Podcasts about arfid

When ARFID is shaped by a PDA profile, eating challenges are not simply about sensory preferences, fear foods, or appetite. PDA, or a pervasive drive for autonomy, means the nervous system experiences demands as threats. Even gentle encouragement around eating can trigger shutdown, panic, or refusal. In this episode, Dr. Marianne Miller explains why PDA fundamentally changes how ARFID shows up and why traditional explanations often miss what is really happening beneath the surface. Food Refusal Is a Nervous System Safety Response Food refusal in PDA-driven ARFID is not defiance or manipulation. It is a protective response rooted in survival. When autonomy feels compromised, refusal becomes the fastest way to restore safety. This episode reframes refusal as communication and explores how control is not the goal, but a tool the nervous system uses to stay regulated. How Eating Becomes a Threat Instead of Nourishment For PDA nervous systems, eating can shift from a neutral or pleasurable act into a moment of danger. Being observed, reminded, praised, or monitored can turn food into a demand. Dr. Marianne breaks down how this happens in both children and adults with ARFID, and why eating often becomes harder the more support is applied. Case Examples of PDA and ARFID Across the Lifespan This episode includes clinical case examples that illustrate how PDA-driven ARFID can look very different on the surface while operating from the same nervous system logic. One example focuses on a child who eats until attention is placed on them. Another highlights an adult who deeply wants recovery but feels trapped by structured treatment approaches. These examples help clarify why motivation alone does not resolve PDA-related eating challenges. Why Traditional ARFID Treatment Often Fails PDA Nervous Systems Many standard ARFID interventions rely on structure, goals, exposure, and accountability. For PDA profiles, these tools can unintentionally increase threat and shutdown. Dr. Marianne explains why treatment plans that ignore autonomy often backfire and how mislabeling this response as resistance can cause harm. What Actually Supports PDA-Affirming ARFID Care Supportive care for PDA and ARFID prioritizes safety, consent, and flexibility. This does not mean removing all structure, but changing how structure functions. The episode explores what real choice looks like, why opt-out options matter, and how slowing down can create conditions where eating feels safer over time. A Neurodivergent-Affirming Reframe for Caregivers and Adults If ARFID has felt impossible to “fix,” this episode offers a compassionate reframe. PDA-driven eating challenges are not failures of willpower or commitment. They reflect a nervous system doing its best to survive. Understanding this opens the door to approaches that are more humane, effective, and sustainable. Related Episodes on ARFID and PDA ARFID Explained: What It Feels Like, Why It's Misunderstood, & What Helps on Apple & Spotify. Why Sensory-Attuned Care Matters More Than Exposure in ARFID Treatment on Apple & Spotify. ARFID, PDA, and Autonomy: Why Pressure Makes Eating Harder on Apple & Spotify. Complexities of Treating ARFID: How a Neurodivergent-Affirming, Sensory-Attuned Approach Works on Apple & Spotify. Work With Dr. Marianne Miller Dr. Marianne Miller is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in ARFID, binge eating disorder, and long-term eating disorder recovery. She offers therapy, consultation, and a virtual, self-paced ARFID course grounded in neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, trauma-informed care. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com

In this week's episode, Han is joined by Michelle Jacques, Sarah Woodruff and Jo Read. Together, they are the hosts of 3Mums1MissionARFID, which is on a mission to raise awareness regarding ARFID as a result of their experience of navigating their own experience of supporting their children with ARFID. This week, we discuss:What ARFID is and how it differs from “fussy eating”How sensory sensitivity, gag reflexes, and nervous system overload affect eatingHow fear of choking and emetophobia (fear of vomiting) can drive food avoidanceHow illness and medical trauma can cause sudden drops in food intakeWhat it feels like to parent a child with ARFID, including guilt, grief, and constant vigilanceHow dismissal and judgment from professionals and others impact familiesWhat an ARFID diagnosis can offer, and where support often still falls shortHow NG and PEG feeding can become part of ARFID care and the complex emotions that come with itHow school stress, anxiety, and social pressures can contribute to late-onset ARFIDWhy peer connection and lived-experience support are so powerful for parentsTimestamps:04:20 Why they started Three Mums One Mission: ARFID11:00 Jo: sensory sensitivity, gag reflex, and “typical” feeding advice that didn't fit20:50 Michelle: illness triggers, supplements, and PEG feeding32:00 Sarah: late-onset ARFID, school anxiety, crisis point + hospital experienceResources & LinksFollow @3Mums1MissionARFID on Instagram Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTube⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders, ARFID, NG tube feeding. Please take care when listening.If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.Sending positive beans your way, Han

This brief guided episode is designed for moments when eating disorder recovery feels unsafe, overwhelming, or frightening. It is meant to be listened to when fear spikes, urges intensify, or doubt about recovery takes over. Rather than offering education or advice, this guided moment focuses on nervous system support. Dr. Marianne gently names why fear can surge when eating disorder behaviors loosen and why this response does not mean recovery is failing. The episode centers the experience of being in the middle of recovery, when the body is adjusting to change and searching for safety. Listeners are invited to pause, slow down, and orient to the present moment without needing to make decisions, take action, or push through discomfort. This guided listen affirms that fear during recovery often reflects protection, not weakness, and that safety can come alongside change. This episode can be replayed as often as needed. It is especially supportive for people in eating disorder recovery who experience panic, urgency, or nervous system overwhelm when behaviors begin to shift. Content Caution This episode discusses eating disorder recovery and fear responses. No weights, numbers, or specific behaviors are described. This is a gentle, non-instructional guided listen. How to Use This Episode This guided moment is best used during periods of heightened anxiety, uncertainty, or fear related to eating disorder recovery. Listeners may choose to listen while seated, lying down, or moving gently. There is no requirement to follow instructions or reach a particular outcome. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for adults in eating disorder recovery who feel unsafe when change begins, people experiencing recovery anxiety or fear of letting go, and anyone who needs nervous system support rather than information. It may also be helpful for clinicians and providers to share with clients during acute moments of distress. About Dr. Marianne Miller Dr. Marianne Miller is a licensed marriage and family therapist, eating disorder specialist, and host of the Dr. Marianne-Land podcast. Her work centers neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed, and liberation-focused approaches to eating disorder recovery. Dr. Marianne also offers a self-paced course on ARFID and selective eating designed to prioritize safety, autonomy, and nervous system care. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com.

Why does eating disorder recovery sometimes feel more frightening after change has already begun? In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne Miller explores a critical but rarely discussed phase of eating disorder recovery: the point where behaviors start to loosen, yet fear, panic, and urges intensify instead of easing. This episode reframes eating disorders not as irrational habits to eliminate, but as safety systems shaped by the nervous system. Dr. Marianne explains how restriction, binge eating, purging, rigidity, and food avoidance can reduce threat, create predictability, and manage sensory or emotional overwhelm. When those behaviors begin to shift, the body may respond with alarm, even when recovery is wanted. Rather than focusing on early recovery or long-term outcomes, this conversation stays inside the middle of recovery. The place where letting go feels destabilizing, progress triggers panic, and people begin to question whether healing is actually safe. Dr. Marianne unpacks why fear at this stage does not signal failure, lack of motivation, or resistance, but reflects survival-based nervous system logic. This episode also centers how neurodivergence, trauma histories, and intersectional oppression amplify fear during recovery. For autistic and ADHD individuals, transitions, loss of structure, and sensory changes can intensify nervous system activation. For people with chronic trauma or marginalized identities, eating disorder behaviors may have provided protection in a world that felt unsafe long before recovery began. Listeners will hear why the belief that “safety comes after behaviors stop” often backfires, and why scaffolding, autonomy, pacing, and compassion are essential when eating disorder behaviors start to loosen. This episode is especially relevant for adults with long-term eating disorders, people feeling stuck in recovery, and clinicians seeking trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming approaches to eating disorder treatment. Content Caution This episode discusses eating disorders, recovery-related fear, and nervous system responses to change. No weights, numbers, or explicit behavioral instructions are included. Listener discretion is advised. What This Episode Covers Dr. Marianne discusses eating disorders as safety systems, fear of recovery, anxiety during eating disorder treatment, and why symptom spikes often occur after progress begins. The episode explores the role of the nervous system, trauma, neurodivergence, and intersectionality in eating disorder recovery, and explains why grief, panic, and doubt can emerge when behaviors that once felt protective start to loosen. This conversation also highlights why safety, autonomy, and nervous system support must come alongside behavior change, not after it. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for adults with eating disorders who feel afraid to let go of behaviors, people experiencing recovery anxiety or fear of change, and anyone who feels stuck in the middle of eating disorder recovery. It is also for therapists, providers, and caregivers who want to better understand why eating disorder behaviors can feel necessary, and why fear does not mean someone is failing at recovery. Related Episode An Open Letter to the Body: Listening to the Part That Fears Getting Better on Apple and Spotify. About Dr. Marianne Miller Dr. Marianne Miller is a licensed marriage and family therapist and eating disorder specialist offering therapy, consultation, and education rooted in neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed, and liberation-focused care. She is the host of the Dr. Marianne-Land podcast and the creator of a self-paced course on ARFID and selective eating for adults and providers. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com.

What does a low heart rate really mean in athletes? When is it a normal adaptation to training, and when is it a sign that something is medically wrong? In this interview, Dr. Marianne Miller speaks with Megan Hellner, RD and Katherine Hill, MD, co-founders of AthleatMD, about one of the most misunderstood issues in athlete health. Together, they unpack how low heart rate, underfueling, and performance pressure can intersect in ways that are often minimized or missed entirely in both sports medicine and eating disorder care. Content Caution This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS), medical instability, low heart rate, weight loss, body image pressure, and athletic injury. Listener discretion is encouraged. What Is Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS)? Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport occurs when an athlete's energy intake does not meet the demands of training, daily functioning, and, for young athletes, growth and development. Dr. Hill explains that REDS can occur with or without an eating disorder and that many athletes develop REDS unintentionally due to intense schedules, high training loads, or lack of accurate nutrition guidance. Although REDS is a relatively new diagnostic framework, its medical consequences are not new. Energy deficiency affects nearly every system in the body, including the heart, bones, hormones, digestion, immune function, and mental health. Importantly, many athletes with REDS do not appear thin, which contributes to how frequently the condition is overlooked. Low Heart Rate in Athletes: Fitness or Medical Red Flag? A low resting heart rate is often praised as evidence of elite fitness, yet this episode challenges that assumption. Dr. Hill and Dr. Hellner explain the difference between mild athletic bradycardia and dangerous cardiac suppression related to undernutrition. They discuss why heart rates in the low 40s or 30s should never be automatically dismissed as “normal for athletes,” particularly when fatigue, injury, missed periods, or hormonal suppression are present. The conversation highlights how REDS and malnutrition can compound athletic adaptations, leading to serious medical risk while athletes are reassured that nothing is wrong. Where Eating Disorder Care and Sports Medicine Fall Short Athletes often exist in a gray area where eating disorder treatment programs and sports medicine settings fail to fully meet their needs. Drs. Hellner and Hill describe how eating disorder programs may underestimate the importance of athletic identity, while sports environments frequently minimize eating disorders and REDS altogether. This disconnect can result in rigid activity bans, delayed diagnosis, or false reassurance that prolongs harm. The episode emphasizes the need for individualized, multidisciplinary decision-making that considers medical stability, psychological safety, and the athlete's relationship with sport. Body Image Pressure and the Athletic Aesthetic Myth The conversation also explores how appearance-based expectations shape athlete health. Dr. Hellner introduces the concept of the athletic aesthetic myth, which falsely assumes that performance requires a specific body type. Dr. Marianne and her guests discuss how coaching culture, social media trends, and gendered body ideals increase risk for REDS and disordered eating. They also highlight the growing visibility of elite athletes across a wide range of body sizes, challenging the belief that leanness equals success. How AthleatMD Supports Athletes With REDS and Eating Disorders AthleatMD provides virtual medical and nutrition care for athletes across many states, serving competitive, recreational, and former athletes. Dr. Hellner explains how assessment focuses on weight history, growth patterns, labs, training load, injury history, and relationship with food and sport, without assuming intentional restriction. Treatment centers on nutrition restoration, medical stabilization, and education, with approaches tailored to the athlete's sport, goals, and developmental stage. For many athletes, restoring adequate energy intake improves both health and performance in ways they did not expect. Who This Episode Is For This episode is especially relevant for athletes experiencing fatigue, injury, or declining performance, as well as parents of young athletes, coaches, therapists, dietitians, and medical providers. It is also an important listen for anyone questioning whether “fit” always means healthy in sport. Related Episode Eating Disorders & Athletes: The Pressure to Perform on Apple & Spotify. About Today's Guests Dr. Megan Hellner and Dr. Katherine Hill are the co-founders of AthleatMD (@athleatmd), a virtual, multidisciplinary practice specializing in medical and nutrition care for athletes with eating disorders and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS). Their work focuses on bridging the long-standing gap between sports performance and eating disorder treatment. About the Host Dr. Marianne Miller is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the host of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast. She provides neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed care for eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and ARFID, and works with clients in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Learn more about working with Dr. Marianne and explore her courses and podcast at drmariannemiller.com.

