck means eating breakfast after a binge or purge instead of compensating. It might mean keeping easy foods available when executive functioning is low, eating lunch before extreme hunger hits, or recognizing that one difficult meal does not have to become a week of restriction. For people with ADHD, autism, or other forms of neurodivergence, eating disorder treatment may also need to account for sensory needs, interoception, hyperfocus, executive functioning, transitions, and nervous system regulation. Recovery doesn't always happen through one major breakthrough. Sometimes meaningful change starts with making the next recovery-supportive choice easier to access. Work With Dr. Marianne If you're struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, ARFID, or a long-term eating disorder, Dr. Marianne offers neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, trauma-informed eating disorder therapy and coaching. Learn more about working with Dr. Marianne, explore the ARFID & Selective Eating course, and find additional eating disorder and neurodivergence resources at drmariannemiller.com. Follow Dr. Marianne on Instagram @drmariannemiller for more conversations about eating disorders, ARFID, autism, ADHD, body image, and neurodivergent-affirming recovery.
What if binge eating isn't a willpower problem at all? Dr. Marianne welcomes back nutritionist and eating disorder specialist Marcelle Rose @marcellerosenutrition, author of The Binge Freedom Method, for a conversation about binge eating recovery without dieting. Marcelle works with people experiencing binge eating, bulimia, restrictive eating, and emotional eating, and her approach looks beyond food to understand what may actually be driving these patterns. What You'll Learn Dr. Marianne and Marcelle discuss why dieting and restriction can fuel binge eating, how sleep and physiology can affect hunger and cravings, and why reducing shame matters in binge eating recovery. They also talk about body image, weight stigma, emotional regulation, and rebuilding trust with food and your body. Marcelle shares the four pillars of The Binge Freedom Method: Nourish, Balance, Think, and Feel. Her framework incorporates nutrition, physiology, thoughts and beliefs, emotions, and body image rather than treating binge eating as simply a problem of self-control. Check out a free chapter of the book HERE! ADHD and Binge Eating A major focus of the conversation is the connection between ADHD and binge eating. ADHD can make eating consistently difficult, especially when executive functioning challenges, distraction, overwhelm, or hyperfocus interfere with recognizing hunger and stopping to eat. Marcelle and Dr. Marianne discuss practical ADHD-friendly strategies such as simplifying meals, eating familiar foods, using reminders, creating flexible routines, and reducing the cognitive load around breakfast and meal planning. They also discuss why support and accommodations can matter more than rigid expectations when neurodivergent people struggle to eat regularly. Binge Eating, Body Image, and Food Freedom Recovery involves more than stopping binge eating. Marcelle shares how clients can gradually move away from self-blame, chronic dieting, and the belief that they simply need more willpower. You'll also hear about body image healing, weight stigma, diet culture, regular eating, self-compassion, and what it can look like when food finally takes up less space in your mind. If you struggle with binge eating disorder, emotional eating, ADHD and binge eating, the binge-restrict cycle, chronic dieting, or body image, this conversation offers a compassionate alternative to another diet. Related Episodes With Marcelle Rose Disordered Eating in Midlife: Stress, Life Changes, & Perimenopause on Apple & Spotify. WTF Is Happening to My Body?! Gut Health & Midlife Unpacked on Apple & Spotify. Related Episodes on Binge Eating, ADHD, Bulimia ADHD & Bulimia: Dopamine, Impulsivity, & the Hidden Link to Binge Eating With Kirsten Book, PMHNP-BC on Apple and Spotify. Why Eating Feels So Chaotic With ADHD: Binge Eating, Bulimia, & Executive Function Challenges on Apple and Spotify. Connect With Dr. Marianne Looking for support with an eating disorder or a difficult relationship with food? Dr. Marianne Miller is an eating disorder therapist specializing in ARFID, binge eating, anorexia, bulimia, and neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder care. Visit DrMarianneMiller.com to learn more about working with Dr. Marianne, her ARFID & Selective Eating course, and other resources. Listen to more episodes of Dr. Marianne-Land for conversations about eating disorder recovery, ADHD, autism, ARFID, binge eating, body image, and neurodivergent-affirming care.
Today, I have a returning guest to the podcast and I'm talking to Dr. Marianne Miller, an eating disorder therapist, educator, consultant, and host of the Dr. Marianne-Land podcast. She specialises in neurodivergent-affirming treatment for ARFID, autism, ADHD, PDA profiles, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Through virtual consultation, she partners with organizations throughout the United States and internationally to help clinicians build greater confidence in working with neurodivergent clients and to create treatment environments where autistic and ADHD individuals can recover without masking who they are. Today, Dr. Marianne is going to educate us more about neurodivergence, eating disorders and particularly focusing on ARFID. She explores why neurodivergent people are vulnerable to eds and disordered eating. She explains more about relationship with food and neurodiversity. She talks about how treatment can be adapted to support neurodivergent people to heal. I hope that you enjoy the episode. To find out more about Dr. Marianne's work: https://www.drmariannemiller.com/
Why Food Feels So Regulating: Autism, ADHD, Eating Disorders, & the Nervous System Why can eating feel so calming, stimulating, or grounding? For many autistic people, ADHDers, and people with eating disorders, food does more than satisfy hunger. Eating can provide sensory input, emotional regulation, predictability, stimulation, and nervous system support. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explores food as self-regulation, co-regulation, and stimming, including why chewing, crunching, sipping, familiar foods, and repetitive eating experiences may help a neurodivergent nervous system feel more organized. She also discusses how these needs can intersect with autism, ADHD, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and ARFID. What You'll Learn You'll learn why autistic and ADHD people may use food for sensory regulation, how eating can function as a form of stimming, and why "emotional eating" doesn't always capture what's actually happening. Dr. Marianne also explains why restriction can feel regulating for some people with anorexia, how food may help an overwhelmed or understimulated ADHD nervous system, why predictable safe foods can provide sensory security with ARFID, and how binge eating or bulimia can become intertwined with attempts to regulate distress. Rather than asking only, "How do I stop this eating behavior?" Dr. Marianne encourages a different question: "What is my nervous system getting from this?" Food, Stimming, & Neurodivergent Eating Food can provide powerful sensory experiences through taste, temperature, texture, chewing, swallowing, crunching, and repetition. For some neurodivergent people, these sensations can help increase stimulation, reduce overwhelm, support focus, or create predictability. Recovery doesn't have to mean eliminating food as a source of comfort or regulation. Instead, it can involve understanding what food provides and gradually expanding the ways your nervous system accesses safety, sensory input, connection, and support. Eating Disorder & Neurodivergent-Affirming Support If you're navigating ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, autism, ADHD, sensory eating challenges, or neurodivergent eating disorder recovery, Dr. Marianne offers a neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, trauma-informed approach. Dr. Marianne provides eating disorder therapy in California and Washington, D.C., including telehealth and in-person services in San Diego, as well as coaching and consultation worldwide. Learn more about working with Dr. Marianne and find additional eating disorder and neurodivergence resources at drmariannemiller.com.
This week on Headline Highlights: Lindsay Clancy's journals and searches shed new light on her mental state, while the defense challenged key evidence. A Michigan family of eight was found shot to death, with investigators uncovering multiple fires and missing smoke detectors. Newly unsealed records reveal Bryan Kohberger's autism, OCD, ADHD, and ARFID diagnoses, raising questions about his future appeals. A “Philly House of Horrors” investigation uncovered missing women, weapons, drugs, chemicals, and disturbing digital evidence. Chris Watts is reportedly set to marry a woman he met while behind bars, who moved closer to him and changed her name to “Lizzie Watts”..If you're new here, don't forget to follow the show for weekly deep dives into the darkest true crime cases! To watch the video version of this episode, head over to youtube.com/@annieelise. .