Why do some eating disorders continue for years or even decades, despite treatment, effort, and a strong desire for change? Long-standing eating disorders are often misunderstood as personal failure or lack of motivation. In reality, persistence usually reflects unmet needs, nervous system strain, and environments that have not supported safety or regulation. What “Chronic” Really Means in Eating Disorder Care In clinical settings, the term chronic simply means persistent over time. It does not mean static, untreatable, or hopeless. Many people with chronic eating disorders experience periods of stability, partial recovery, or symptom shifts rather than full resolution. Progress often occurs in layers rather than in a straight line. Chronic eating disorders appear across diagnoses, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and mixed presentations. What matters most is not the duration of symptoms, but the function those symptoms continue to serve. Eating Disorders as Nervous System Survival Strategies Eating disorder behaviors frequently operate as survival responses. They may regulate anxiety, reduce sensory overwhelm, create predictability, or provide relief from emotional distress. When behaviors serve a regulatory purpose, stopping them without replacing that function can feel destabilizing rather than healing. Persistence is rarely about effort. Many people with long-term eating disorders have engaged in extensive treatment and tried multiple approaches. Without safety, the nervous system will continue to rely on familiar strategies. Trauma, Chronic Stress, and Ongoing Threat Long-standing eating disorders often develop in the context of trauma that never fully resolved. Ongoing stressors such as medical trauma, anti-fat bias, racism, ableism, financial insecurity, chronic illness, or identity-based harm can keep the nervous system in survival mode. When threat remains present, recovery models that assume safety already exists often fall short. In these environments, eating disorder behaviors may remain necessary for coping. Neurodivergence and Unmet Support Needs Neurodivergent people experience chronic eating disorders at high rates, yet are frequently underserved by standard treatment models. Sensory sensitivities, executive functioning challenges, and interoceptive differences can make eating overwhelming in ways traditional care does not address. Without accommodation, eating disorder behaviors may persist because they reduce sensory or cognitive overload. Recovery requires adapting care to the person, not forcing the person to adapt to the model. Autonomy, Power, and Control in Recovery Eating disorders often become closely tied to autonomy, especially for people who have experienced chronic control or invalidation. Decisions about food can feel like the last remaining area of choice. When treatment removes autonomy without rebuilding agency, symptoms often intensify. Collaborative, consent-based care that honors choice can create safer conditions for change. What Actually Supports Long-Term Change Sustainable change in chronic eating disorders is built through safety, curiosity, and flexibility. Emotional, sensory, and relational safety allow the nervous system to shift. Curiosity replaces judgment by asking what the eating disorder provides rather than focusing only on stopping it. Accommodation, harm reduction, and connection play central roles. Reducing risk, improving quality of life, and supporting nourishment without demanding perfection create space for gradual change. Rethinking Recovery for Chronic Eating Disorders Recovery does not need to mean the complete absence of symptoms to be meaningful. Increased flexibility, reduced fear, fewer medical crises, and a fuller life matter. Chronic eating disorders reflect complexity, not hopelessness. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for people living with chronic eating disorders, providers working with long-term or complex cases, and anyone seeking a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming perspective on eating disorder recovery. Content Caution Discussion includes eating disorder behaviors, long-term symptoms, trauma, and systemic barriers to care. Related Episodes Relapse in Long-Term Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Orthorexia, Quasi-Recovery, & Lifelong Eating Disorder Struggles with Dr. Lara Zibarras @drlarazib on Apple & Spotify. Navigating a Long-Term Eating Disorder on Apple & Spotify. Why Eating Disorder Recovery Feels Unsafe: Facing Ambivalence in Long-Term Struggles on Apple & Spotify. Perfectionism, People-Pleasing, & Body Image: Self-Compassion Tools for Long-Term Eating Disorder Recovery With Carrie Pollard, MSW @compassionate_counsellor on Apple & Spotify. Learn More Explore neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed resources for eating challenges at drmariannemiller.com.

Why does eating sometimes feel distant, foggy, or unreal? Why do meals happen on autopilot, with little connection to hunger, fullness, or satisfaction? In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne Miller explores the often overlooked role of dissociation in eating disorders, especially when trauma and nervous system overwhelm are present. Many people experience eating as disconnected or numb, yet rarely receive language or support that explains why this happens. This episode breaks down how dissociation functions as a survival response, not a failure of recovery. Dr. Marianne explains how trauma, chronic stress, and loss of bodily autonomy can shape the nervous system and disrupt interoceptive awareness, making it difficult to sense hunger, fullness, and internal cues. Listeners will learn how dissociation connects to common eating disorder patterns such as restriction, binge eating, and rigid routines. Rather than viewing these behaviors as resistance or lack of motivation, this episode reframes them as nervous system strategies designed to manage overwhelm and threat. Dr. Marianne also centers neurodivergent experiences, including sensory processing differences and shutdown responses that often get missed in traditional eating disorder treatment. She explains why pressure-based approaches frequently fail neurodivergent people and why safety, accommodation, and choice are essential when eating feels unreal. This episode offers a trauma informed, neurodivergent affirming perspective on recovery, emphasizing that healing does not come from forcing embodiment. Instead, recovery unfolds when the nervous system learns that eating can be safe again. In this episode, you will hear about: Dissociation and eating disorders Trauma and nervous system responses around food Why eating can feel unreal or disconnected Interoception and disrupted hunger and fullness cues Neurodivergence, sensory overwhelm, and eating challenges Why traditional eating disorder treatment often misses dissociation What actually supports recovery when eating feels unreal Midway through the episode, Dr. Marianne shares more about her self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course, designed for people whose eating struggles are shaped by sensory differences, trauma, and nervous system needs. Related Episodes How Childhood Trauma Shapes Eating Disorders & Body Shame (Content Caution) on Apple & Spotify. Childhood Trauma & Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Using EMDR & Polyvagal Theory to Treat Trauma & Eating Disorders with Dr. Danielle Hiestand, LMFT, CEDS-S on Apple & Spotify. Trauma, Eating Disorders, & Levels of Care with Amy Ornelas, RD via Apple or Spotify. Content Caution This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, trauma, dissociation, sensory overwhelm, and nervous system responses around food. Although no specific behaviors or numbers are described, some listeners may find these topics activating. Please take care of yourself and listen in a way that feels supportive. This episode is for anyone who has felt confused, frustrated, or unseen in eating disorder recovery and wants a framework that finally makes sense.

In today's episode, I sit down with my friend and brilliant food-nerd Erica Litzner—Montessori chef, former restaurant pro, and mom to a daughter navigating ARFID, autism, ADHD, and the very real fallout of modern food culture. We're talking picky eating, snacking culture, dopamine, France, the USDA, how the food industry hijacked our kids' taste buds, and why this mess is absolutely not your fault.We get into how “snack foods” were engineered to override hunger cues, why kids melt down before dinner, how blood sugar and behavior are tied together, and the radical power of feeding your kid at 3–4pm. Erica also walks through her daughter's ARFID journey—what's typical picky eating vs. when a child truly needs medical intervention.This episode is equal parts validating, infuriating, and freeing. If you've been drowning in dinner battles, snack bargaining, confusing nutrition advice, or the idea that you're somehow failing because your kid loves Goldfish—this conversation will breathe life back into your parenting.Put your phone down.Take a breath.Let's unfuck the food conversation.

I detta avsnitt av Hälsa Utan Hets möter Emma Björndahl författaren Anna Ehn, som skrivit boken ARFID.Tillsammans pratar de om en ofta missförstådd diagnos och ger både kunskap och igenkänning.Du får bland annat höra om:Vad ARFID är och hur det kan ta sig uttryckSkillnaden mellan ARFID och att vara “matkräsen”Hur vardagen kan se ut för den som är drabbadVad du som anhörig kan göra för att stöttaViktiga budskap direkt från någon med egen erfarenhetEtt varmt, nyanserat och viktigt samtal som vill minska skam, öka förståelse och sprida kunskap kring ARFID.Läs mer i boken: ARFID - om undvikande/restriktiv ätstörning och hur du kan hjälpa

Anorexia does not disappear with age, and midlife is often when its deeper pain becomes impossible to ignore. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne Miller explores why anorexia can resurface or intensify in midlife, especially when long-standing coping strategies stop working and the nervous system reaches its limits. This conversation names what so many people experience quietly: hormonal shifts, burnout, identity changes, and unprocessed trauma colliding with a culture that continues to demand shrinking, control, and silence. Dr. Marianne unpacks how perimenopause, menopause, chronic stress, and cumulative life demands can destabilize eating patterns that once felt manageable. She explains why restriction is not about willpower or vanity, but about protection, regulation, and survival, particularly for those who have lived for decades navigating pressure, responsibility, and internalized expectations. The episode also explores how midlife can awaken old wounds related to body, gender, sexuality, safety, and belonging, making anorexia feel like a familiar refuge during times of upheaval. This episode centers the emotional logic of midlife anorexia and highlights how neurodivergence, sensory processing differences, and reduced masking capacity can further complicate eating and recovery later in life. Dr. Marianne offers a compassionate reframe of what healing can look like in midlife, emphasizing nervous system support, steadiness over control, truth-telling, and sustainable care rather than rigid recovery ideals. Listeners will hear a vision of recovery that does not ask people to go back to who they were, but instead supports becoming someone who no longer needs old coping strategies to feel safe. This episode speaks directly to adults navigating long-term or chronic anorexia, relapse in midlife, and the quiet grief that can surface during major life transitions. It is also a vital listen for providers seeking a more humane, trauma-informed, and neurodivergent-affirming understanding of eating disorders across the lifespan. Dr. Marianne closes by reminding listeners that midlife can be a turning point not because of force or discipline, but because deeper understanding becomes possible. Recovery at this stage can mean honoring the body's needs, allowing rest, naming pain that was carried alone, and receiving support that fits one's lived experience. If this episode resonated, you are invited to explore therapy with Dr. Marianne Miller, who offers specialized support for people navigating anorexia, chronic restriction, ARFID, and eating disorders shaped by trauma and neurodivergence. Go to drmariannemiller.com for resources and help.

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder where people severely restrict food due to fear, sensory sensitivities, or low interest — not body image concerns — causing significant health and social problems Unlike normal picky eating, ARFID involves intense distress, extremely narrow food choices, nutritional deficiencies, weight loss, and serious disruption to daily life and social activities Prevalence ranges from 0.35% to 6.4% depending on region, primarily affecting children and teens, with average diagnosis at age 11 and higher male representation than other disorders Treatment approaches include parental control strategies, cognitive behavioral therapy, family-based treatment, food therapy, and sequential oral sensory methods to gradually reduce food-related fear and anxiety A specialized protocol combining psychology, hypnosis, and neuro-linguistic programming shows 90% success for adults and 65% for children, often achieved in single session

Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air!Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawnWhat if grief isn't just about what you've lost, but also about honoring who you were and how far you've come?In this raw and heartfelt episode of The Big Silence, Karena sits down with entrepreneur, artist, and mental health advocate Tallulah Willis. The youngest daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore shares what it was like navigating life in one of Hollywood's most iconic families. We talk about confronting eating disorders, ADHD, autism, and her father's dementia journey, Tallulah opens up about the many forms grief can take. She shares how she's learned to embrace "good grief," build unshakeable self-trust, and find healing through creativity and vulnerability. Whether you're processing your own loss, struggling with identity, or searching for permission to feel it all, Tallulah's wisdom will reassure you that you're exactly where you need to be.How do you learn to trust yourself when life keeps throwing you into the unknown, and honor all the versions of yourself that got you here?True strength comes from acknowledging your feelings, giving yourself the dignity of your process, and knowing you can handle whatever comes your way.(00:00) Redefining Grief & The Power of "Yes, And"The concept of "Good Grief" and making space for celebration within the painHow DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) helps navigate the "yes, and" of complex emotions(3:30) High School: ADHD, Autism & Feeling InvisibleHer recent autism diagnosis and lifelong ADHD Believing she was unintelligent Feeling "mid" and overlooked by adults who should have seen her(06:02) Growing Up in the Spotlight: Life as Bruce and Demi's DaughterWhat it was like being raised by "the last era movie stars"Fielding paparazzi from a young age How early experiences shaped her adaptability(8:39) Eating Disorders, ARFID & Using Control to CopeHow her eating disorder became a catch-all for unprocessed emotionsLiving with ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder) her whole lifeThe journey to recovery and learning to nourish herself (20:57) Surrounding Yourself with People Who See YouGrieving relationships with people who didn't see herBeing surrounded by people whose reflection of her she lovesHer fiancé's recognition of her ability to adapt and roll with new situationsLearning what it means to be truly seen and valued(24:08) Her Father's Dementia, Love & Finding JoyNavigating Bruce Willis's FTD diagnosis and the family's decision to go publicWhy she initially avoided learning the clinical details Handling invasive questions with graceHow transparency opens doors for others to get checked and seek help(31:06) Self-Trust, Pausing & Acknowledging Your FeelingsThe power of naming what's realFocusing on her art practice: drawing, interior design, and creative expressionWhy she's leaning into discomfort and pushing herself into new spacesThe magic of curiosityReconnect with yourself and your community: We start the New Year, New TI-YOU Challenge January 5th in the Tone It Up App. Just download the Tone It Up App at...