A defense evaluation built to protect Bryan Kohberger became the clearest window into how he processes the world. Dr. Rachel Lawson Orr tested Kohberger, interviewed his family, and cataloged behavioral patterns consistent with a lifetime of diagnoses. Those include autism spectrum disorder, OCD, ADHD, ARFID, developmental coordination disorder, depression, anorexia, and opioid use disorder from a heroin addiction he developed as a teenager. Orr documented a man with restricted facial expression, poor social reciprocity, impulsive rule-breaking, and what she called "overall poor" insight. His family confirmed the patterns and told Orr they had been coaching him through social interactions for years without success. Internet forum posts attributed to Kohberger at age sixteen describe the same gap between how he experienced himself and how others experienced him. He wrote about feeling no emotion, acting without remorse, and seeing the world like a video game. He framed his disconnection as making him "smarter." The evaluation puts clinical language to a pattern visible in every public moment since his arrest. A man on rails, cycling through the same fixed positions, unable to see what everyone around him can see.Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#BryanKohberger #Kohberger #TrueCrimeToday #TrueCrime #IdahoMurders #PsychEval #KohbergerPetition #UniversityOfIdaho #MoscowIdaho #HiddenKillers
When I first started learning about PDA six years ago, so much of what I encountered was focused on behavior. What I was not seeing discussed was something I kept observing in my own family, and have since seen in thousands of families I have worked with: the way cumulative nervous system activation can disable a child or teen from accessing the things they need to stay alive.In this episode, an excerpt from the Understanding PDA Masterclass, I walk through what basic needs struggles actually look like across five domains: toileting, sleep, hygiene, eating, and safety. I share why I conceptualize PDA as a nervous system disability, how the survival drive for autonomy can override other survival instincts, and why paradoxically the most effective intervention for a basic needs struggle is often to stop focusing on it directly.Key TakeawaysWhy PDA May Be a Nervous System Disability, Not a Behavioral Disorder | 00:00:00 I define PDA as a survival drive for autonomy and equality that consistently overrides other survival instincts, including the instinct to eat, sleep, stay safe, maintain hygiene, and use the bathroom. This is what makes it distinct from other neurotypes and what led me to begin theorizing it as a nervous system disability. This also makes it distinct from "a behavioral problem". The challenges our children face are physiological, and this is part of what I am researching with the University of Michigan.The Fire, the Traffic, and the River: When Autonomy Overrides Safety in the Moment | 00:03:30 On a night of camping when my son was four and a half, he kept moving toward the campfire the more we told him to stay back, to the point where I had to physically restrain him from running into it. I have heard similar accounts from families of children running toward oncoming traffic or accelerating into a lake when told to move away. These are extreme examples that I share to show how the survival drive for autonomy can override the instinct to stay safe in real time. They are not defiance. They are a nervous system response that has overridden the instinct that should have protected the child.Five Basic Needs and What Struggles Can Look Like | 00:06:32 Toileting struggles can include regression to diapers, UTIs from withholding, accidents, and refusing to use the toilet. Sleep struggles can include a non-twenty-four-hour cycle, intensifying bedtime resistance, and needing to co-sleep at eleven or twelve years old with no prior history of it. Hygiene can include refusing tooth brushing, bathing, nail cutting, or hair cuts. Eating can present as extreme restriction, similar to ARFID but without the body image component, or as compulsive eating. Safety struggles can range from running toward traffic or fire to self-harm, suicidal ideation, or harming others. Two PDA children can have the same root cause and look dramatically different across all five domains.The Paradox: Focusing on the Basic Need Often Makes It Worse | 00:11:09 When my son stopped eating, every instinct told me to find strategies to make him eat. I went to feeding therapy. I tried every approach in the moment. But for a PDA child, focusing attention and gentle pressure on eating registers as a loss of autonomy and can intensify the avoidance. What I have seen across thousands of families is that bringing down cumulative nervous system activation across all domains, not in the moment of the basic need struggle, is what allows the control to release and the need to become accessible again. That is the paradigm shift.Doubt, Fluctuation, and Why Basic Needs Must Be Part of the PDA Profile | 00:09:34 Because basic needs struggles fluctuate, parents are often doubted or doubt themselves. A child may brush their teeth at the beginning of the week and refuse by Friday. They may eat one food for months and then drop it. They may have had no toileting issues and then regress at age eight. This fluctuation is a feature of the cumulative model, not evidence that the disability is inconsistent. Basic needs have largely been left out of the behavioral literature on PDA. I believe they belong at the center of the profile, because if a child cannot access safety, sleep, eating, hygiene, or toileting, their health and survival are at risk.Relevant ResourcesUnderstanding PDA — The free masterclass from which this episode is excerpted, covering the full nervous system disability framework and basic needs indicators described here.Burnout — Free class with context for the burnout threshold at which basic needs struggles tend to intensify and become most disabling.Tracking Progress — Free class on the three dimensions I track with families, including basic needs access as a primary indicator of whether cumulative nervous system activation is coming down.Paradigm Shift Program — My signature program where the basic needs framework, cost-benefit decision making, and the full accommodation toolkit are taught across twelve weeks of live coaching.Mentioned in this episode:Free Live WorkshopI'm offering a free live workshop this month: "Supporting your PDA child or teen through burnout without breaking yourself in the process."Free Live Workshop Registration
A newly unsealed neuropsychological evaluation revealed that Bryan Kohberger had been diagnosed with four conditions during an assessment conducted for his defense in February 2025: Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID. Defense neuropsychologist Rachel Lawson Orr evaluated Kohberger across six sessions over roughly three months and also interviewed members of his family. Orr described Kohberger as having a restricted range of facial expressions, awkward social interactions, unusual speech patterns, inconsistent responses to humor, poor conversational reciprocity, rigid thinking and difficulty adapting to changes in routine. She also noted impulsive behavior during testing and characterized his overall insight as poor, although he occasionally acknowledged his own role in situations when directly challenged. Kohberger's relatives reportedly described many of the same behavioral patterns and said they had spent years attempting to coach him socially without much success.The evaluation also disclosed four additional diagnoses that Orr said Kohberger had met the criteria for at various points in his life: developmental coordination disorder, an unspecified depressive disorder, anorexia nervosa and opioid use disorder stemming from his teenage heroin addiction, which was described as being in sustained remission. The defense had commissioned the evaluation as part of the dispute over how Kohberger's mental health should be treated in the case, arguing that his conditions could constitute mitigating evidence rather than aggravating factors; it was not intended to support a claim that he lacked the mental capacity to stand trial or understand his actions. Kohberger likewise did not rely on the diagnoses to challenge his competency when he pleaded guilty in July 2025 to murdering Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. The evaluation became public as Kohberger continued his post-conviction effort to withdraw that plea, claiming ineffective assistance of counsel and seeking a trial.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Bryan Kohberger Psych Evaluation Details Killer's 8 ‘Mental Health Disorders'
A newly unsealed neuropsychological evaluation revealed that Bryan Kohberger had been diagnosed with four conditions during an assessment conducted for his defense in February 2025: Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID. Defense neuropsychologist Rachel Lawson Orr evaluated Kohberger across six sessions over roughly three months and also interviewed members of his family. Orr described Kohberger as having a restricted range of facial expressions, awkward social interactions, unusual speech patterns, inconsistent responses to humor, poor conversational reciprocity, rigid thinking and difficulty adapting to changes in routine. She also noted impulsive behavior during testing and characterized his overall insight as poor, although he occasionally acknowledged his own role in situations when directly challenged. Kohberger's relatives reportedly described many of the same behavioral patterns and said they had spent years attempting to coach him socially without much success.The evaluation also disclosed four additional diagnoses that Orr said Kohberger had met the criteria for at various points in his life: developmental coordination disorder, an unspecified depressive disorder, anorexia nervosa and opioid use disorder stemming from his teenage heroin addiction, which was described as being in sustained remission. The defense had commissioned the evaluation as part of the dispute over how Kohberger's mental health should be treated in the case, arguing that his conditions could constitute mitigating evidence rather than aggravating factors; it was not intended to support a claim that he lacked the mental capacity to stand trial or understand his actions. Kohberger likewise did not rely on the diagnoses to challenge his competency when he pleaded guilty in July 2025 to murdering Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. The evaluation became public as Kohberger continued his post-conviction effort to withdraw that plea, claiming ineffective assistance of counsel and seeking a trial.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Bryan Kohberger Psych Evaluation Details Killer's 8 ‘Mental Health Disorders'Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