Have you ever wondered whether your eating disorder behaviors have shifted from coping and self-regulation into self-harm? In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne Miller explores the overlap between eating disorders and self-harm and explains how eating disorder behaviors can gradually become harmful even when they begin as attempts to cope. She examines eating disorder recovery through a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming, and liberation-focused lens and offers clarity without shame or blame. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE Dr. Marianne explains how eating disorders can function as self-harm and how trauma, dissociation, sensory overwhelm, and chronic stress shape eating disorder behaviors. She discusses neurodivergence and eating disorders, including how autistic and ADHD individuals may rely on eating patterns for regulation. She explores common self-harm behaviors that often co-occur with eating disorders, including cutting, scratching, burning, and other forms of injury, and explains the shared emotional logic behind these behaviors. She clarifies the difference between self-regulation and self-harm and explains how eating disorder behaviors can shift between these roles over time. She outlines how to recognize when an eating disorder moves from regulation into harm by identifying warning signs such as rigidity, shame, dissociation, physical consequences, and isolation. She also describes what breaking the cycle can look like by focusing on safety, agency, and flexible coping rather than punishment or control. THIS EPISODE MAY RESONATE WITH YOU IF You question whether your eating disorder behaviors feel punishing or unsafe. You live with a long-term or chronic eating disorder. You experience self-harm urges alongside an eating disorder. You identify as neurodivergent and struggle with sensory or interoceptive overwhelm. You want a trauma-informed, non-shaming approach to eating disorder recovery. KEY TOPICS This episode explores eating disorders and self-harm, eating disorder recovery, self-harm behaviors and eating disorders, trauma and eating disorders, neurodivergence and eating disorders, dissociation and eating disorders, restriction and binge eating, ARFID and sensory overwhelm, building safety in eating disorder recovery, and trauma-informed eating disorder therapy. CONTENT CAUTION This episode includes discussion of self-harm, including cutting and other forms of injury, eating disorders, trauma, dissociation, and suicidal thinking. Please listen with care and take breaks as needed. RELATED EPISODES Autism & Anorexia: When Masking Looks Like Restriction, & Recovery Feels Unsafe via Apple & Spotify. Recovering Again: Navigating Eating Disorders After a Late Neurodivergent Diagnosis (Part 1) With Stacie Fanelli, LCSW @edadhd_therapist via Apple & Spotify. Minding the Gap: The Intersection Between AuDHD & Eating Disorders With Stacie Fanelli, LCSW @edadhd_therapist via Apple & Spotify ABOUT DR. MARIANNE Dr. Marianne Miller is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in eating disorders, including ARFID, binge eating disorder, anorexia, and long-term eating disorder patterns. She takes a neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed, and liberation-focused approach and hosts the Dr. Marianne-Land podcast. WORK WITH DR. MARIANNE Dr. Marianne offers eating disorder therapy in California, Texas, and Washington DC, and provides coaching worldwide. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com.

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder where people severely restrict food due to fear, sensory sensitivities, or low interest — not body image concerns — causing significant health and social problems Unlike normal picky eating, ARFID involves intense distress, extremely narrow food choices, nutritional deficiencies, weight loss, and serious disruption to daily life and social activities Prevalence ranges from 0.35% to 6.4% depending on region, primarily affecting children and teens, with average diagnosis at age 11 and higher male representation than other disorders Treatment approaches include parental control strategies, cognitive behavioral therapy, family-based treatment, food therapy, and sequential oral sensory methods to gradually reduce food-related fear and anxiety A specialized protocol combining psychology, hypnosis, and neuro-linguistic programming shows 90% success for adults and 65% for children, often achieved in single session

Dr. Tony Ebel sits down with Shandy Watters, integrative speech-language pathologist and functional nutrition practitioner, to unpack the root causes of complex picky eating in kids with neurodevelopmental challenges. Moving beyond typical feeding advice, Shandy shares her five-domain framework and explains how nervous system regulation plays a central role in feeding struggles.Parents will learn practical, real-life strategies to reduce mealtime stress, including environmental setup, co-regulation, movement before meals, and supportive positioning. Shandy also highlights hidden food triggers and shares powerful success stories that offer both clarity and hope for families navigating complex picky eating.-----Links & Resources:Learn more about Shandy's work and access free resources to support your child at speakingofhealthandwellness.comGrab Shandy's free guide The Dos and Don'ts for Parents of Complex Picky Eaters: https://www.speakingofhealthandwellness.com/freebiesFollow Shandy on Instagram: @speakingofhealthandwellness-----Key Timestamps:(00:00) What Is Complex Picky Eating? Typical vs. complex feeding challenges(09:00) The Nervous System Connection Why regulation matters for feeding(16:00) The Five-Domain Paradigm Shandy's framework for complex picky eating(28:00) Beyond Gluten and Dairy Hidden inflammatory food triggers(37:00) Mealtime Setup What actually supports success(43:00) The 90-90-90 Rule Proper positioning for feeding and digestion(47:00) Beyond Obedience Redefining the goal of feeding support(52:00) ARFID and Missed Diagnoses Overlooked PANS and PANDAS connections(55:00) Autism and Feeding Challenges Rethinking the root cause(58:00) Success Story From Goldfish to Salmon(01:05) Resources How to work with Shandy-- Follow us on Socials: Instagram: @pxdocs Facebook: Dr. Tony Ebel & The PX Docs Network Youtube: The PX Docs For more information, visit PXDocs.com to read informative articles about the power of Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care. Find a PX Doc Office near me: PX DOCS DirectoryTo watch Dr. Tony's 30 min Perfect Storm Webinar: Click Here

In this solo episode of Dr. Marianne Land, Dr. Marianne Miller explores one of the most overlooked drivers of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, or ARFID: the powerful intersection of autonomy and sensory needs. This episode unpacks why pressure based approaches consistently fail people with ARFID and how choice, consent, and nervous system safety create real pathways toward healing. Rather than framing ARFID as defiance or avoidance, this conversation centers ARFID as a protective response rooted in sensory overwhelm and a deep need for bodily autonomy. Why Autonomy Matters in ARFID For many neurodivergent people, autonomy is not optional. It is a core safety requirement. Dr. Marianne explains how pressure around food activates threat responses in the nervous system, often leading to shutdown, panic, or increased food avoidance. When autonomy gets removed through medical pressure, family conflict, or exposure approaches that override consent, ARFID symptoms often intensify. This episode reframes autonomy not as resistance, but as a stabilizing force that helps people survive overwhelming eating environments. Sensory Processing and Nervous System Safety Sensory sensitivity plays a central role in ARFID. Texture, smell, temperature, and unpredictability can trigger immediate nervous system distress. In this episode, Dr. Marianne explains how these sensory reactions are involuntary and protective, not behavioral choices. Safe foods become anchors that help regulate the nervous system, and honoring sensory needs becomes essential for sustainable eating disorder recovery. When sensory experiences are respected, the body no longer needs to protect itself through restriction. Why Pressure Fails and Choice Heals Pressure based interventions often backfire in ARFID treatment. Dr. Marianne explores how even well-intentioned encouragement can teach the nervous system that eating is unsafe. Pressure increases fear, deepens avoidance, and damages trust. In contrast, choice restores safety. When people with ARFID control the pace, timing, and nature of food exploration, curiosity becomes possible. Choice supports regulation, builds self-trust, and creates space for gentle expansion without retraumatization. A Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach to ARFID Recovery This episode highlights what ARFID care can look like when it centers consent, collaboration, and sensory attunement. Dr. Marianne discusses how liberation-centered treatment prioritizes nervous system regulation over compliance, honors lived experience, and rejects one-size-fits-all exposure models. Recovery becomes sustainable when dignity, agency, and sensory truth guide the process. Intersectionality, Identity, and Autonomy Autonomy carries different weight depending on lived experience. Dr. Marianne addresses how fat individuals, disabled individuals, neurodivergent people, and those with chronic illness often experience repeated violations of autonomy in medical and social settings. For many, eating becomes another site of control and harm. This episode situates ARFID within broader systems of stigma and explains why restoring autonomy is especially critical for people with marginalized identities. Mid-Episode Invitation During the episode, Dr. Marianne shares more about her self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating Course. The course offers neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed tools that support autonomy, sensory safety, and nervous system regulation. It is designed for individuals with ARFID, caregivers, and clinicians seeking a more compassionate and effective framework for healing. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for anyone living with ARFID, supporting someone with ARFID, or working professionally with eating disorders and neurodivergence. It is especially relevant for listeners who have felt harmed by pressure based treatment, misunderstood by providers, or blamed for sensory needs they cannot control. Related Episodes on ARFID --ARFID Explained: What It Feels Like, Why It's Misunderstood, & What Helps on Apple & Spotify. --Why Sensory-Attuned Care Matters More Than Exposure in ARFID Treatment on Apple & Spotify. --ARFID, PDA, and Autonomy: Why Pressure Makes Eating Harder on Apple & Spotify. --Complexities of Treating ARFID: How a Neurodivergent-Affirming, Sensory-Attuned Approach Works on Apple & Spotify. Listen and Learn More If ARFID has shaped your relationship with food, your body, or your sense of safety, this episode offers a validating and science-informed perspective. To learn more about Dr. Marianne's virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating Course or to explore therapy and educational resources, visit her website drmariannemiller.com.

In this episode, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Josephine Neale - Clinical Director for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services at the Priory and founder of Neale Health, the UK's first fully online child and adolescent psychiatry service - joins Ben to unpack ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), a condition many people have never heard of but is increasingly recognised in autistic and ADHD individuals.Josephine explains that ARFID isn't about weight or body image, but driven by four key subtypes: sensory discomfort, fear and anxiety (often around choking or vomiting), low appetite, or a combination of these.Drawing on her specialist work across autism, ADHD, and eating disorders, she breaks down why ND people experience food so differently, why ARFID is still often missed, and how eating difficulties can quietly build long before families know what's happening.This conversation offers clarity, compassion, and practical tools - whether you're navigating ARFID yourself, supporting a young person, or simply trying to better understand ND eating differences.If you would like to support us this Christmas please consider gifting from the below link to spread awareness and carry on the conversation:https://www.hidden20.org/christmas-grotto________Host: Ben BransonProduction Manager: Phoebe De LeiburnéVideo Editor: James ScrivenSocial Media Manager: Charlie YoungMusic: Jackson GreenbergHead of Marketing: Kristen Fuller00:00 Introduction00:48 Dr Josephine Neale: Her Background in Eating Disorders, Autism & ADHD7:20 Why Mind & Body Are Often Seen As Separate in Eating Disorders: & Why That Can Be Problematic 11:26 What Is ARFID? (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Explained)15:01 How Clinicians Assess ARFID 23:35 ARFID in Neurodivergent People: Autism, ADHD & Sensory Profiles25:29 The Four ARFID Subtypes: Fear, Sensory, Low Appetite & Combined29:40 What Causes ARFID? Understanding Roots, Triggers & Early Signs31:13 ARFID Fear Subtype: Anxiety, Choking Fears & Avoidance32:44 ARFID Low Appetite Subtype: Interoception & Reduced Hunger34:38 ARFID Sensory Subtype: Texture, Smell, Taste & Food Aversions48:23 Can ARFID Come and Go? Understanding Episodic Presentations50:30 Did ARFID Exist Historically? Why Modern Life May Be Increasing Cases55:36 Christmas & ARFID: How to Support People with Eating Difficulties1:01:08 ARFID at Someone Else's House: How Families Can Navigate Christmas Day1:05:59 Dr Josephine's Green Dot BadgeThe Hidden 20% is a charity founded by ADHD & autistic entrepreneur Ben Branson.Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That's 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can't be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.Join us at hidden20.org/donate.Become a monthly donor.Be part of our community where great minds think differently.Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348______________Follow & subscribe…Website: www.hidden20.orgInstagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charityBen Branson @seedlip_benDr Josephine Neale @drjosephineneale www.nealehealth.comIf you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chewing and spitting is an eating disorder behavior that often remains hidden due to intense shame and misunderstanding. Many people do not know how to talk about it, and many providers never ask. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne Miller offers a clear, compassionate explanation of chewing and spitting in eating disorders, naming why this behavior develops and why it deserves nuanced care rather than judgment. This episode centers eating disorder recovery, ARFID, neurodivergent sensory experiences with food, and the nervous system roots of eating behaviors that are often moralized or overlooked. Why Chewing and Spitting Is So Often Misunderstood Chewing and spitting is frequently framed as a single behavior with a single cause. This narrow understanding creates harm. When providers assume chewing and spitting always reflects restriction or compensatory behavior, people with ARFID and sensory-based eating challenges are misdiagnosed or pressured into unsafe treatment. When providers minimize chewing and spitting in restrictive eating disorders, people lose access to support at moments of increasing distress. This episode explains why chewing and spitting must be understood through multiple pathways to ensure accurate diagnosis and ethical care. Pathway One: Chewing and Spitting in Restrictive and Compensatory Eating Disorders In restrictive or compensatory eating disorders, chewing and spitting often functions as a way to avoid swallowing food while still experiencing taste. It may emerge during periods of significant restriction, intense hunger, or fear of weight gain. Some people use chewing and spitting to interrupt binge urges or as a purge-adjacent behavior. In this pathway, the behavior reflects deprivation, internal conflict, and rising eating disorder severity. Shame, secrecy, and fear of judgment frequently follow, making it harder for individuals to seek support or speak openly about what they are experiencing. Pathway Two: Chewing and Spitting in ARFID and Neurodivergent Sensory-Based Eating Chewing and spitting can also emerge in ARFID and neurodivergent sensory-based eating for reasons entirely unrelated to weight or dieting. In this pathway, the behavior reflects sensory overwhelm, swallowing discomfort, texture sensitivity, interoceptive differences, or nervous system safety needs. Autistic and ADHD individuals may chew food to explore taste while spitting to avoid gagging, panic, or sensory overload. When this pathway is misunderstood as compensatory eating disorder behavior, people often feel pathologized rather than supported. This episode explains how sensory wiring, disability, and safety needs shape this experience. Why Differentiating These Two Pathways Matters in Recovery Accurately identifying the function of chewing and spitting is essential for healing. Restrictive and compensatory pathways require approaches that address deprivation, shame, trauma, and rigid food rules. Sensory-based pathways require approaches that build safety, honor autonomy, and work with the nervous system rather than against it. Dr. Marianne explains why a one-size-fits-all model fails and how differentiation creates clarity, trust, and more sustainable eating disorder recovery. Intersectionality, Bias, and Systemic Harm This episode also explores how anti-fat bias, racism, ableism, and medical bias shape who receives care and who gets believed. People in larger bodies often experience intense pressure to restrict, which can intensify chewing and spitting behaviors. People of color frequently face delayed or missed eating disorder diagnoses. Neurodivergent individuals are often misunderstood or dismissed when their eating challenges are sensory-based. Understanding chewing and spitting requires naming these systemic harms rather than blaming individuals. A Compassionate Path Forward Chewing and spitting is not a moral failure or a sign of weakness. It is a behavior rooted in nervous system responses, lived experience, and survival. This episode offers language, validation, and clarity for anyone who has struggled with chewing and spitting, supported someone who has, or wants a more nuanced understanding of eating disorders and ARFID. Healing begins with understanding, safety, and compassion. About Dr. Marianne Miller Dr. Marianne Miller is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in eating disorder recovery, ARFID, binge eating, and neurodivergent-affirming therapy. She offers therapy for individuals in California, Texas, and Washington D.C., and teaches the self-paced, virtual ARFID and Selective Eating Course.