How can harm reduction support eating disorder recovery when full recovery feels complicated, nonlinear, or far away? Dr. Marianne welcomes back journalist, professor, and author Mallary Tenore Tarpley, MFA, for a conversation about eating disorder harm reduction, anorexia recovery, long-term eating disorder recovery, and the pressure to achieve full recovery. Mallary is the author of Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery, a memoir that combines her lived experience with extensive research on how people actually experience eating disorder recovery. Eating Disorder Harm Reduction and Full Recovery Eating disorder recovery often gets framed in black-and-white terms: you are either sick or fully recovered. Mallary challenges that binary without dismissing the possibility of full recovery. For Slip, Mallary surveyed more than 700 people with lived experience of eating disorders and interviewed approximately 175 survey respondents, clinicians, and researchers. Of those surveyed, 85% identified with what she calls the “middle place,” the gray area between acute illness and full recovery. Dr. Marianne and Mallary discuss why rigid definitions of recovery can create shame for people navigating long-term anorexia recovery, lingering eating disorder thoughts, slips, relapse, and ongoing recovery work. What Does Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Mean? Recovery involves more than weight, food intake, or eliminating visible eating disorder behaviors. Mallary describes recovery through changes in identity, cognitive freedom, mental bandwidth, and physical well-being. She shares how her eating disorder once consumed her thoughts and identity. Now, eating disorder thoughts may still appear, but they no longer dictate her life in the same way. Dr. Marianne connects this with her own lived experience and discusses how reducing food and body preoccupation can create more capacity for relationships, work, interests, and life outside the eating disorder. Harm Reduction, Slips, and All-or-Nothing Recovery Mallary explains how harm reduction in eating disorder recovery can help someone move forward without demanding immediate perfection. Instead of treating an eating disorder thought or behavior as proof of failure, harm reduction creates room to notice what happened, reduce risk, and make another choice. Mallary shares a vulnerable example involving making grilled cheese for herself and her children. When a lingering eating disorder impulse influenced how she prepared her own sandwich, she noticed it, changed course, and moved forward without shaming herself. Dr. Marianne and Mallary also discuss neurodivergent eating disorder recovery, including how autism, ADHD, perfectionism, certainty-seeking, trauma, and nervous system needs can make rigid treatment expectations especially difficult. Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery Mallary's book, Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery, combines memoir, journalism, and research to challenge simplistic narratives about eating disorders and recovery. Drawing from her own history with anorexia and changing eating disorder symptoms alongside the experiences of hundreds of others, Mallary asks what recovery can look like when it does not follow a clean before-and-after story. Mallary also shares what she is researching next, including optimization culture, the thin ideal, healthmaxxing, anti-aging pressures, body image, and cultural messages that encourage us to treat our bodies as endless projects requiring improvement. If you have ever wondered whether your eating disorder recovery “counts” because you still struggle, this conversation offers a more flexible way to understand healing, progress, and recovery. Follow Mallary on Instagram: @mallarytenoretarpley Go to her Substack: https://mallary.substack.com Related Episodes Check out "The Middle Place in Eating Disorder Recovery: How Slips Can Be Stepping Stones With Mallary Tenore Tarpley, MFA @mallarytenoretarpley" on Apple or Spotify: Listen to “'Slips'” in Eating Disorder Recovery in 2026: Why Setbacks Are Part of Progress, Not Failure (With Mallary Tenore Tarpley, MFA)" on Dr. Marianne-Land Podcast on Apple or Spotify. Work With Dr. Marianne Looking for eating disorder therapy, ARFID treatment, or neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder support? Dr. Marianne works with people navigating ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, long-term eating disorders, autism, ADHD, and complex relationships with food and body image. Visit DrMarianneMiller.com to learn more about working with Dr. Marianne through therapy or coaching, explore her ARFID & Selective Eating Course for individuals, parents, and providers, and find additional eating disorder and neurodivergent-affirming resources. You can also listen to more episodes of Dr. Marianne-Land for conversations about eating disorder recovery, ARFID, autism, ADHD, body image, and creating a more sustainable relationship with food.
Is your child's relationship with food already shaped by guilt, fear, or "good food/bad food" rules — even before they can talk? Registered dietitian Jennifer Anderson, founder of Kids Eat in Color, joins Dr. Aliza Pressman to unpack "embodied independence" — the idea that raising confident eaters means combining a healthy relationship with food and the practical skills to take care of one's body. This is a must-listen for any parent trying to raise a healthy eater without passing down diet culture baggage. What you'll learn: Why labeling foods "good" or "bad" creates food rules, guilt, and inflexible thinking later in life Practical scripts for introducing dessert without using food as a reward or a bargaining chip Red flags for extreme picky eating and ARFID — and when to bring concerns to your pediatrician The "sit, connect, and expose" approach that gets even the pickiest toddlers trying new foods How to set boundaries with grandparents and relatives around sweets and body comments
How do you support weight restoration when your autistic child needs nutrition, but pressure around food makes eating even harder? For autistic children, teens, and adolescents with a PDA profile (Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy), weight restoration for ARFID, anorexia, and other restrictive eating disorders can become especially complicated. Parents may know that their child urgently needs more nutrition, yet direct demands, rigid meal expectations, sensory overwhelm, and medical procedures can increase distress and food refusal. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne Miller discusses weight restoration in autistic children and teens with ARFID or anorexia, including how PDA, sensory processing differences, interoception, executive functioning, and nervous system overwhelm can affect eating disorder recovery. Autism, PDA, ARFID, and Anorexia During Weight Restoration Weight restoration involves more than getting enough calories into a child's body. Autistic children and adolescents may experience intense sensory sensitivities around food, difficulty identifying hunger and fullness cues, strong needs for predictability, executive functioning challenges, and distress when eating becomes a demand. Dr. Marianne explains why these differences need to become part of the treatment plan instead of being treated as behaviors that must be overcome. She also discusses an important distinction between ARFID and anorexia in autistic teens, including why some young people can experience features of both restrictive eating disorders. Why Pressure Around Food Can Backfire With a PDA Profile When an autistic child has a PDA profile, even necessary requests can activate a threat response. During eating disorder recovery, parents may find themselves repeatedly asking their child to eat another bite, finish a supplement, follow a meal plan, or complete a snack. The stakes are real. So is the child's nervous system response. You'll learn why reducing unnecessary demands does not mean abandoning weight restoration and how parents can protect medical safety without turning every meal into a power struggle. Medical Management of Eating Disorders in Autistic Children and Teens Medical stabilization can present additional challenges for autistic children and adolescents with ARFID or anorexia. Blood draws, vital signs, unfamiliar providers, hospital environments, bright lights, noise, disrupted routines, physical examinations, and unexpected procedures can create significant sensory and nervous system overload. Dr. Marianne discusses how autistic shutdowns, meltdowns, reduced communication, or refusal may reflect overwhelm rather than "noncompliance." She also explains why autism-informed and trauma-informed medical care matters when a young person requires medical monitoring or stabilization for a restrictive eating disorder. Supporting Eating Disorder Medical Management at Home Parents often become an important part of the medical management team during weight restoration. Under the guidance of a physician or eating disorder treatment team, some families may monitor aspects of their child's health at home between appointments. Dr. Marianne discusses practical ways parents can organize medical information, pay attention to changes in symptoms, create more predictable eating routines, reduce sensory demands, use preferred foods strategically, and communicate more effectively with medical providers. You'll also hear why home monitoring should complement, rather than replace, appropriate medical care and why concerning physical symptoms require prompt evaluation from your child's healthcare team. Neurodivergent-Affirming Tips for Weight Restoration This episode offers practical ideas for supporting an autistic child or teen through weight restoration, including creating predictable meal routines, prioritizing adequate nutrition before pushing food variety, making sensory accommodations, offering meaningful choices, reducing unnecessary conflict around food, and building a collaborative treatment team. For children with autism, PDA, ARFID, or anorexia, medical safety and autonomy do not have to exist on opposite sides of treatment. Neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder care can take malnutrition seriously and still respect sensory needs, communication differences, autonomy, trauma history, and nervous system regulation. Related Episodes PDA, ARFID, & Food Avoidance: Why “Just Eat” Doesn't Work & What to Do Instead on Apple & Spotify. When PDA Drives ARFID: Understanding Food Refusal, Control, & Safety on Apple & Spotify. ARFID, PDA, and Autonomy: Why Pressure Makes Eating Harder on Apple & Spotify. Why Sensory-Attuned Care Matters More Than Exposure in ARFID Treatment on Apple & Spotify. Eating Disorder Therapy in California and Parent Consultation Worldwide If your child, adolescent, or teen has ARFID, anorexia, autism, PDA, or another restrictive eating disorder, Dr. Marianne offers neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder therapy in California, including in-person services in San Diego and telehealth throughout California. For families outside California, Dr. Marianne also provides parent consultation worldwide for parents navigating ARFID, restrictive eating, autism, PDA, sensory challenges, weight restoration, and eating disorder recovery. Go to drmariannemiller.com and schedule a free, 15-minute phone or Zoom consultation. You can also learn more through Dr. Marianne's ARFID and Selective Eating Course, created for parents, providers, and others who want practical, neurodivergent-affirming strategies for understanding ARFID, autism, sensory processing, autonomy, trauma, and eating. If weight restoration has become a battle in your family, you do not have to choose between taking your child's medical needs seriously and respecting their neurodivergence. Support can account for both.