In this episode, I speak with Dr Anna Colton, a clinical psychologist who specialises in adolescence and eating disorders. We explore the rise of eating disorders, the impact of the pandemic, and how social media and diet culture shape young people's relationship with food and their bodies. The conversation offers practical, compassionate guidance for parents and caregivers on talking with children and teens about nutrition, body image, and healthy eating patterns. Anna is the author of How to Talk to Children About Food, and shares actionable strategies for conversations at home, signs to watch for, and when to seek professional help.   Key takeaways - Eating disorders are increasing, with the pandemic cited as a major contributing factor. Social and cultural pressures around weight have intensified with the introduction of weight-loss medications and pervasive diet messaging on social media. A large portion of nutrition guidance consumed by young people comes from platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where most content is not accurate. - Adolescence involves two key developmental tasks: separation from caregivers and individuation (forming a sense of self). COVID-era restrictions disrupted these processes, which, alongside heightened emotions and risk messaging, created an opportunity for disordered eating to flourish. - Language matters when talking about food. Be specific and neutral rather than labeling foods as “healthy” or “unhealthy.” Avoid fear-based or punitive messaging (e.g., “that will make you fat”). Emphasize balance, variety, and the overall pattern of the diet rather than single meals. - Create a healthy home food environment. Allow for a range of foods at home, avoid using food as a reward or punishment, and be cautious about restricting foods. This supports self-regulation and reduces the likelihood of binge-eating cycles driven by deprivation. - Focus on body function and acceptance, not appearance. There are billions of unique bodies, and variation is normal. Encourage body acceptance and appreciation for what the body does (movement, health, energy) rather than how it looks. It's realistic to acknowledge that not everyone feels positive about their body every day. - Support for puberty and body changes. Hormonal fluctuations and evolving bodies during adolescence can be unsettling. Discuss differences in energy needs, portions, and activity levels openly, and acknowledge that it's normal for bodies to change at different rates. - Handling trends with curiosity. Teens may be drawn to gym culture and protein supplements. It's useful to explore the evidence together, rather than dismissing interest. Encourage evidence-based choices and avoid pressuring or shaming. - Early signs of potential eating disorders. Watch for significant changes in eating patterns (skipping meals, cutting out whole food groups), increased anxiety around meals, extreme weight changes, and irregular periods in girls. If you notice these signs, approach with curiosity and seek help promptly. - Initial steps if you're concerned. Start with careful observation over a short period, then have a non-judgmental conversation. If concerns persist, consult a GP for baseline checks (weight, height, bloods) and consider seeing a psychologist or ED specialist. Early intervention is preferable to waiting for illness to become severe. - Treatment principles and parental roles. In anorexia, parents may need to support structured eating as part of recovery. In binge patterns, reducing restriction helps, since hunger drives cravings. Special situations like ARFID require expert assessment and tailored exposure-based strategies. The NHS and ED services are under-resourced, so timely engagement with healthcare providers is crucial. - When to seek specialist help. If concerns persist, especially with weight changes, food avoidance, or distress around eating, connect with a healthcare professional early. A qualified psychologist or dietitian with ED experience can offer targeted guidance and support.   Resources    Anna Colton's book How to Talk to Children About Food is a practical primer for parents.  You can follow her on https://www.instagram.com/drannacolton  search for The Food Psychologist on TikTok and her LinkedIn is https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-anna-colton-79975521/  for evidence-based insights and ongoing discussions about eating, weight, and body image. If you enjoy the podcast please help us grow by sharing this episode, or writing a review. You can also find me at http://www.thetripleshift.org   connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmacthomas/   follow along on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/middlingalong_podcast/  or subscribe to my Substack at https://middlingalong.substack.com/   

Exercise is often framed as self-care, discipline, or proof that someone is “doing the right thing.” But for many people, exercise becomes tangled with shame, control, and self-worth. In this interview, Dr. Marianne Miller sits down with Dr. Lisa Folden, a weight-inclusive physical therapist and Health at Every Size ambassador, to explore how exercise shamefuels body image distress and disordered eating, even when it is disguised as wellness or health. Dr. Lisa shares her personal journey from overexercising, restriction, and rigid fitness rules to intuitive movement rooted in care rather than punishment. Together, they unpack how fitness culture, purity culture, and appearance-based health messaging teach people to judge their bodies and measure their worth through movement, weight, and discipline. This conversation reframes eating disorder recovery through a compassionate, weight-inclusive lens that separates exercise from morality and control. This episode is especially relevant for anyone struggling with eating disorders, chronic disordered eating, exercise guilt, or a painful relationship with movement. Content Caution This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, disordered eating behaviors, food restriction, binge eating patterns, overexercising, body image distress, weight stigma, and shame-based health messaging. Please listen in a way that feels supportive to you. Episode Overview In this conversation, Dr. Marianne and Dr. Lisa explore how exercise shame develops and why it is so deeply connected to body image and eating disorder recovery. Dr. Lisa explains how early experiences with discipline, structure, and purity culture shaped her relationship with food and exercise, reinforcing the belief that bodies must be controlled to be worthy. They discuss how fitness spaces often reward pain, consistency, and weight loss while ignoring mental health, accessibility, and individual needs. The episode also examines how intuitive movement becomes possible when exercise is no longer used to fix or punish the body. Dr. Lisa describes what shifted when she stopped exercising to change her body and began moving in ways that supported her nervous system, energy, and overall well-being. The conversation highlights how ableism and body size bias show up in gyms and wellness spaces, often through subtle judgments about who “belongs” and how bodies should move. Throughout the episode, Dr. Lisa emphasizes that exercise does not determine character and that body image healing requires separating movement from shame, worth, and identity. This reframing is central to sustainable eating disorder recovery and long-term healing. Why This Episode Matters Many people in eating disorder recovery were taught that exercising consistently meant they were good, disciplined, or successful, while rest or inconsistency meant failure. This episode challenges those beliefs and offers a more humane, evidence-informed approach to movement and self-care. It speaks directly to listeners who feel stuck in cycles of overexercising, restriction, binge eating, or chronic guilt around movement, and offers permission to relate to exercise in a way that supports healing rather than harm. About Dr. Lisa Folden Dr. Lisa Folden is a North Carolina–licensed physical therapist, NASM-certified behavior change specialist, and anti-diet, weight-inclusive coach. She is the owner of Healthy Phit Physical Therapy and Wellness Consultants and a Health at Every Size ambassador. Her work focuses on helping people heal their relationship with movement, body image, and food, particularly in the context of eating disorder recovery. She is also a writer, speaker, and mother of three. You can follow Dr. Lisa on Instagram at @healthyphit and read her writing on Substack at DrLisaFolden. Related Episodes --Breaking Up With Diet Culture with Dr. Lisa via Apple or Spotify. --Moralization of Exercise, Eating, & Body Size With Dr. Lisa via Apple or Spotify. About the Host Dr. Marianne Miller is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and eating disorder specialist offering neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed support for binge eating disorder, ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, and long-term eating disorders. She hosts Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast and provides therapy, education, and self-paced recovery programs. Check out her website at drmariannemiller.com or her Instagram @drmariannemiller. Listen Now If exercise has ever felt like punishment, obligation, or proof of worth, this episode offers a different path forward grounded in compassion, autonomy, and care.

In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explores how autism shapes eating in ways that many providers overlook. Sensory needs, interoception, routines, and safety all influence how autistic people navigate food. Instead of seeing these challenges as resistance, Dr. Marianne reframes them as intelligent body signals that protect a sensitive nervous system. Dr. Marianne explains why autistic eating experiences often get misunderstood. She discusses how overwhelming textures, smells, and sounds affect tolerance for certain foods, how interoceptive confusion can disrupt hunger cues, and how predictability reduces chaos during meals. She also explores the deep need for safety and how early food trauma can lead to long-lasting protective patterns. This episode highlights how autistic people may develop ARFID due to sensory overload, fear, or confusion around internal cues. Dr. Marianne emphasizes the need for neurodivergent affirming care that respects autonomy, consent, and the right to eat in ways that support comfort rather than compliance. Dr. Marianne also examines intersectionality. Autistic people of color, LGBTQIA+ autistic people, and disabled autistic people often face additional barriers to care and experience higher rates of dismissal. Understanding these intersections helps us provide real support. Throughout the episode, Dr. Marianne offers a compassionate framework for supporting autistic eating. She centers curiosity, sensory awareness, co-regulation, predictable routines, and respect for safe foods. She encourages listeners to trust their bodies and seek environments that reduce overwhelm instead of increasing it. Key Topics Covered Sensory Needs and Autistic Eating How texture, smell, sound, and temperature influence food tolerance and how sensory overwhelm shapes avoidance patterns. Interoception and Hunger Cues Why autistic people often experience muted or confusing hunger cues and how supportive routines help. Predictability and Routine Why sameness offers safety during meals and how routine helps regulate the nervous system. Safety and Eating Trauma The long-term effects of force feeding, pressure, and food shame and how safety becomes essential for healing. Autism and ARFID How ARFID develops in autistic people and why care must support autonomy, sensory comfort, and consent. Intersectionality and Access to Care How race, gender, sexuality, class, and disability shape autistic eating experiences and influence the support people receive. Compassionate Support Strategies How validation, sensory awareness, predictable rhythms, and co-regulation improve access to nourishment. Content Caution In this episode, I discusseeating challenges, restriction patterns, sensory overload, trauma, and ARFID. Please listen gently and take breaks if needed. Who This Episode Supports This episode is for autistic adults, parents of autistic children, providers who want to offer neurodivergent affirming care, and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of autistic eating experiences. It is also supportive for people exploring ARFID symptoms rooted in sensory needs, trauma histories, or routines that feel protective. Related Episodes Autism & Eating Disorders Explained: Signs, Struggles, & Support That Works on Apple & Spotify. The Invisible Hunger: How Masking Shows Up in Eating Disorder Recovery on Apple & Spotify. How Masking Neurodivergence Can Fuel Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Autism & Anorexia: When Masking Looks Like Restriction, & Recovery Feels Unsafe on Apple & Spotify. Work With Dr. Marianne If you want support that honors your sensory needs and your autonomy, you can learn more about my therapy services in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C., as well as global coaching options at drmariannemiller.com. You can also explore my ARFID and selective eating course and my binge eating and bulimia membership for additional tools. You deserve care that meets your body where it is.