Surviving eight shots of Narcan at twelve years old is one hell of an introduction to chronic illness, and for Haylee, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Meet Haylee, a master's student living with an absolute alphabet soup of diagnoses, including Cerebral Palsy, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), ARFID, AuDHD, OCD, and a recent addition of Bipolar disorder. In this raw and intimate conversation, Haylee breaks down what life is actually like when your body and brain are constantly clashing. From surviving a 26-hour leg surgery and an accidental morphine overdose at just twelve years old, to navigating the cold, isolating reality of transitioning out of pediatric care, Haylee doesn't hold back. She opens up about the trauma of medical PTSD, getting an ableist university professor fired, navigating safe-food obsessions, and using music and song-writing to quiet her brain during manic episodes. It's an honest, eye-opening look at disability, identity, and proving everyone, including her doctors, wrong.Follow Sickboy: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickboypodcastTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickboypodcastDiscord: https://discord.gg/expeUDN
What happens to eating disorder recovery when the culture around you starts celebrating weight loss again? In this deeply personal solo episode, Dr. Marianne continues sharing her eating disorder recovery story and talks about something that has surprised her: the return of body insecurities during the Age of Ozempic. After recovering from a decades-long history of anorexia, binge eating disorder, orthorexia, and bulimia, she rarely spends much time thinking about her body size. But the rise of Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications like Zepbound and Wegovy has changed the cultural conversation around weight, thinness, and fat bodies. During the height of the body diversity movement, living in a larger body felt different. Plus-size clothing became more visible. Larger bodies appeared in advertising. Conversations about weight stigma, fatphobia, body neutrality, and fat liberation entered the mainstream. Now, many of those gains seem to be disappearing as celebrities become smaller, plus-size departments vanish from stores, and thinness once again becomes something we're expected to pursue. When Eating Disorder Recovery Meets the Age of Ozempic Dr. Marianne shares what it's like to encounter old eating disorder and body image thoughts after years of recovery. Sometimes those thoughts arrive unexpectedly: Look at that celebrity. They did it. Why can't I? Having that thought doesn't mean eating disorder recovery has failed. Recovery doesn't necessarily erase decades of conditioning around weight and body size. Instead, it can help us recognize internalized weight bias when it resurfaces and decide whether we want to listen to it. Dr. Marianne also discusses an important distinction: wanting a smaller body isn't necessarily the same thing as wanting relief from anti-fat bias. Sometimes the thought, Life would be easier if I were thinner, reflects a painful reality about how fat people are treated rather than a genuine desire to change one's body. The World Is Getting Smaller for Fat People Anti-fat bias doesn't exist only in our thoughts. It shows up in the physical world. Plus-size clothing departments have disappeared from many stores, forcing people in larger bodies to shop online. Airplane seats continue to create accessibility barriers for larger passengers. Cars, restaurant booths, waiting-room chairs, theaters, and other public spaces frequently fail to accommodate body diversity. The message can become impossible to ignore: if the world won't make more space for you, you're expected to make yourself smaller. Dr. Marianne explores the mental health toll of repeatedly navigating environments that weren't designed for your body. Constantly wondering whether a seat will fit, whether a store carries your size, or whether a healthcare provider will blame your symptoms on weight creates an enormous cognitive and emotional burden. Defending the Right to Be Fat Dr. Marianne shares a recent dream in which she found herself defending her fatness to another person. When she woke up, she realized how closely the dream reflected the experience of living in a larger body today. Fat people often have to defend their right to exist without pursuing intentional weight loss. They may have to advocate for appropriate healthcare, accessible seating, clothing, travel accommodations, and the basic right to occupy space without apology. That emotional labor takes energy. For neurodivergent people, the burden can become even greater. Autistic people and ADHDers may already expend significant energy navigating sensory needs, executive functioning, uncertainty, masking, and environments that weren't designed for neurodivergent nervous systems. When neurodivergence intersects with anti-fat bias and other forms of marginalization, the cumulative mental health toll can become significant. Internalized Weight Bias Doesn't Mean You've Failed at Recovery Eating disorder recovery happens in the real world, not in a protected bubble. You can appreciate your body and still feel hurt by weight stigma. You can reject diet culture and feel grief when plus-size clothing disappears. You can practice fat acceptance and still have moments when you wonder whether life would be easier in a smaller body. Those experiences don't erase recovery. Sometimes what looks like body dissatisfaction is actually grief, anger, exhaustion, or a desire to move through the world without constantly having to advocate for your right to belong. Dr. Marianne shares the question that helps her separate internalized weight bias from her own values: Do I actually want a different body, or do I want a different world? Related Episodes How a Part of Me Wanted to Take a Weight-Loss Drug on Apple & Spotify. My Eating Disorder Recovery Story on Apple & Spotify. Finding Liberation-Focused Eating Disorder Support If the Age of Ozempic has stirred up old body image struggles, eating disorder thoughts, or internalized weight bias, you don't have to navigate those experiences alone. Finding an eating disorder therapist or provider who understands weight stigma can make a profound difference. Liberation-focused, trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder treatment can create space to examine these experiences without making weight loss the goal. If you'd like to work with Dr. Marianne, she provides eating disorder therapy in California for adolescents and adults navigating anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, body image concerns, and neurodivergence. If you live elsewhere, Dr. Marianne also offers consultations and coaching for individuals, families, and professionals. Learn more about working with Dr. Marianne at drmariannemiller.com.
Surviving eight shots of Narcan at twelve years old is one hell of an introduction to chronic illness, and for Haylee, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Meet Haylee, a master's student living with an absolute alphabet soup of diagnoses, including Cerebral Palsy, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), ARFID, AuDHD, OCD, and a recent addition of Bipolar disorder. In this raw and intimate conversation, Haylee breaks down what life is actually like when your body and brain are constantly clashing. From surviving a 26-hour leg surgery and an accidental morphine overdose at just twelve years old, to navigating the cold, isolating reality of transitioning out of pediatric care, Haylee doesn't hold back. She opens up about the trauma of medical PTSD, navigating safe-food obsessions, and using music and song-writing to quiet her brain during manic episodes. It's an honest, eye-opening look at disability, identity, and proving everyone, including her doctors, wrong.Follow Sickboy: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickboypodcastTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickboypodcastDiscord: https://discord.gg/expeUDN
When does trying to be healthy cross the line into rigid or disordered eating? Healthmaxxing focuses on optimizing nutrition, protein, exercise, sleep, steps, and other health metrics. But for someone with an eating disorder or history of disordered eating, healthmaxxing can become another way to follow rigid rules, compulsively track behaviors, and disconnect from the body. In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land, Dr. Marianne talks with registered dietitian and eating disorder specialist Amy Ornelas, RD, about healthmaxxing, diet culture, protein obsession, fitness trackers, compulsive exercise, and eating disorder recovery. Is Healthmaxxing the New Diet Culture? Healthmaxxing may look different from traditional dieting, but some of the messages sound familiar: eat the “right” foods, maximize protein, hit your steps, exercise consistently, track your metrics, and keep improving. Dr. Marianne and Amy discuss how healthmaxxing can become a socially acceptable form of rigid or disordered behavior. For someone recovering from an eating disorder, relying on an Apple Watch, Oura Ring, calorie tracker, or wellness influencer may also make it harder to rebuild trust in hunger, fullness, fatigue, and other body cues. Protein, Fitness Trackers, & Compulsive Exercise Protein has become one of the biggest trends in nutrition and wellness culture. Amy compares today's protein obsession to previous diet trends, including the fat-free craze of the 1980s and 1990s. Protein matters, but maximizing protein at every meal doesn't automatically make eating healthier. Dr. Marianne and Amy also unpack step counts, exercise goals, calorie tracking, and wearable fitness devices. Fitness data can provide useful information for some people, but it can also reinforce compulsive exercise, perfectionism, and eating disorder behaviors. Your body's needs change. Rest, relationships, sleep, pleasure, and spontaneity matter too. Eating Disorder Recovery & Rebuilding Body Trust Eating disorders can make hunger, fullness, fatigue, emotion, and physical sensations difficult to interpret. That uncertainty can make external rules and health metrics especially appealing. Amy explains how eating disorder nutrition therapy can provide appropriate structure as someone rebuilds nourishment and reconnects with their body. Unlike an algorithm or influencer, individualized nutrition support considers a person's history, eating disorder behaviors, physical needs, and recovery. Dr. Marianne and Amy also discuss what happens when fitness becomes part of your identity. Letting go of compulsive exercise or rigid health behaviors can raise a difficult question: Who am I if I'm no longer the person who always works out, eats a certain way, or prioritizes fitness? Recovery can create room to discover an identity beyond food, weight, exercise, and optimization. What You'll Learn You'll hear Dr. Marianne and Amy discuss healthmaxxing and disordered eating, diet culture and wellness culture, protein obsession and nutrition trends, fitness trackers and calorie tracking, compulsive exercise and step goals, fitness identity, hunger and fullness cues, body trust, and nutrition therapy in eating disorder recovery. They also ask a bigger question: What happens when trying to optimize your health starts taking away from your life? About Amy Ornelas, RD Amy Ornelas is a registered dietitian and eating disorder specialist with more than two decades of experience. She incorporates nutrition therapy, somatic therapy, yoga, and intuitive practices into her work with adolescents and adults. Her own eating disorder recovery helped shape her commitment to helping people move away from diet culture, rigid food rules, body image struggles, and disconnection from their bodies. Instagram: @amyornelasRD Website: i-heart-nutrition.com Related Episodes Have you ever had the experience of suddenly feeling huge in your body, even though nothing about your body has actually changed? That moment of intense body distress is incredibly common in eating disorder recovery. But what if that feeling is not really about body size at all? In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land, Dr. Marianne Miller is joined by Amy Ornelas, RDN, an eating disorder dietitian, yoga teacher, and somatic therapy practitioner, to explore what body distress may actually be signaling underneath the surface. Together, they unpack how thoughts like “I feel huge” can often reflect emotional activation, overwhelm, grief, shame, anger, or stress rather than a literal change in body size. Amy explains how eating disorder behaviors such as restriction, binge eating, and purging can alter brain chemistry and disconnect people from their internal emotional world. When those behaviors begin to shift in recovery, many people suddenly find themselves face to face with emotions that may have been numbed or pushed aside for years. This can feel confusing, intense, and sometimes even frightening. Dr. Marianne and Amy talk about how eating disorders can function as powerful survival strategies that help people manage overwhelming emotional states. Rather than demonizing these behaviors, they explore how they often develop as adaptive coping mechanisms in environments where emotional expression was discouraged, dismissed, or unsafe. The conversation also highlights how family dynamics, culture, trauma, and neurodivergence can shape the way people learn to relate to their emotions. Many individuals grow up hearing messages that they are too sensitive, too emotional, or should simply get over what they feel. Over time, these messages can make emotional awareness feel dangerous or overwhelming. Amy introduces the role of somatic therapy in eating disorder recovery and explains how body-based approaches can help people reconnect with their internal sensations in a gradual and supportive way. Instead of forcing emotional processing, somatic work focuses on building safety in the nervous system and slowly increasing the capacity to notice and tolerate emotional states. Dr. Marianne and Amy also discuss how body image distress can function as a powerful distraction. It can feel easier to focus anger, fear, or grief on the body than to confront deeper sources of pain, such as relational conflict, social stress, or systemic injustice. Learning to translate body distress into emotional language can help people understand what their internal system is truly trying to communicate. This episode also addresses an important reality in eating disorder recovery: sometimes people appear more emotionally dysregulated as they begin healing. That increase in emotional expression can actually be a sign that someone is reconnecting with their inner world after years of emotional numbing. Amy shares several practical tools that can help people begin reconnecting with their emotions, including brief emotional check-ins throughout the day, asking simple questions about what feelings may be present when eating disorder urges arise, and using movement to help emotional energy move through the body. Dr. Marianne also brings in a neurodivergent-affirming lens, discussing how stimming, rocking, sensory soothing, and other nervous system supports can help people stay connected to themselves during emotionally intense moments. Together, they emphasize that emotions are not problems to eliminate. They are information from our internal systems that help guide us toward safety, boundaries, authenticity, and healing. In this episode, we discuss How eating disorder behaviors can numb or redirect difficult emotions. Why recovery often brings a surge of feelings to the surface, What somatic therapy is and how it can support eating disorder recovery. Why the thought “I feel huge” often reflects emotional distress rather than body change. How trauma, family systems, and culture shape emotional expression. Why body image distress can act as a distraction from deeper pain. The difference between compartmentalizing emotions and avoiding them. Why increased emotional intensity can be a sign of progress in recovery. Practical ways to begin noticing and naming emotions during recovery. How neurodivergent people may benefit from stimming and sensory supports. About the guest Amy Ornelas, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist, eating disorder specialist, yoga teacher, and somatic therapy practitioner based in California. She works with individuals, families, and groups and integrates nutrition care with somatic and nervous system–informed approaches to eating disorder recovery. Connect with Amy Ornelas Instagram: @amyornelasRD Website: i-heart-nutrition.com Listen if you are Experiencing intense body image distress during eating disorder recovery. Trying to understand why recovery can bring more emotion, not less. Curious about somatic therapy and body-based approaches to healing. Looking for tools to help manage urges to restrict, binge, or purge. Interested in understanding the emotional layers beneath body distress. Related episodes On "I Feel Huge" Versus "What I'm Actually Feeling": Translating Body Distress Into Emotions" via Apple or Spotify. On Eating Disorders as a Coping Strategy for Deeper Pain via Apple or Spotify. On Eating Disorders in Midlife & Our Personal Recovery Stories via Apple or Spotify. On Atypical Anorexia via Apple or Spotify On Eating Disorder Recovery, Higher Level of Care, & Renourishment via Apple or Spotify On Reconnecting With Your Body in Eating Disorder Recovery via Apple or Spotify On Trauma, Eating Disorders, & Levels of Care via Apple or Spotify. Work With Dr. Marianne If healthmaxxing, compulsive exercise, rigid food rules, body image concerns, or anxiety around eating have become tangled up with your eating disorder, Dr. Marianne offers a neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed approach to eating disorder recovery. Dr. Marianne specializes in ARFID, binge eating, anorexia, and bulimia, including the ways eating disorders intersect with autism, ADHD, sensory needs, and trauma. She offers eating disorder therapy in California and Washington, D.C., as well as virtual coaching for people elsewhere. She also offers a self-paced ARFID & Selective Eating course for adults with ARFID, parents and caregivers, and providers. Visit drmariannemiller.com to learn more about working with Dr. Marianne. Follow @drmariannemiller on Instagram and listen to Dr. Marianne-Land on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Does it matter whether your eating disorder therapist has personally recovered from anorexia or bulimia? In this solo episode of Dr. Marianne-Land, I explore that question from two perspectives: as an eating disorder therapist and as someone who spent about 25 years navigating anorexia, binge eating, orthorexia, bulimia, compulsive exercise, and the long road to recovery. Lived experience does not replace professional training, and professional training does not require lived experience. Both forms of knowledge have value. In this episode, I share how my personal recovery has shaped my clinical work and why that perspective can be especially meaningful for autistic people, ADHDers, AuDHDers, and other neurodivergent adults recovering from anorexia and bulimia. What You'll Learn You'll hear five lessons that have transformed the way I understand eating disorder recovery. We discuss why what appears to be resistance is often nervous system overwhelm, how to tell the difference between neurodivergent traits and eating disorder symptoms, why shame rarely creates lasting recovery, how safety supports sustainable healing, and why recovery ultimately becomes about building a meaningful life instead of simply eliminating symptoms. Why Neurodivergent People Often Need a Different Recovery Conversation Traditional eating disorder treatment does not always account for sensory processing differences, executive functioning challenges, autistic burnout, ADHD, interoceptive differences, or the ways trauma and neurodivergence can intersect with anorexia and bulimia. In this episode, I explain why understanding your nervous system can make recovery feel more compassionate, more realistic, and more sustainable. Rather than forcing yourself to fit a rigid recovery model, you can begin building an approach that respects both your neurodivergence and your recovery goals. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for adults recovering from anorexia nervosa, atypical anorexia, bulimia nervosa, chronic eating disorders, or long-term restrictive eating. It's also for autistic adults, ADHDers, AuDHD adults, highly sensitive people, therapists, dietitians, parents, caregivers, and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder treatment. Mentioned in This Episode If you want to learn more about sensory processing, autonomy, nervous system regulation, and neurodivergent-affirming approaches to eating, check out my ARFID and Selective Eating Course. Although the course focuses on ARFID, many of the concepts also apply to neurodivergent people recovering from anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders. Related Episodes Harm Reduction for Eating Disorders: How Lived Experience Shapes Recovery, Support, & Long-Term Healing on Apple & Spotify. Lived Experience of ARFID in Autistics & ADHDers: Sensory Survival & Misunderstandings With Dr. Panicha McGuire, LMFT, RPT on Apple & Spotify. Unmasking in Eating Disorder Recovery: What Neurodivergent People Need to Know About Safety & Healing via Apple & Spotify. Connect With Dr. Marianne Miller If you're looking for eating disorder therapy in California or Washington, D.C., or eating disorder coaching from anywhere in the world, I'd love to help. I specialize in anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, binge eating disorder, autism, ADHD, AuDHD, and neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder treatment. Visit www.drmariannemiller.com to learn more about working with me, explore my ARFID course, and listen to more episodes of Dr. Marianne-Land. If you found this episode helpful, please follow the podcast, leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, and share it with someone who could benefit from hearing that recovery does not have to look the same for everyone.