For most of her life, science teacher and meteorologist Crystal Weidman was labeled a "picky eater." While friends and family fixated on her unique food rules, they completely missed the clues that something more serious was to blame.  In this episode Crystal shares her story of navigating ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) along with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).  This conversation sheds light on what ARFID really is (and isn't), why recovery is rarely linear, and how community and self-compassion can transform a life.  Whether you're familiar with ARFID or hearing about it for the first time, Crystal's story offers connection, clarity, and hope. Links Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com  Other episodes about ARFID: What is ARFID Anyway? Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder with Dr. Michelle Jones - Click here for episode. Is It Picky Eating or Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)? - Click here for episode.  Overview of ARFID (Overview, Resources, Quiz, FAQ, and more): www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/conditions/arfid  Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com     Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com Free Group Support: www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups    Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist:  (877) 850-7199 

TikTok reshapes the way people talk about bodies, beauty, and wellness. What looks like gentle self care often hides restrictive eating patterns, thinness pressure, and aesthetic rules that reward shrinking. In this episode, Dr. Marianne Miller explores how TikTok rebrands diet culture by disguising restriction inside trends like “anti bloat,” “glow up,” “clean girl body,” and “body recomposition.” Dr. Marianne explains why these trends spread quickly, why they create a strong pull for people with eating disorders, and why neurodivergent viewers may feel especially drawn to routines that promise control or calm. She describes how glow up narratives romanticize disappearance and how thinness becomes a transformation story. You will learn how to identify coded diet language and how to stay grounded while moving through online spaces that promote harmful messaging. What You Will Learn in This Episode 1. How TikTok Rebrands Diet Culture Dr. Marianne explains how “anti bloat” routines and glow up challenges present restriction as wellness. She highlights how these messages look soft and soothing even though they pressure people to shrink and control their bodies. 2. How Coded Restriction Language Shows Up Online You will learn how creators use soothing audio, soft visuals, and vague terms to disguise patterns that mirror disordered eating. Dr. Marianne names the phrases that quietly promote thinness. 3. Why Neurodivergent Viewers and People With Eating Disorders Feel Drawn In Structured routines and visuals can feel comforting or predictable. Dr. Marianne describes how this pull can feel stronger for neurodivergent listeners or anyone living with long-term food struggles. 4. How Glow-Up Culture Romanticizes Shrinking Dr. Marianne explores how glow up narratives frame thinness as success, transformation, or emotional strength. These stories reward disappearance and pressure people to strive for smaller bodies. 5. Intersectionality and Harmful Messaging Dr. Marianne names the ways thinness aesthetics reinforce cultural pressures for people in larger bodies, people of color, neurodivergent individuals, transgender and nonbinary people, and anyone who already experiences scrutiny or marginalization. 6. How to Strengthen Your Relationship With TikTok You will learn practical strategies to identify harmful patterns, curate your feed, follow body liberation voices, and stay centered in your own needs while using the platform. Content Caution This episode includes discussion of thinness trends, restrictive routines, and coded dieting messages on TikTok. If you feel overwhelmed or activated, please pause and return when you feel grounded. Who This Episode Supports This episode supports: • people recovering from eating disorders • neurodivergent listeners who feel drawn to routines or calming visuals • people in larger bodies who feel erased by glow up narratives • trauma survivors who feel pulled toward control-based content • clinicians, parents, and helpers who want to understand the pressures their clients or teens face online • anyone curious about how diet culture hides inside wellness language Resources Listeners may find support through: • body liberation and fat liberation educators • research on social media and disordered eating • neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder resources • trauma-informed recovery frameworks Related Episode SkinnyTok & Anorexia: How Harmful Trends Thrive Despite TikTok's Ban with Jen Tomei @askjenup on Apple and Spotify. Work With Dr. Marianne Miller Learn more about therapy, coaching, binge eating support, ARFID resources, and upcoming clinician trainings at drmariannemiller.com. Explore the blog, podcast show notes, and all available offerings.

Guest: Rachel Conrad, MA, CCC-SLPEarn 0.10 ASHA CEU for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/embracing-lived-experiencesIn the first episode of 2025, Michelle is joined by Jaclyn Pederson, MHI, CEO of Feeding Matters, and William Sharp, PhD, Director of Children's Multidisciplinary Feeding Program (Atlanta, GA) and Professor at Emory University School of Medicine, to lay the foundation for a year of combining passion, advocacy, and learning. These guests share their expertise and highlights from a recent journal publication on how the diagnoses of “Pediatric Feeding Disorder” and “Avoidant Restrictive Feeding Intake Disorder” are individualistic while simultaneously overlapping to capture the unique needs of the little ones on our caseloads. Additionally, they share practical insight into the roles and responsibilities of various team members, such as the SLP and the psychologist, in evaluating and treating these little ones as part of an interprofessional practice team.About the Guest: Rachel Conrad, MA, CCC-SLP, is the owner of Bite and Bloom Therapy, LLC, under The Mindful Collective, where she specializes in pediatric feeding and swallowing, ARFID, AAC, and sensory-based therapy. She serves as the Chair of the Feeding Matters Research Consortium, a patient- and family-centered research initiative partially funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Rachel brings a unique perspective to her work, combining her professional expertise with her lived experience of pediatric feeding differences and ARFID. She collaborates with The Village, a perinatal and eating disorder provider group, and participates in national advocacy and education initiatives to improve early intervention and interdisciplinary care for children with feeding differences. Rachel has delivered presentations and talks on best practices for evaluating and treating medically complex children with feeding and swallowing disorders. She is passionate about creating spaces where patients and families feel truly heard, seen, and valued in discussions about feeding differences. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (KSHA) and is committed to advancing awareness, research, and best practices in pediatric feeding and swallowing. Rachel bridges the gap between research, clinical practice, and lived experience to support children and families navigating feeding differences.Show Notes:Bite & Bloom Therapy: https://www.mindfulcollectivegroup.com/rachel-conradFeeding Matters: https://www.feedingmatters.orgFind Assistance: https://www.findhelp.org

This solo episode explores the quiet places where anorexia meets identity and expression. Dr. Marianne Miller speaks to the lived moments where someone learns to hide parts of themselves and how restriction becomes a language for survival. She examines how identity formation, self-expression, and body-based fear interact in ways that often remain hidden. The episode centers queer, trans, gender-expansive, and questioning listeners along with anyone who has felt pressure to quiet their identity in order to navigate the world. Dr. Marianne describes how anorexia rises when identity feels unsafe, unrecognized, or tightly controlled. She explains how restriction becomes a strategy to manage visibility, vulnerability, dysphoria, and the cultural pressure to stay small. The episode invites listeners to imagine recovery as a process of expanding expression, reclaiming autonomy, and restoring connection to their authentic self. Key Themes in This Episode Dr. Marianne examines the links between anorexia, identity, and self-expression. She describes how gender expectations and cultural norms shape the body story. She explains how queer and trans people often restrict to soften dysphoria or to quiet unwanted attention. She explores the way over-performance and people-pleasing silence authentic expression and strengthen restrictive behavior. She looks at the sensory landscape of anorexia and describes how neurodivergent experiences influence embodiment and identity. She also highlights the role of intersectionality. Race, culture, queerness, disability, and body size shape how someone expresses themself and how safe that expression feels. These intersections help explain why anorexia often becomes a predictable response to environments that restrict identity or punish authenticity. Why This Episode Matters Mainstream conversations about anorexia often focus on food without addressing identity, expression, and cultural pressure. Many listeners learn early that their identity takes up too much space. Many learn that desire, gender expression, and emotional truth need to stay hidden. This episode challenges the idea that anorexia develops inside a vacuum. Instead, it shows how anorexia forms inside relationships, systems, and environments that silence real expression. The episode offers validation for anyone who felt forced to shrink in order to stay safe. It expands the understanding of anorexia so listeners can see their experiences reflected with accuracy, compassion, and liberation. Who This Episode Supports This episode supports listeners who navigate anorexia while holding queer, trans, or gender-expansive identities. It supports people who experience identity suppression or dysphoria and who use restriction to manage that conflict. It supports neurodivergent listeners whose sensory experiences shape their relationship with their body and their identity. It also supports clinicians, loved ones, and community members who want a more accurate and compassionate understanding of anorexia. Resources Mentioned Liberation-based healing models Trauma-informed care Queer embodiment research Neurodivergent eating disorder literature Content Caution This episode discusses anorexia, restrictive eating, identity conflict, gender dysphoria, sexuality, sensory overwhelm, and the lived experience of shrinking to stay safe. Please listen with care and pause whenever your body needs space. Related Episodes Queer Mental Health & Eating Disorders: How Stress Shows Up in the Body & Brain With Winter Groeschl, NCC, LPC (@eatingdisorderrevealed): Apple & Spotify. LGBTQIA+, the Coming Out Process, & Eating Disorders: Apple & Spotify LGBTQIA+ & Eating Disorders: Apple & Spotify Learn More and Get Support Dr. Marianne Miller provides therapy and coaching for anorexia, ARFID, binge eating disorder, bulimia, trauma, and body-based fear. She supports clients across California, Texas, Washington D.C., and internationally. Explore additional episodes of the Dr. Marianne Land podcast for conversations about eating disorder recovery, neurodiversity, identity, embodiment, and body liberation. Check out her website at drmariannemiller.com. Follow her on Instagram @drmariannemiller.

In this episode, Dr. Marianne Miller explores the reality that many people with lifelong eating disorders do not resonate with the traditional idea of full recovery. She explains why harm reduction can offer a compassionate and sustainable path for individuals who have lived with chronic anorexia, long term bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and other long standing eating disorders. This conversation centers trauma history, neurodivergence, sensory needs, oppression, and the intersectional barriers that prevent many people from reaching what treatment programs often define as full recovery. If you have lived with an eating disorder for decades, if you have experienced trauma or misdiagnosis, if you are neurodivergent, or if you live in a marginalized body that has faced medical discrimination, you may find this episode deeply validating. Harm reduction gives you realistic recovery goals that respect your lived experience, your nervous system, and your access needs. What You Will Learn in This Episode Dr. Marianne explains how harm reduction works in eating disorder recovery and how it differs from traditional recovery models. She shows how harm reduction supports safety, stabilization, and dignity for people who have navigated chronic eating disorders for most of their lives. You will learn why the nervous system sometimes cannot tolerate pressure toward full recovery and why a flexible, collaborative approach can feel more aligned for many people. You will hear how sensory issues, interoception challenges, executive functioning differences, autistic burnout, and ADHD related overwhelm shape eating patterns for neurodivergent individuals. You will learn how trauma history, attachment ruptures, racialized stress, gender based discrimination, medical fatphobia, and identity marginalization influence both the development of eating disorders and the recovery process. Key Topics Covered This episode covers a wide range of topics that matter deeply for people with chronic eating disorders. These topics include how harm reduction supports stabilization when the long term eating disorder has become intertwined with survival. You will hear why the phrase full recovery can feel unrealistic or even harmful for people who have lived with their eating disorder for decades. Dr. Marianne explains how harm reduction creates safety, reduces shame, increases autonomy, and supports people who need a gentler and more individualized approach. The episode explores the role of neurodiversity in eating disorder recovery. This includes how sensory sensitivities shape food choices, how interoception differences impact hunger awareness, how executive functioning challenges influence meal consistency, and why many autistic and ADHD individuals need accessible, predictable, and customized strategies. You will also learn how intersectional oppression shapes health outcomes for people of color, queer and trans individuals, disabled individuals, fat individuals, and anyone living across multiple marginalized identities. Dr. Marianne describes what harm reduction can look like in daily life, from maintaining safe foods to creating sensory friendly meals to reducing medical instability in small, sustainable steps. She shares how this approach honors personal history and current capacity and how it helps many people live with more stability and less suffering. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for anyone living with a lifelong eating disorder who has felt pressure to pursue full recovery even when that expectation does not align with their reality. It is for people with chronic anorexia, chronic bulimia, long term binge eating disorder, ARFID shaped by sensory needs, and individuals with complex trauma who feel overwhelmed by traditional treatment expectations. This episode is also for neurodivergent individuals who live with autistic sensory profiles, ADHD impulsivity, interoception challenges, and executive functioning struggles that interfere with eating. It is for people living in marginalized bodies who have experienced medical discrimination or misdiagnosis. It is for professionals who want to learn how to apply harm reduction to eating disorder treatment in inclusive, neurodivergent affirming, and identity informed ways. Why This Episode Matters Many people with chronic or lifelong eating disorders feel invisible in mainstream recovery culture. They hear messages that full recovery is the only worthy goal and feel ashamed when their body or nervous system cannot meet those expectations. This episode names that truth with compassion. Harm reduction is a valid and ethical approach that honors lived experience and brings relief to people who need safety more than perfection. This episode matters because it acknowledges the role of trauma, neurodivergence, sensory needs, and intersectionality in long term eating disorders. It challenges the idea that recovery must look the same for everyone. It shows that you deserve care even if your healing does not follow a traditional blueprint. Your life still holds value and possibility. Related Episodes Orthorexia, Quasi-Recovery, & Lifelong Eating Disorder Struggles with Dr. Lara Zibarras @drlarazib on Apple & Spotify. Navigating a Long-Term Eating Disorder on Apple & Spotify. Why Eating Disorder Recovery Feels Unsafe: Facing Ambivalence in Long-Term Struggles on Apple & Spotify. Perfectionism, People-Pleasing, & Body Image: Self-Compassion Tools for Long-Term Eating Disorder Recovery With Carrie Pollard, MSW @compassionate_counsellor on Apple & Spotify. Resources and Support If you want more resources on lifelong eating disorders, harm reduction, ARFID, sensory based eating, and neurodivergent affirming care, visit drmariannemiller.com where you will find blog posts, guides, and links to specialized support. You can also explore my ARFID course and binge eating recovery membership options if you want deeper help with binge eating disorder, bulimia, ARFID, or long term eating disorder recovery. My work supports clients in California, Texas, Washington DC, and internationally through coaching. Join the Conversation If this episode resonated with your experience of a lifelong eating disorder or if you are curious about harm reduction as a recovery model, I would love to hear your thoughts. You can connect with me on Instagram at @drmariannemiller and share what stood out to you. For More Dr. Marianne-Land Podcast Episodes To explore more episodes on eating disorders, neurodiversity, trauma, and body liberation, listen to the full archive on your favorite podcast platform.