In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss three thought-provoking neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.They begin with a discussion around whether it's wrong to hope your future children aren't neurodivergent, exploring disability, parenting, acceptance, and whether it's society—not neurodivergence itself—that creates many of the challenges autistic and ADHD people face. They then unpack a story about a young man who refuses to eat in front of other people, leading to a wider conversation about ARFID, sensory differences, eating disorders, and why curiosity is often more helpful than judgement. Finally, they discuss a chaotic birthday party where an autistic guest delivers a 45-minute presentation about Five Nights at Freddy's, exploring masking, alcohol, family dynamics, special interests, and the importance of understanding behaviour before jumping to conclusions.*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• I Don't Want My Kids to Be Neurodivergent• AITA for Asking My Daughter's Boyfriend to Stop Having Dinner With Us?• AITA for Walking Out of an Autistic Man's 45-Minute Five Nights at Freddy's Presentation?Our Sponsors:
In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss three thought-provoking neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.They begin with a discussion around whether it's wrong to hope your future children aren't neurodivergent, exploring disability, parenting, acceptance, and whether it's society—not neurodivergence itself—that creates many of the challenges autistic and ADHD people face. They then unpack a story about a young man who refuses to eat in front of other people, leading to a wider conversation about ARFID, sensory differences, eating disorders, and why curiosity is often more helpful than judgement. Finally, they discuss a chaotic birthday party where an autistic guest delivers a 45-minute presentation about Five Nights at Freddy's, exploring masking, alcohol, family dynamics, special interests, and the importance of understanding behaviour before jumping to conclusions.*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• I Don't Want My Kids to Be Neurodivergent• AITA for Asking My Daughter's Boyfriend to Stop Having Dinner With Us?• AITA for Walking Out of an Autistic Man's 45-Minute Five Nights at Freddy's Presentation?Our Sponsors:
Many people with eating disorders get labeled as perfectionists. Sometimes that's accurate. Sometimes it's only part of the story. In this episode of the Dr. Marianne-Land Podcast, I explore the overlap between OCD and eating disorders, perfectionism, anxiety, autism, ADHD, and the cognitive effects of malnutrition. I explain why similar behaviors can have very different underlying causes and why understanding those differences can change the course of eating disorder treatment and recovery. If you've ever found yourself stuck in food rules, body checking, repetitive thoughts, calorie calculations, reassurance-seeking, or endless self-doubt, this episode offers a more nuanced way to understand what's happening beneath the surface. Rather than focusing only on what behaviors look like, I discuss why identifying their function leads to more effective and compassionate care. What You'll Learn In this episode, you'll learn how perfectionism differs from OCD in eating disorder recovery and why the distinction matters. I discuss why intrusive thoughts, compulsive checking, and reassurance-seeking are often mistaken for perfectionism, how anorexia nervosa and other restrictive eating disorders can increase obsessive thinking, and why starvation affects cognitive flexibility and mental rigidity. I also explain how autism, ADHD, sensory needs, and routine dependence can sometimes resemble OCD while reflecting very different underlying experiences. Finally, I share why understanding the function of eating disorder behaviors helps clinicians, individuals, and families choose more effective treatment approaches. OCD, Perfectionism, and Eating Disorders Perfectionism has long been associated with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and other eating disorders. At the same time, many people who believe they're simply perfectionists may also experience OCD, significant anxiety, or both. Looking only at outward behaviors can miss what is actually maintaining the cycle of restriction, compulsions, fear, and distress. In this episode, I discuss why food-related rituals, repeated checking, body checking, calorie counting, and reassurance-seeking may look similar across different conditions while serving very different purposes. Understanding those differences helps people receive more individualized, neurodivergent-affirming care instead of one-size-fits-all treatment. Why Neurodivergence Makes the Picture More Complex Autism, ADHD, ARFID, sensory processing differences, and nervous system regulation can all influence eating behaviors, routines, and food preferences. Predictability and consistency often help neurodivergent people reduce overwhelm and make eating feel safer. Those experiences are not automatically signs of OCD or perfectionism. I explain why clinicians need to understand the role of sensory processing, cognitive load, executive functioning, and nervous system regulation before drawing conclusions about repetitive eating behaviors. This perspective supports more accurate assessment and more compassionate eating disorder treatment. Why This Matters for Recovery Recovery looks different depending on what's driving the behavior. Someone whose eating disorder is fueled primarily by perfectionism may need different interventions than someone struggling with OCD, autism, or multiple overlapping conditions. When treatment targets the underlying process instead of the surface behavior alone, recovery often becomes more individualized, effective, and sustainable. Understanding the "why" behind eating disorder behaviors creates opportunities for greater self-compassion and more meaningful healing. This Episode Is For You If... This episode is for anyone recovering from anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, binge eating disorder, or another eating disorder who has wondered whether perfectionism tells the whole story. It's also for autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD individuals, parents, caregivers, therapists, dietitians, physicians, and other professionals who want a more nuanced understanding of OCD, perfectionism, neurodivergence, and eating disorder recovery. Related Episodes OCD & Eating Disorders: Why Food Rules, Rituals, & “Not Feeling Right” Take Over on Apple & Spotify. When Eating Disorders Meet Anxiety, OCD, or Depression: Co-Occurring Challenges & Recovery Strategies on Apple & Spotify. Obsessions, Compulsions, and Control: How OCD Intertwines With Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Food, Fear, & Fixation: How OCD Shapes Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Work With Dr. Marianne Miller If you're looking for a neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder therapist, I provide therapy for adults and adolescents throughout California and Washington, D.C. I also offer parent consultation and eating disorder coaching worldwide. My practice specializes in ARFID therapy, anorexia treatment, bulimia treatment, binge eating disorder therapy, autism and ADHD, and neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder care. I use a sensory-attuned, trauma-informed, autonomy-supportive approach that honors each person's unique nervous system and lived experience. Learn more about therapy, consultation, my ARFID & Selective Eating Course, and additional resources at www.drmariannemiller.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the Dr. Marianne-Land Podcast, leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, and share this episode with someone who may benefit from a more compassionate understanding of OCD, perfectionism, and eating disorder recovery.
What happens when years of eating disorder treatment reduce symptoms but never fully address the trauma underneath? In this episode of the Dr. Marianne-Land Podcast, I welcome Jennifer Lancaster, LCSW, for a conversation about complex trauma treatment for eating disorders, including the role of EMDR therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), attachment trauma, nervous system healing, and shame recovery. Whether you're recovering from anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, binge eating disorder, or another eating disorder, understanding the connection between trauma and eating disorders can open new possibilities for healing. Jennifer is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Houston Healing Collective. Drawing on more than a decade of experience treating eating disorders and complex trauma, she explains why many clients arrive after years of therapy saying they understand why they struggle but still feel trapped in the same patterns. We discuss how trauma-informed treatment can move beyond symptom management by addressing the underlying experiences that shaped the nervous system in the first place. Why Complex Trauma Often Fuels Eating Disorders Complex trauma is not always one catastrophic event. It can develop through repeated experiences of emotional neglect, attachment disruptions, chronic criticism, unsafe relationships, community violence, poverty, or growing up without feeling consistently seen, safe, or emotionally supported. Jennifer shares how her own experiences and years of clinical work helped her recognize that many eating disorders function as adaptive responses to unresolved trauma rather than isolated illnesses. We also discuss why many people in eating disorder recovery become frustrated when treatment focuses primarily on changing behaviors without creating space to process traumatic experiences. Although symptom stabilization remains important, Jennifer explains why many clients eventually seek treatment that addresses the deeper emotional wounds beneath restrictive eating, binge eating, purging, or other eating disorder symptoms. EMDR Therapy for Trauma and Eating Disorders Jennifer explains how she integrates EMDR therapy into eating disorder treatment. She discusses the importance of building trust, strengthening nervous system regulation, assessing readiness, and helping clients expand their window of tolerance before trauma reprocessing begins. She also describes how EMDR allows people to process traumatic memories without needing to repeatedly tell every painful detail, making the work feel more manageable for many survivors of complex trauma. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Explained If you've been curious about ketamine-assisted therapy for PTSD, trauma, or eating disorders, Jennifer offers an accessible explanation of how this treatment works. She discusses why ketamine differs from traditional psychiatric medications, how it may temporarily increase neuroplasticity, and why those changes can create opportunities for deeper therapeutic work. We also talk about the brain's default mode network, rigid thinking patterns, and why many people experience new perspectives during treatment that previously felt impossible to access. One of the most important messages in this episode is that ketamine itself is not the treatment. Jennifer emphasizes that preparation, psychotherapy, and thoughtful integration before and after medicine sessions are what help lasting healing occur. Rather than replacing therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy works alongside trauma-focused treatment approaches like EMDR and other evidence-informed therapies. Healing Shame Through Safe Relationships Jennifer also shares her own experience receiving ketamine-assisted therapy and how it transformed her relationship with shame. She describes participating in a therapeutic group experience where she felt safe enough to openly share parts of her story for the first time. That experience inspired her to develop group ketamine retreats because she witnessed how healing can deepen when people experience connection, compassionate witnessing, and emotional safety alongside trauma treatment. Our conversation also explores why shame often survives in isolation but begins to loosen when people experience safe therapeutic relationships. Whether treatment happens individually or in a carefully facilitated group setting, safety remains the foundation of meaningful trauma recovery. Who Should Listen This episode is for adults recovering from anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, binge eating disorder, or other eating disorders. It is also valuable for parents, caregivers, therapists, dietitians, physicians, and other healthcare professionals who want a deeper understanding of complex trauma, EMDR therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, PTSD, attachment trauma, and trauma-informed eating disorder treatment. In This Episode Jennifer explains how complex trauma contributes to eating disorders, why attachment wounds often remain hidden beneath eating disorder symptoms, how EMDR therapy helps people process traumatic memories, what ketamine-assisted psychotherapy actually involves, why preparation and integration matter just as much as the medicine itself, how neuroplasticity may support healing, why shame often decreases through safe therapeutic relationships, and how trauma-informed care can help people move beyond surviving toward genuine recovery. Content Cautions This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, PTSD, complex trauma, childhood adversity, attachment trauma, emotional neglect, shame, poverty, community violence, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and ketamine-assisted therapy. Listen to Related Episodes Using EMDR & Polyvagal Theory to Treat Trauma & Eating Disorders With Dr. Danielle Hiestand, LMFT, CEDS-S on Apple & Spotify. The Connection Between Unresolved Trauma & Long-Lasting Eating Disorders (Content Caution) on Apple & Spotify. How Childhood Trauma Shapes Eating Disorders & Body Shame (Content Caution) on Apple & Spotify. Childhood Trauma & Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Connect With Jennifer Lancaster Jennifer Lancaster is the founder of Houston Healing Collective, where she specializes in complex trauma treatment, EMDR therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, eating disorder treatment, psychotherapy intensives, and therapeutic retreats. Learn more through Houston Healing Collective or follow her on Instagram at @_jenlightened. Work With Dr. Marianne Miller If you're looking for a California eating disorder therapist, Washington, DC eating disorder therapist, ARFID therapist, anorexia therapist, bulimia therapist, or binge eating disorder therapist, I provide neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed eating disorder therapy throughout California and Washington, DC, along with eating disorder coaching worldwide. If you or your child has ARFID or selective eating, be sure to explore my self-paced ARFID & Selective Eating Course for practical, evidence-informed support. Check out my website at drmariannemiller.com for all the latest info!
In this episode of Autism Help, Heather McKay explores avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, commonly known as ARFID, and how it can affect autistic people.Heather discusses the different treatments currently offered for ARFID and explains why some approaches may be ineffective or even make eating more difficult for autistic people, including contributing to the loss of safe foods. She also introduces some of the changes that may help make support more appropriate and accessible.Content NoteThis episode includes detailed discussion of food, restrictive eating, eating disorders, and experiences of ARFID. Please listen with care if these subjects may be difficult or triggering for you.DisclaimerThis podcast is for general information only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Please consult an appropriately qualified professional about your individual circumstances.
In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Olivia Soha, the founder of Uncovery, to discuss the often-invisible line between "wellness culture" and a life-threatening eating disorder. Olivia shares her harrowing journey from an early childhood struggle with ARFID to a medical crisis in her twenties that resulted in a near-death experience and a spiritual vision that changed her life forever. They explore the dangerous way society praises disordered behaviors as "healthy discipline" and the vital role that recovery coaching plays in bridging the gap between clinical treatment and reclaiming a real, lived life. Whether you are struggling yourself or supporting a loved one, Olivia's story offers a profound map of resilience and the unwavering hope that full recovery is truly possible. SHOW NOTES: Click here Follow me on Instagram @behind_the_bite_podcast Visit the website: www.behindthebitepodcast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Olivia Soha, the founder of Uncovery, to discuss the often-invisible line between "wellness culture" and a life-threatening eating disorder. Olivia shares her harrowing journey from an early childhood struggle with ARFID to a medical crisis in her twenties that resulted in a near-death experience and a spiritual vision that changed her life forever. They explore the dangerous way society praises disordered behaviors as "healthy discipline" and the vital role that recovery coaching plays in bridging the gap between clinical treatment and reclaiming a real, lived life. Whether you are struggling yourself or supporting a loved one, Olivia's story offers a profound map of resilience and the unwavering hope that full recovery is truly possible. SHOW NOTES: Click here Follow me on Instagram @behind_the_bite_podcast Visit the website: www.behindthebitepodcast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our Sunday magazine that brings together the stories, conversations, and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.As Angela is away this week, James Hepworth, host of Collecting Fish and Hyperfocus FC, joins Simon as a guest co-host.We begin with a look back at Collecting Fish, reflecting on the first season and sharing an update on how James' marine tank is developing. Then we turn to the FIFA World Cup Final, where Spain lifted the trophy while Argentina's tournament ended in controversy, before looking back at the competition as a whole and what made this year's tournament so memorable.As always, we'll also take you through everything coming up this week across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network, with new episodes exploring Hamilton, masking and burnout, therapy, genetics, humour, ARFID, basketball, and much more. Let's dive in.
Understanding autism means understanding everything that comes with it.Welcome to Autism Help, a podcast exploring the co-occurring conditions, daily challenges, and practical realities that shape the lives of autistic people and those who support them. Part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.Hosted by Heather McKay (she/they)—a late-diagnosed autistic mother of two, educator, company director, and author of Autism: The Big Book Set of Help—the series provides honest, neuroaffirming conversations about topics that are often overlooked, misunderstood, or poorly explained by mainstream services.Drawing on lived experience, years of facilitating support groups, and extensive research, Heather explores subjects including ARFID, executive dysfunction, sleep disorders, fibromyalgia, incontinence, literacy, and supporting multiply-disabled children. Each episode aims to provide practical knowledge, reduce isolation, and help listeners better understand autistic life beyond the diagnostic criteria.Whether you're autistic yourself, a parent, educator, support worker, or healthcare professional, Autism Help offers accessible, evidence-informed conversations grounded in both expertise and lived experience.
Aaliya ist 21 und leidet schon ein Leben lang unter "ARFID". Das ist eine unbekannte Essstörung, bei der Betroffene aus Angst oder Ekel viele Lebensmittel vermeiden. Aaliyah ekelt sich vor Gemüse und isst überwiegend Tiefkühl-Essen. Ihr Endgegner: Spinat. Gleichzeitig will sich Aaliyah unbedingt gesünder ernähren. Y-Kollektiv-Reporter Leon Hüttel begleitet sie bei dem Versuch, seit Jahren das erste Mal Spinat zu essen. Und er fragt: Wieso ist diese Essstörung bisher so unbekannt? Unser aktueller Podcast-Tipp: Die Lösung – der Psychologie-Podcast: https://1.ard.de/die-loesung?at Habt ihr Feedback oder Kritik? Schreibt uns gerne an y-podcast@ard.de oder https://www.instagram.com/y_kollektiv/ Reporter: Leon Hüttel Host: Annika Prigge Redaktion: Pamina Rosenthal "Y-Kollektiv – Der Podcast" ist ein Podcast von der ARD. Diese Episode ist eine Produktion von Radio Bremen 2026.