What happens when chronic illness meets wellness culture, diet culture, and the desperate search for answers in a system that continues to fail so many people? In this episode, I talk with Abbie Attwood, MS, @abbieattwoodwellness, an anti diet, weight inclusive nutrition therapist and host of the Full Plate Podcast. Abbie and I explore how chronic illness, medical gaslighting, and the pressure to find a cure can intersect with disordered eating. We talk about the ways wellness messaging pushes restrictive food rules, how OCD and anxiety deepen vulnerability to this messaging, and how food fear can feel like control when life feels unpredictable. We also discuss athlete identity, compulsive exercise, thin privilege, masking, neurodivergence, and the grief that comes when illness or injury forces people to rethink who they are. This conversation opens space for nuance, compassion, and the reality that healing happens inside context, not perfection. Content Caution We talk about chronic illness, disordered eating, exercise compulsion, and food restriction. Please take care of yourself as you listen. Key Topics We Cover 1. How wellness culture preys on vulnerability Abbie discusses how chronic illness created a perfect storm for disordered eating, especially when wellness messaging promised control, cures, and answers that science did not support. 2. Chronic illness and the search for control We talk about how desperation, medical dismissal, and misinformation make people more likely to turn to restrictive food rules and elimination diets. 3. OCD, anxiety, and increased vulnerability to wellness culture Abbie shares how her undiagnosed OCD and lifelong anxiety made the rigid, all or nothing tone of wellness culture feel reassuring, while actually deepening harm. 4. Athlete identity, loss, and compulsive movement We explore how losing movement due to chronic illness or injury can destabilize identity, trigger grief, and reignite disordered behaviors around exercise. 5. Masking, neurodivergence, and the pressure to perform wellness We discuss how neurodivergent masking can hide exhaustion and overwhelm, and how the pressure to perform health or discipline can push people deeper into food and exercise rigidity. 6. Chronic illness culture, shame, and blame We look at how chronic illness culture and wellness culture both place responsibility on the individual, leading to shame and self blame when bodies do not behave as expected. 7. What real nourishment looks like when illness limits capacity Abbie talks about the need for compassion, ease, adding rather than restricting, and honoring energy limitations instead of forcing strict food rules. Who This Episode Is For People navigating chronic illness and food anxiety Listeners recovering from eating disorders Neurodivergent folks who feel pressured to mask or follow rigid health rules Athletes or former athletes grieving changes in movement Anyone tangled in wellness culture messaging Clinicians who want a deeper understanding of how chronic illness intersects with disordered eating People who struggle with shame when illness reduces their capacity About Today's Guest Abbie Attwood, MS, is an anti diet, weight inclusive nutrition therapist, writer, and host of the Full Plate Podcast. She provides virtual nutrition therapy and body image support through Abbie Attwood Wellness and writes a widely loved Substack newsletter on healing our relationships with food and body. You can find her at @abbieattwoodwellness and abbieattwoodwellness.com. Links Mentioned Abbie Attwood Wellness Substack: abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com Abbie's website: abbieattwoodwellness.com Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness Full Plate Podcast Related Episodes Breaking Up With Diet Culture with Dr. Lisa Folden, @healthyphit on Apple & Spotify. How Eating Disorder Recovery Heals Life Overall via Apple or Spotify. Overexercising, ADHD, & Eating Disorders with @askjenup Jenny Tomei on Apple & Spotify. How Diet Culture & Purity Culture Fuel Eating Disorders: Unpacking the Trauma Behind the Rules with Cassie Krajewski, LCSW @inneratlastherapy on Apple & Spotify. Work With Me If you want support for binge eating disorder, ARFID, chronic eating struggles, or complex eating disorder patterns shaped by trauma, neurodivergence, or chronic illness, you can connect with me at drmariannemiller.com for therapy in California, Texas, or Washington D.C. I also offer global coaching and specialized courses.

Most providers still don't recognize ARFID when it's right in front of them. In this episode, Dr. Marianne Miller unpacks why Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder remains so misunderstood—and how that misunderstanding harms children and adults who live with it. Dr. Marianne explains what ARFID really is, how it shows up across neurotypes, and why messages like “just try harder” damage safety, trust, and nervous system regulation. Through a neurodivergent-affirming lens, she explores how bias, pressure, and diet-culture thinking keep ARFID invisible and why it's time for providers to see the reality of this eating disorder. Why This Episode Matters For too long, ARFID has been dismissed as “picky eating.” This episode reframes ARFID as a real, body-based eating disorder rooted in sensory processing, fear, or trauma—not defiance or willpower. Dr. Marianne highlights the emotional and physiological impact of being told to “try harder,” and how that phrase erodes autonomy, increases shame, and dysregulates the body. When we understand ARFID as a nervous-system and safety-based challenge, our entire approach to care changes. Listening replaces forcing. Collaboration replaces control. Compassion replaces shame. Key Topics Covered What ARFID Really Is: Understanding sensory-based, fear-based, and low-interest eating patterns that have nothing to do with dieting or body image. Why Professionals Miss It: How traditional training and diet-culture frameworks erase ARFID from diagnosis and treatment. The Harm of “Try Harder” Messages: Exploring what happens when people are shamed or pressured to eat against their nervous system's limits. The Neurodivergent Lens: How autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence intersect with eating, safety, and sensory regulation. The Role of Bias: Why marginalized identities—fat, BIPOC, neurodivergent, or gender-diverse people—are more likely to be misunderstood or dismissed. What Support Looks Like: How neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, and autonomy-based care creates safety and possibility. Who This Episode Is For Therapists, dietitians, and physicians who want to understand ARFID beyond stereotypes. Parents who feel blamed or overwhelmed by their child's restricted eating. Adults who have lived with food fear or sensory eating struggles and never had language for it. Neurodivergent people who want their experiences around food to be seen, validated, and supported. Content Caution This episode includes discussion of eating behaviors, sensory distress, and medical dismissal related to ARFID. Please take care of yourself and listen in a way that feels safe for your body and nervous system. Related Episodes ARFID Explained: What It Feels Like, Why It's Misunderstood, & What Helps on Apple & Spotify. Why Sensory-Attuned Care Matters More Than Exposure in ARFID Treatment on Apple & Spotify. ARFID, PDA, and Autonomy: Why Pressure Makes Eating Harder on Apple & Spotify. Complexities of Treating ARFID: How a Neurodivergent-Affirming, Sensory-Attuned Approach Works on Apple & Spotify. Learn More and Get Support If you want to understand ARFID more deeply or build sensory-attuned support skills, check out Dr. Marianne's self-paced ARFID & Selective Eating Course. This training explores sensory processing, collaborative care, and trauma-informed strategies for clinicians, parents, and community members. Visit drmariannemiller.com/arfid to learn more.

Kevin hears Danielle Meinert's “The Day I Met ARFID” story from The Story Collider for the first time and gives you his hot takes. You can also watch this episode on YouTube! This is part of our RISK! Reacts series, where we listen to a story told on another show and give our first reactions. Here's the Spotify Playlist mentioned in the episode. And here is an article about the playlist from hopkinsmedicine.org.

In Part III of our OCRD Series, we explore Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a serious eating disorder that often overlaps with OCD, anxiety, and sensory sensitivities. Host Nicole Morris, LMFT, breaks down how ARFID shows up in real life, courtesy of a FEAST presentation by Dr. Sarah Ravin, Ph.D., on how ARFID differs from typical picky eating, and what treatment options can help individuals and families navigate recovery. Additionally, Nicole provides some practical examples as she provides live reaction to Hannah Lea's bravery on her channel, @MyARFIDlife. So join the conversation, and leave with lots of hope! Because if anything, we're reminded that we're not alone.

What happens when you live with a severe eating disorder in a larger body yet the medical system refuses to see it? In this powerful conversation, Sharon Maxwell (she/they) shares her story of surviving anorexia in a fat body, advocating for herself inside medical systems that consistently denied her care, and reclaiming joy, autonomy, and embodiment after years of harm. Sharon is an educator, speaker, and fat activist who dedicates her work to dismantling anti fat bias and eradicating weight stigma in healthcare and society. Their story and activism have been featured in the New York Times Magazine, The Tamron Hall Show, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, 60 Minutes, and more. Together, we explore the realities of receiving medical care while fat, why compassionate providers save lives, how weight stigma shaped Sharon's early life and nearly cost her her life, and why reclaiming joy becomes an act of resistance. This episode holds so much wisdom, solidarity, and truth telling for anyone in eating disorder recovery, anyone harmed by medical weight stigma, and anyone committed to building a safer world for people in larger bodies. What We Cover in This Episode Sharon's Early Story and Reclaiming Joy Sharon shares a surprising fun fact about being a lifelong pianist and how taking jazz lessons helped them reclaim creativity after growing up in a restrictive religious cult that controlled every aspect of music, expression, and embodied joy. They describe how jazz has become part of their healing and identity reconstruction. Growing Up Fat, Undiagnosed, and Unseen Sharon lived in a fat body their entire life and struggled with anorexia for nineteen years. They went undiagnosed because medical providers only saw their body size. When Sharon arrived with obvious symptoms of an eating disorder, providers dismissed the symptoms and blamed their body. They describe how weight stigma prevented treatment and reinforced eating disorder patterns. The Doctor Who Changed Everything Sharon describes the first doctor who recognized the eating disorder and offered real compassion. That moment shifted the trajectory of their life. We discuss how rare this experience is and why truly compassionate medical care can be lifesaving for people living in larger bodies. Medical Trauma and the Cost of Weight Stigma Sharon shares painful stories about: Being denied necessary medical procedures because of body size. Experiencing trauma at gynecological appointments. Nearly dying from untreated tonsillitis because providers assumed weight was the cause rather than treating the actual condition. The emotional and financial toll of weight stigma across childhood and adulthood. We discuss how the healthcare system misattributes the financial cost of weight stigma to the O-word and how this distorts public health narratives and patient care. Eating Disorders in Larger Bodies Sharon explains how anti fat bias prevents providers from seeing eating disorders in fat patients. They highlight how common anorexia is in larger bodies and how life threatening it becomes when medical systems refuse to diagnose or treat it. How Anti Fat Bias Harms Everyone Sharon and I talk about how dismantling anti fat bias supports every person in eating disorder recovery. Recovery requires divesting from anti fat bias, reconnecting with the body, and understanding how these biases shape thoughts and behaviors across all sizes. Intersectionality and Medical Harm We explore how harms escalate for people with multiple marginalized identities, including Black patients, Indigenous patients, trans patients, and fat patients who also face racism, transphobia, or medical gatekeeping. Advocacy, Boundaries, and Medical Self Protection Sharon shares concrete strategies for preparing for medical appointments, including: Bringing notes to stay grounded when hyperarousal hits. Recording appointments for recall and safety. Bringing a support person. Taking intentional rest time afterward. Establishing boundaries and walking out when providers violate consent. We discuss how exhausting it is to prepare for appointments that should be safe and how necessary these strategies become for survival. Why Sharon Became a Fat Activist After nearly dying because of weight stigma, Sharon left the classroom to educate clinicians, providers, and communities about anti fat bias. They now work with medical systems and general audiences to deconstruct bias, build safer care practices, and illuminate the threads of anti fat culture that harm everyone. Imagining an Ideal World Sharon answers the signature Dr. Marianne Land question. Their ideal world includes accessible spaces for play, joy, rest, and creativity for all bodies. It includes medical care rooted in compassion, humanity, and dignity, and it includes ice cream for everyone with options for all bodies and needs. Who This Episode Is For This episode supports: People in fat bodies who have experienced medical trauma. Listeners who lived with eating disorders in larger bodies without diagnosis or care. Providers wanting to unlearn weight stigma and offer safer treatment. Clinicians seeking to understand the intersection of eating disorders and anti fat bias. Anyone navigating healthcare systems that dismiss or harm them. People exploring intersectionality, fat liberation, and neurodivergent affirming care. Key Themes Eating disorders in larger bodies are real, severe, and often missed. Anti fat bias in healthcare prevents accurate diagnosis and lifesaving treatment. Medical trauma compounds over years and affects every modality of care. Compassionate providers save lives. Medical self advocacy is necessary but exhausting. Intersectionality affects both access to and quality of care. Joy and play become powerful acts of resistance. People in larger bodies deserve safety, dignity, and accurate medical treatment. Related Episodes Atypical Anorexia Explained: Why Restriction Happens at Every Body Size on Apple or Spotify. Atypical Anorexia: Mental & Physical Health Risks, Plus How the Term is Controversial on Apple or Spotify. What Is Atypical Anorexia? Challenging Weight Bias in Eating Disorder Treatment with Emma Townsin, RD @food.life.freedom on Apple or Spotify. When Doctors Harm: Medical Weight Stigma & Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Fat Vulnerability & Our Eating Disorder Recovery Stories on Apple & Spotify. Connect With Sharon Maxwell Follow Sharon on Instagram and all social platforms at @heysharonmaxwell. Learn More and Get Support For therapy, courses, and resources on eating disorders, ARFID, binge eating, and neurodivergent affirming care, visit my website at drmariannemiller.com and explore support options inside my binge eating recovery membership and ARFID programs.