Erin Lamb has been a speech language pathologist for 26 years. She runs a Baltimore nonprofit with its own school for autistic kids. She has a Ph.D. She still missed her own daughter's autism. Why does autism get missed in girls? Most of the foundational autism research was done on boys. As Erin puts it, everything she knew about autism she learned from boys in the 90s, because that's what the research was done on. That research shaped the training, and the training shaped what people picture when they hear the word autism. Girls who talk early, who mask well, or whose struggles get read as anxiety often reach their teens before anyone says it out loud. This is a Seen and Heard episode, so Erin gets the floor. She walks Rob through what a day actually looks like in a house with a kid in autistic burnout, with a PDA profile and ARFID, where separation anxiety is the most clinically significant thing in the room. She's honest about what it costs her. "People are like, what are you doing this weekend? And my answer is always caregiving. Because I do not know. I cannot plan." Then she tells us what changed. She calls it outsourcing the panic. If the school professional isn't panicking, why is she? She handed the worry to the people whose job it is to worry, and her daughter started coming back to her within weeks. She also gives the best description of an autistic kid this show has had. In the wrong environment it's like parenting all the kids from Willy Wonka at once. In the right one, with the right accommodations and supports, her kid is Charlie. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR Why a speech language pathologist with 26 years of practice missed autism in her own daughter What a day really looks like with a kid in autistic burnout, a PDA profile, and ARFID What outsourcing the panic means, and how she started doing it Who her daughter actually is: the Lorax, Willy Wonka, and Charlie What she wishes the outside world, and the autism community, understood TERMS FROM THIS EPISODE Autism in girls: autism is underdiagnosed in girls largely because the foundational research was conducted on boys, so the diagnostic picture most clinicians trained on describes boys. Girls who mask well or present as anxious are routinely missed. PDA, pathological demand avoidance: a profile in which an autistic person's nervous system treats demands as threats, even small or pleasant ones. Approaches that add pressure usually make it worse. ARFID, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder: more than picky eating. A child avoids whole categories of food by texture, smell, or fear, to the point that nutrition and growth are affected. Autistic burnout: exhaustion and loss of previously held skills following a long stretch of masking, sensory overload, and unmet needs. Recovery takes fewer demands and real rest, not more pushing. Outsourcing the panic: Erin's strategy of handing specific worries to the professionals whose job it is to hold them, instead of carrying every worry herself. ABOUT ERIN LAMB Erin Lamb is the President and CEO of Gateway Maryland, the Baltimore nonprofit formerly known as HASA, which has served Maryland families for nearly 100 years. She's a licensed speech language pathologist, holds a Ph.D. in public policy, and is the mom of two neurodivergent teenage daughters. SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by Mightier, a biofeedback emotional-regulation gaming program for kids, developed and tested at Boston Children's Hospital. Kids wear a heart-rate monitor and play games that get harder when they get dysregulated and easier as they calm down, so they practice regulating themselves in the moment. Read Rob's full review at theautismdad.com/mightier-review and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. #ad RESOURCES Gateway Maryland: gatewaymaryland.org Rob's full Mightier review: theautismdad.com/mightier-review More Seen and Heard episodes: listen.theautismdad.com Find Rob at theautismdad.com, and on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at The Autism Dad.
127. Psilocybin for Anorexia: Inside UCSF's TrialDr. Amanda Downey on UCSF's psilocybin trial for anorexia, why caregivers enroll, and what the medicine can and can't reach in eating disorders.Episode SummaryEating disorders are the deadliest psychiatric illness we have. Someone in the United States dies of one every 52 seconds, and two of every three people who get conventional treatment never fully recover. Anorexia nervosa has had no new FDA-approved treatment since the 1990s. That is the ground this conversation stands on, and it is why I sat down with Dr. Amanda Downey at Town Hall Seattle. Dr. Downey is a pediatrician and psychiatrist at UCSF and a lead investigator on an active Phase 2 trial studying psilocybin for anorexia in young adults. We talk about why her trial enrolls caregivers as participants, what psilocybin might reach that decades of treatment have not, and where the science is still honestly uncertain. This one is close to me. I recovered from anorexia myself, and I know how little the map has changed.
Protein bars in the lunchbox. Protein powder in the smoothie. Protein added to everything from waffles to mac and cheese. If it feels like protein is suddenly everywhere! You're not imagining it. In this episode, I'm pushing back on the idea that more protein is automatically better for kids, walking through what the RDA actually recommends, what newer research on "optimal" protein intake really means, and the research-backed downsides of overdoing it, especially for younger kids. I also draw a clear line for families navigating severe picky eating, ARFID, or an eating disorder, where the real concern is too little protein, not too much. I'll share a story from my practice that shows exactly how this trend can backfire, and what I want you to know before you reach for another scoop. Get The Protein Guide here: www. thenourishedchild.com/product/protein
What if you could choose exactly which days you work, which clients you see, and even when you're home for your kids after school? Today's guest did exactly that.I'm thrilled to introduce you to Heidi Miller, a speech-language pathologist and the founder of HMS & Associates in New Jersey. Heidi has built a boutique, multi-location private practice known for its highly specialized, relationship-driven care with clinics in Florham Park, Park Ridge, and most recently Oakland.But here's what makes her story so different: She didn't start with a grand vision of multiple clinics. She started with a clear vision of three days a week.With over 25 years of experience, Heidi has worked across a range of clinical settings before opening her first in-person clinic 15 years ago. Today, her practice focuses on pediatric feeding disorders, ARFID, apraxia, and myofunctional therapy with an emphasis on advanced, evidence-based treatment and individualized care. She remains closely involved in mentoring her team and shaping the clinical standards across all three locations, ensuring a consistently high level of care.Outside of patient care, Heidi is passionate about building a private practice model that blends clinical excellence with strong family partnerships — creating a trusted, referral-based brand where children, families, and clinicians can truly thrive. She also creates continuing education courses for other therapists and is a mom to three kids.In Today's Episode, We Discuss:How she slowly and systematically built a niche practice around her actual passionsWhy saying "no" to clients outside your specialty actually grows your reputation fasterHow she opened a second location not by throwing a dart at a map, but by following one family's needThe simple way she retains therapists for years letting them reset their schedules every summer and school yearHeidi's story is proof that you don't have to choose between being a present parent and a successful practice owner. She didn't throw a dart at a map. She followed the need, trusted her skills, and built a practice that fits her life — not someone else's idea of success.Want to build a private practice that gives you freedom without burning out? Learn more about our Start Your Private Practice Program, where Heidi got the step-by-step guidance she needed to go from employee to business owner. To learn more, please visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com.Or, if you already have an existing private practice and you're ready to take it to the next level we'd love to support you inside the Next Level Private Practitioner. You can learn more at www.nextlevelprivatepractitioner.com.Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned:Follow Heidi onInstagram: instagram.com/heidimillerspeechandassociates/TikTok: tiktok.com/@hmsspeechandfeedingFacebook: HMS & Associates, LLCCheck out her website: heidimillerspeech.comWhere We Can Connect:Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/
Love this clip? Check out the full episode: Episode #380: What If It's Not Just Picky Eating? ARFID In ADHD & Autism ExplainedListen to the full conversation in the original episode HERE.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What if the behaviors that frustrate, worry, or confuse you most aren't the real problem? What if anxiety, OCD, emotional outbursts, picky eating, and even focus issues are all clues pointing to something deeper?In this eye-opening episode, Rebecca welcomes Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, licensed therapist, certified school psychologist, parenting expert, and author of The Dysregulated Kid. With more than 30 years of experience helping children and families, Dr. Roseann explains how nervous system dysregulation may be at the root of many common childhood struggles, including anxiety, OCD, emotional reactivity, picky eating, ARFID, and behavioral challenges.Together, Rebecca and Dr. Roseann discuss why regulation must come before learning, coping skills, discipline, and even therapy. They explore practical ways parents can support both their children and themselves, while offering hope for families who feel overwhelmed or stuck.This conversation may completely change the way you view your child's behavior.Key Takeaways→ Behavior is often a clue, not the problem.→ A dysregulated nervous system can look like anxiety, ADHD, OCD, emotional outbursts, or lack of focus.→ Parents are their children's emotional anchors and co-regulation matters.→ ARFID and severe picky eating are often connected to nervous system and sensory challenges.→ Small, consistent regulation practices can create powerful long-term changes.If this episode helped you see your child through a new lens, please share it with another parent, grandparent, teacher, or caregiver.Listen, subscribe, and learn more at:https://whinypaluza.com/Listen on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-whinypaluza-podcast/id1534167756