In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT, speaks directly to the body that carries fear, memory, and longing for safety. Through a poetic open letter, she explores why recovery can feel unsafe even when life begins to stabilize. Instead of treating fear as resistance, she reframes it as communication and wisdom. In this episode, she invites listeners to move from fighting their bodies to listening to them. Dr. Marianne explores how trauma, neurodivergence, and systemic oppression live in the body, and how tenderness can become a bridge between fear and trust. It is not a set of instructions. It is an act of witnessing. Why This Episode Matters Many people in eating disorder recovery are told that getting better should feel empowering. But for those whose bodies have been sites of trauma, shame, or disconnection, recovery can feel unbearable. This episode reframes that discomfort as an intelligent response from the body, not as failure or lack of willpower. By turning recovery into a dialogue instead of a demand, listeners learn how to approach healing at the pace of safety. Dr. Marianne shares how fear is not the opposite of progress but a sign that the body is asking for gentler evidence that the world can hold it safely. Her trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming, and liberation-based approach helps listeners replace control with curiosity and build trust with the body through compassion. Key Topics Covered In this episode, Dr. Marianne reflects on: The nervous system's memory of trauma and how it interprets safety Why the body resists calm and how to rebuild trust slowly The grief that comes with letting go of control and perfectionism How sensory sensitivities and neurodivergence affect recovery pacing The intersectional realities that make safety harder for fat, queer, trans, BIPOC, and neurodivergent people What it means to redefine “getting better” as coming home to yourself Listeners will come away with a new way to understand their bodies. They will learn that healing does not require pushing through fear but learning to listen to what fear is trying to protect. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for anyone who has ever felt frightened by their own progress in recovery. It will resonate with: People in eating disorder recovery who feel ambivalent about healing Neurodivergent listeners who experience overwhelm or shutdown during recovery Fat, queer, trans, and BIPOC individuals navigating systems that equate safety with conformity Clinicians and caregivers who want to understand the embodied realities of fear and healing It is also for those who need permission to slow down, to stop performing readiness, and to honor the body as a partner in recovery rather than an obstacle. Content Caution This episode includes discussion of eating disorder recovery, body distrust, trauma, and the emotional experience of fear during healing. It also references restriction, bingeing, and body-based distress without graphic detail. Please take care while listening. Pause or return to the episode later if it feels overwhelming. You are encouraged to have support in place as you engage with this material. Related Episodes How Childhood Trauma Shapes Eating Disorders & Body Shame (Content Caution) on Apple & Spotify. Perfectionism, People-Pleasing, & Body Image: Self-Compassion Tools for Long-Term Eating Disorder Recovery With Carrie Pollard, MSW @compassionate_counsellor on Apple & Spotify. Why Letting Go 0f Restriction Feels Unsafe in Eating Disorder Recovery on Apple & Spotify. Learn More and Get Support To continue exploring how to build safety with your body, visit drmariannemiller.com. There you will find: The ARFID & Selective Eating Course, a self-paced program offering sensory-attuned and neurodivergent-affirming tools for individuals and caregivers. The Binge Eating Recovery Membership, a space for ongoing support, education, and compassionate community that moves beyond diet culture. Blog posts, podcast episodes, and free resources on trauma-informed, consent-based, and liberation-centered recovery. Each offering is grounded in curiosity, respect, and collaboration.

Send us a textWelcome to episode 1 of our series- IBD Can Eat Me guest hosted by Stacey Collins, IBD RD. In this series, Stacey will interview other Dietitians who also specialize in IBD. This week we welcomed Venus Kalami- board-certified pediatric Dietitian Nutritionist! What if the strict diet you're told to follow does more harm than good? We sit down with pediatric dietitian Venus to unpack how nutrition in IBD can support health without sacrificing joy, culture, or family life. From Stanford Children's IBD and celiac center to medical affairs and public education, Venus brings a rare mix of clinical depth and human warmth—and she doesn't shy away from hard truths.We dig into the pressure families feel to “do everything,” the overuse of restrictive therapeutic diets, and the real risks that come with them: malnutrition, ARFID, pediatric feeding disorders, and lasting food trauma. Venus shares a clear way to tell the difference between a transient food reaction and an inflammatory flare, helping patients step off the rollercoaster of fear and over-correction. She also shows how to make care culturally inclusive with simple, powerful questions: What do you like? What do you cook? What feels doable at home? It's a move from generic handouts to plans that honor heritage foods and real life.You'll hear a vivid case study where a patient referred for low FODMAP improved dramatically without elimination—just lactase with dairy, spreading fruit across the day, and changing other patterns developed from past food trauma. We talk about involving mental health early, “asking around the ask” when supplements come up, and borrowing pediatric best practices for adults who shouldn't have to navigate IBD alone. The theme running through it all: patients deserve permission to dream beyond survival. Biomarkers matter, but so do birthdays, travel, and the comfort foods that make you feel at home.If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a gentler path, and leave a review to help more people find evidence-based, humane IBD care. Your feedback shapes future episodes—what question should we tackle next?Nutrition Pearls podcast with VenusVenus on XSolid Starts app"Offering Nutritional Therapies to Patients with IBD: Even If You're Not An Expert"- Video from Nutritional Therapy for IBDLet's get social!!Follow us on Instagram!Follow us on Facebook!Follow us on Twitter!

What happens when your survival strategy becomes the thing standing between you and full recovery? In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller explores how masking and camouflaging shape the lives of neurodivergent people living with eating disorders. Through a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming lens, she unpacks how chronic masking affects body trust, executive functioning, and safety in recovery. This conversation goes beyond the surface, offering insight into the deep intersection between identity, safety, and healing for autistic and ADHD people navigating disordered eating. Why This Episode Matters Masking, also known as camouflaging, is often praised as adaptability, but for many neurodivergent people it is a survival response that comes at a high cost. When you spend years performing normalcy, you can lose touch with your body's natural rhythms, sensations, and needs. This episode reveals how masking contributes to disordered eating patterns and burnout, and why many neurodivergent individuals struggle to connect with hunger, fullness, and safety cues. Dr. Marianne explains how unmasking can become an essential part of recovery when it is grounded in safety and choice. She also highlights the collective responsibility of clinicians, families, and communities to create environments where authenticity does not come with punishment. Key Themes Covered What masking and camouflaging look like for autistic and ADHD people How chronic masking disconnects you from body cues and emotions The relationship between executive function burnout and chaotic eating Masking inside therapy and recovery spaces How unmasking becomes a healing process when safety is prioritized The crucial role of neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-aware support The realities of intersectionality and why unmasking is not equally safe for everyone The Big Intersectionality Caveat Unmasking can be freeing, but it is not always safe. For people living at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities, such as people of color, fat people, queer and trans individuals, and those with disabilities, authentic self-expression often carries real risks. Systems rooted in racism, fatphobia, ableism, and heteronormativity still punish difference. In this segment, Dr. Marianne offers guidance on how to navigate those risks without self-betrayal. She invites listeners to think of unmasking as a gradual and relational process rather than a demand for constant transparency. Authenticity must coexist with safety, and strategic masking can be a legitimate survival tool. Recovery is not about abandoning the mask everywhere; it is about finding and creating spaces where the mask can come off without harm. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for: Neurodivergent adults and teens in eating disorder recovery Autistic and ADHD individuals struggling with food, body image, or ARFID Therapists seeking to provide neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-informed care People navigating multiple marginalized identities who feel unsafe unmasking in treatment Parents and partners who want to better understand masking, executive functioning, and sensory needs in eating behaviors Content Caution This episode includes discussion of eating disorder behaviors, masking fatigue, and systemic oppression. Listener discretion is advised, especially if you are in early recovery or working through trauma related to identity or body shame. Related Episodes Autism & Anorexia: When Masking Looks Like Restriction, & Recovery Feels Unsafe via Apple & Spotify. Recovering Again: Navigating Eating Disorders After a Late Neurodivergent Diagnosis (Part 1) With Stacie Fanelli, LCSW @edadhd_therapist via Apple & Spotify. Stuck on Empty: Autistic Inertia, ARFID & the Struggle to Eat via Apple & Spotify Minding the Gap: The Intersection Between AuDHD & Eating Disorders With Stacie Fanelli, LCSW @edadhd_therapist via Apple & Spotify Our Personal Neurodivergent Stories via Apple & Spotify. Learn More and Get Support If today's episode resonated with you, explore Dr. Marianne's ARFID & Selective Eating Course, a self-paced, neurodivergent-affirming resource that supports sensory-based eating, autonomy, and compassion in recovery. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com.

What happens when a physician, trained to prioritize science and performance, discovers that her own healing requires compassion, spirituality, and trust in her body? In this powerful interview, we explore one woman's story of recovering from binge eating disorder while navigating the pressures of medicine, diet culture, and systemic weight bias. You'll hear how early messages about food and scarcity shaped her relationship with eating, how medical training reinforced body shame, and how she ultimately reconnected to herself through self-compassion, intuitive eating, and body trust. This episode offers both a deeply personal narrative and a professional perspective on how healthcare can move toward weight-neutral, compassionate care. Key Topics Covered How childhood scarcity and fear can shape lifelong eating patterns The pressures physicians face to conform to body ideals in medicine How chronic stress and sleep deprivation in residency can trigger binge eating Why self-compassion—not willpower—became the turning point in recovery What it takes to unlearn diet culture within the healthcare system The rise of GLP-1 medications and how they complicate conversations about body autonomy Healing the disconnect between professional identity and personal recovery Building a weight-neutral, compassionate approach to health and wellbeing Who This Episode Is For This episode is for anyone who has struggled with binge eating, body shame, or internalized weight stigma—especially those in helping professions. It's also for clinicians, therapists, and healthcare providers seeking to understand how medical culture perpetuates harm and how to bring more compassion into patient care. If you've ever felt like your professional role or perfectionism made recovery harder, this episode will remind you that you're not alone—and that healing is possible, even in systems that don't always make room for it. Why This Conversation Matters In a world where doctors are often seen as immune to body image struggles, this story reveals how deeply systemic fatphobia and diet culture reach—even into the halls of medicine. It challenges the myth that knowledge alone heals disordered eating and instead centers nervous system safety, self-compassion, and intuitive wisdom as the foundation for recovery. Resources Mentioned Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch Reclaiming Body Trust by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant Wayza Health (wayzahealth.com)--Dr. Michelle's website Research on GLP-1 medications and long-term outcomes Center for Body Trust Related Episodes  When Doctors Harm: Medical Weight Stigma & Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Fat Vulnerability & Our Eating Disorder Recovery Stories on Apple & Spotify. Challenges of Weight-Loss Surgery & Medical Anti-Fat Bias on Apple & Spotify. Learn More and Get Support If you or someone you love is navigating binge eating, emotional eating, or recovery after years of dieting, visit drmariannemiller.com to explore specialized support. You'll find resources for binge eating recovery, ARFID support, and neurodivergent-affirming therapy and courses.

What if your nighttime eating isn't a failure of willpower but your body's way of asking for safety, nourishment, and rest? In this solo episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller explores the misunderstood world of Night Eating Syndrome (NES)—a condition that often hides behind shame and silence. Rather than framing night eating as a “bad habit,” Dr. Marianne offers a compassionate, neurodivergent-affirming lens that reveals what your body and brain are truly communicating when nighttime hunger takes over. She unpacks how executive-function challenges, sensory processing differences, and disrupted circadian rhythmscan contribute to Night Eating Syndrome. You'll learn how to distinguish between waking up at night to eat versus staying up late and bingeing, and why that difference matters for healing. Dr. Marianne also shares practical ways to support your body's natural rhythms using executive-function tools—like creating transition meals, supporting sensory needs, and building low-lift nourishment systems that actually work with your brain. Finally, she offers self-compassion strategies that help calm shame, regulate the nervous system, and restore trust in your body's signals. Key Topics Covered What Night Eating Syndrome really is—and why it's not a moral failure The role of executive-function fatigue in late-night eating cycles How neurodivergent people may have different hunger and sleep patterns than neurotypicals Practical, low-lift tools to support nighttime regulation and nourishment How to distinguish between Night Eating Syndrome and binge eating The importance of self-compassion and curiosity in healing the shame cycle Who This Episode Is For This episode is for anyone who finds themselves eating late into the night and feeling stuck in shame or confusion afterward. It's especially for neurodivergent adults, trauma survivors, and anyone who struggles with inconsistent eating or sleep patterns. Clinicians who work with eating disorders, ARFID, or binge eating may also find this episode helpful for supporting clients with neuroaffirming and compassion-based approaches. Content Caution This episode discusses eating disorder behaviors related to Night Eating Syndrome and binge eating. Listener discretion is advised. Please take care of yourself and pause if you need to. Related Episode on Night Eating Syndrome Night Eating Syndrome on Apple & Spotify (my most popular podcast episode of all time!) Why Am I Eating at Night? Understanding Night Eating Syndrome in Your 30s, 40s, & 50s on Apple & Spotify. Learn More and Get Support If Night Eating Syndrome or binge eating feels familiar to you, support and recovery are possible. Inside my virtual Binge Eating Recovery Membership, you'll find a self-paced, compassionate space to explore the roots of your eating behaviors while building executive-function skills, sensory supports, and self-trust. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com.

In this episode of First Bite, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, is joined by Dr. Amy Talbot, Director and Clinical Psychologist of the Talbot Centre in Australia, to unpack the well-established overlap between Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). For SLPs new to this area of practice, the lines between roles and responsibilities, particularly with respect to each diagnosis, can be blurry, and Dr. Talbot is here to clean it all up!If you are curious as to what the differences are between PFD and ARFID and want to learn more about how a psychologist can contribute to the care of clients with feeding-related concerns (PFD/ARFID) as part of a multidisciplinary team, then be sure to join this conversation.By the end of the hour, Amy plans to equip guests with strategies for building relationships with suitably trained or qualified psychologists as part of their referral network, aiming to grow a robust interprofessional practice team.Show Notes: Feeding Matters: https://www.feedingmatters.orgTalbot Centre: https://thetalbotcentre.com.auButterfly Foundation: https://butterfly.org.auAbout the Guest(s): Dr Amy Talbot (she/her) is a multi-award-winning clinical psychologist and director of The Talbot Centre, a multidisciplinary service in Sydney. Her work focuses on eating, feeding, and body image concerns, with an emphasis on neurodiversity-affirming, family-centred care. Amy is a sought-after presenter, supervisor, and researcher, known for advancing interdisciplinary approaches to complex case formulation and integrating lived experience perspectives to improve outcomes for individuals with ARFID and related feeding disorders.Follow First Bite: https://linktr.ee/FirstBitePodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36kfA1xbU156vHPilALVoJ?si=086bed1210af45d5Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-bite/id1399630680

Is it picky eating or something deeper? In this episode, RD Kristen Nyampong breaks down Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) — what it looks like, how it's often missed, and why it can show up differently in BIPOC communities. We talk about helping clients expand food variety without pressure or shame, navigating family dynamics, and how dietitians can work through a trauma-informed and weight-inclusive lens.If you're living with diabetes or prediabetes and want personalized support from a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist covered by insurance, visit diabetesdigital.co to connect with our culturally aware and weight-inclusive team. And if you love the show, don't forget to rate and review us on iTunes or Spotify—it makes a huge difference! For additional resources and show notes, head to diabetesdigital.co/podcast.

Why does recovery from an eating disorder feel so fragile, even after years of hard work? In this episode of Dr. Marianne Land, Dr. Marianne Miller unpacks the realities of relapse in long-term eating disorder recovery—what causes it, how to navigate it, and why recovery doesn't stick in a culture that constantly reinforces shame, anti-fat bias, and unrealistic expectations of healing. Episode Overview This eating disorder relapse podcast episode explores the complexity of staying recovered after years or decades of healing. Dr. Marianne explains how relapse is not a personal failure but rather an opportunity to understand what your body and nervous system are communicating. Through a neurodivergent-affirming and body-liberation lens, she breaks down why recovery ebbs and flows and how you can rebuild stability with compassion instead of judgment. Listeners will learn what it really takes to sustain long-term eating disorder recovery, how trauma and stress can reignite old coping mechanisms, and how to approach relapse as part of the process—not the end of it. Key Topics Covered The real meaning of recovery and why “staying recovered” forever is an unrealistic expectation. How the nervous system and trauma memory create vulnerability to relapse. Why life transitions, burnout, and chronic stress often trigger eating disorder relapse. How anti-fat bias, weight stigma, and cultural messaging undermine sustainable recovery. The unique challenges of neurodivergent eating disorder recovery and how to meet sensory and executive-function needs. How to rebuild body trust after relapse through curiosity, safety, and self-compassion. Practical tools for sustainable recovery strategies that evolve as your life changes. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for anyone living with a long-term eating disorder who feels discouraged by relapse or fears they are “backsliding.” It's also for therapists, dietitians, and family members who want to understand why recovery doesn't stickfor everyone—and how to provide affirming, compassionate support. Why This Episode Matters In a world where recovery is often portrayed as a linear journey, this episode challenges that myth. Relapse in long-term eating disorder recovery is common, but few people talk about it without shame. Dr. Marianne brings honesty, education, and hope to a topic that deserves care. Relapse is not failure, it's feedback. And when you learn to listen to what your body needs, you can rebuild a recovery that truly fits your life. Related Episodes on Long-Term Eating Disorders Orthorexia, Quasi-Recovery, & Lifelong Eating Disorder Struggles with Dr. Lara Zibarras @drlarazib on Apple & Spotify. Navigating a Long-Term Eating Disorder on Apple & Spotify. Why Eating Disorder Recovery Feels Unsafe: Facing Ambivalence in Long-Term Struggles on Apple & Spotify. Perfectionism, People-Pleasing, & Body Image: Self-Compassion Tools for Long-Term Eating Disorder Recovery With Carrie Pollard, MSW @compassionate_counsellor on Apple & Spotify. Learn More and Get Support For more on long-term eating disorder recovery, ARFID, binge eating, body trust, and sustainable recovery strategies, visit drmariannemiller.com.

Can anxiety about food safety quietly shape the way an entire family eats, lives, and loves? In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT, talks with Tamara Hubbard, LCPC, founder of The Food Allergy Counselor and The Academy of Food Allergy Counseling. Together, they explore how food allergy anxiety can affect both children and parents, sometimes leading to ARFID-like eating patterns and significant emotional distress. Tamara shares her journey from being a parent of a child with a peanut allergy to becoming a national leader in the field of food allergy mental health. She discusses how chronic fear and misinformation can cause families to become trapped in cycles of hypervigilance and restriction. She and Dr. Marianne also examine how therapy can help families move toward flexibility, autonomy, and connection at the table. Listeners will hear how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and values-based approaches support parents in balancing safety with freedom, and how addressing anxiety can improve both emotional well-being and quality of life. Key Topics Covered The difference between food allergies and food intolerances and why accurate understanding matters How food allergy anxiety can spread through families and mimic ARFID symptoms The role of parental fear in shaping a child's own food relationship and daily life The risks of restriction-based medical advice, including some functional medicine practices How ACT and mindfulness tools can help parents tolerate fear and stay connected to their values Ways to calm the fight-or-flight response and reduce hypervigilance around food and safety Why collaboration between therapists and allergists creates stronger, safer support for families Who This Episode Is For This episode is for parents and caregivers who want to understand how food allergies, anxiety, and ARFID intersect in family life. It is also for therapists, dietitians, and healthcare providers who want to learn how to support families with evidence-based, trauma-informed, and values-driven care. Food Allergy Resources Mentioned Book: May Contain Anxiety: Managing the Overwhelm of Parenting Children With Food Allergies by Tamara Hubbard, LCPC (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025) Website: The Food Allergy Counselor for educational articles, therapeutic resources, and directories of food allergy-informed therapists Organization: The Academy of Food Allergy Counseling for clinician training and professional community Article: Allergic Living Magazine Airline Allergy Travel Guide for details on how major airlines handle food allergy policies Advocacy Resource: No Nut Traveler by Leanne Mandelbaum, advocating for safer air travel for people with food allergies Therapeutic Framework: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for managing anxiety and values alignment Cultural Reference: We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle as a reminder of resilience and self-compassion Content Caution This episode includes discussions of allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, and eating challenges. Please take care while listening if these topics may feel activating or distressing. Learn More and Get ARFID and Selective Eating Support Visit ARFID and Selective Eating Course. This virtual program provides a compassionate, neurodivergent-affirming framework that helps families and clinicians create safety, flexibility, and understanding around food.

Do people praise your discipline while ignoring your struggle with a long-term eating disorder? In this solo episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT, unpacks the cultural myth of the “high-functioning” eating disorder and explores why so many lifelong eating disorders go unnoticed, untreated, or mislabeled as willpower or success. Episode Overview So many people live for decades with an eating disorder that never fully goes away—because the world keeps rewarding them for being productive, disciplined, or “healthy.” Dr. Marianne explains how functioning can become a form of masking, how trauma and safety patterns reinforce chronic disordered eating, and why recovery often requires dismantling the very systems that taught us to perform instead of rest. This episode brings honesty and compassion to those who have felt unseen by treatment models that only recognize crisis, and validation to those who have carried invisible pain behind competence and control. Key Topics Covered What “high-functioning” really means and why it's a harmful label How lifelong eating disorders become normalized and overlooked The hidden costs of functioning and perfectionism Trauma, safety, and why control feels protective How privilege shapes who gets labeled “high-functioning” Recovery pathways for long-term and late-stage eating disorders The difference between surviving and actually living Who This Episode Is For This episode is for anyone who has lived with chronic disordered eating, for those who have been told they “don't look sick,” and for clinicians seeking to better understand the quiet suffering that hides behind high performance. It's also for neurodivergent listeners and those in larger bodies who have felt unseen in traditional eating disorder spaces. Related Episodes   Learn More and Get Support for Lifelong Eating Disorders You can explore therapy, coaching, and recovery resources at drmariannemiller.com. If you're ready to deepen your healing, check out Dr. Marianne's virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating Course, designed to support autonomy, sensory needs, and manageable recovery. You can also follow Dr. Marianne on Instagram @drmariannemiller.

Adam creates a hypnosis session to help a client with ARFID - avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder to feel empowered to try new foods privately to avoid fear of judgment, and to build confidence when trying foods in social settings. Adam helps them think of foods that they feel comfortable with, and introduces the idea of a green zone that they can aim to expand. To access a subscriber-only version with no intro, outro, explanation, or ad breaks with just the hypnosis and nothing else, click subscribe. To access all hypnosis-only versions and exclusive subscriber sessions and have invitations to live hypnosis sessions over Zoom, tap 'Subscribe' nearby or click the following link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/adam-cox858/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feeding therapist, Kelly Komisaruk, chats about ARFID in kids and teens and the new treatment she's using to help them overcome anxiety about food.

JLR dropped off his car for an oil change and had to take the bus into work. People are upset over YouTuber Tyler Oliveria wearing a hazmat suit at a festival in India. Abusing food stamps. A woman is suing Sea World after she was knocked unconscious by a duck while riding a rollercoaster. Charlie heard Christa screaming she was almost murdered. Rumor is Diane Keaton left five million dollars to her golden retriever. Why did Duji give up her golden retriever Dash? B2 has been harping on Rover to put all the financial info in one place in case he dies. A mother is upset that her Tesla Grok AI chatbot asked her 12-year-old son to send it nude pictures. Rover needs a hobby. Charlie's friends rescued a sled dog from Alaska. Rover doesn't understand why people are now watching/listening to videos in public without headphones. ARFID. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rover needs a hobby. Charlie's friends rescued a sled dog from Alaska. Rover doesn't understand why people are now watching/listening to videos in public without headphones. ARFID. 

JLR dropped off his car for an oil change and had to take the bus into work. People are upset over YouTuber Tyler Oliveria wearing a hazmat suit at a festival in India. Abusing food stamps. A woman is suing Sea World after she was knocked unconscious by a duck while riding a rollercoaster. Charlie heard Christa screaming she was almost murdered. Rumor is Diane Keaton left five million dollars to her golden retriever. Why did Duji give up her golden retriever Dash? B2 has been harping on Rover to put all the financial info in one place in case he dies. A mother is upset that her Tesla Grok AI chatbot asked her 12-year-old son to send it nude pictures. Rover needs a hobby. Charlie's friends rescued a sled dog from Alaska. Rover doesn't understand why people are now watching/listening to videos in public without headphones. ARFID. 

Rover needs a hobby. Charlie's friends rescued a sled dog from Alaska. Rover doesn't understand why people are now watching/listening to videos in public without headphones. ARFID. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wow the lads ride again with their friend and comedian Max Fine to get into it about what every rapper needs, ARFID influencers, spotting your ex in the wild, hit the Energy Drink Corner and more!

In this episode, I'm joined by clinical psychologist and Equip co-founder Dr. Erin Parks for a clear, compassionate guide to eating disorders. We sort through ARFID vs. picky eating, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating; early signs to watch for (and what's normal); how to talk about food and bodies at home; and when to step in and get help—so you know what to worry about, what to let go, and exactly where to start.Visit equip.health/goodhumans to learn more about Equip's virtual, evidence-based eating disorder treatmentI WROTE MY FIRST BOOK! Order your copy of The Five Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans Here: https://bit.ly/3rMLMsLSubscribe to my free newsletter for parenting tips delivered straight to your inbox: draliza.substack.com Follow me on Instagram for more:@raisinggoodhumanspodcast Sponsors:Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things homeZip Recruiter: Go to ZipRecruiter.com/HUMANS right now, you can try it FOR FREENature's Sunshine: Nature's Sunshine is offering 20% off your first order plus free shipping. Go to naturessunshine.comAvocado Mattress: Get an extra $25 off their current sale at AvocadoGreenMattress.com with the code humansQuince: Go to Quince.com/humans for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsPlease note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is your kid extremely resistant to the simplest of requests? Or completely impossible to wake up in the morning? Or sure their peers don't like them, despite pretty clear evidence to the contrary? All of these are extremely typical kid behaviors. All of these also have more intense manifestations—PDA, DSWPD, and RSD, respectively— which meet clinical definitions and which may require more concrete support, for both you and your kid. In this episode, Amy and Margaret discuss the amorphous lines that often exist between typical child behavior and an issue that may need more attention and scaffolding. From afterschool restraint collapse to ARFID, Amy and Margaret explore the moments when everyday challenges start to interfere with family life, friendships, or school—and what parents can do to respond from a place of understanding and clarity. You'll learn: How certain behaviors can sometimes point to larger patterns. The value of having names for behaviors—reducing shame, guiding next steps, and helping parents advocate for their kids. Practical strategies parents can use at home to reduce stress, manage transitions, and support kids in ways that actually work. If you've ever wondered, is this typical, or is it more?—this episode is for you. 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH parenting podcast, kids behavior issues, child tantrums, picky eating help, rejection sensitivity dysphoria, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, ARFID in kids, pathological demand avoidance, delayed sleep wake phase disorder, typical vs atypical child behavior, parenting strategies for behavior Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices