Dear Recovery

How can families support someone with an eating disorder without unintentionally creating more pressure, anxiety, or distance?
In Part Two, we're getting into practical ways loved ones can help, from learning more about eating disorders and finding family support to reducing comments at mealtimes, encouraging open communication, and creating a more supportive home environment.
We'll also talk about the importance of allowing your loved one to be more than their eating disorder and remembering that recovery is about so much more than what's on their plate.
Because sometimes, helping someone heal starts with learning how to show up differently.  
 
If something has been weighing on your heart, I'd love to hear from you.
Send me your questions, your thoughts, or even just say hello.
You can email me at dearrecovery1@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram @dear_recovery1.
And until next time, please be gentle with yourself. Recovery is hard enough without feeling like you have to figure everything out all at once.
I'll talk to you soon, my friends.

What happens when the people who love you most unintentionally make eating disorder recovery feel even harder?
In this episode of Dear Recovery, we're talking about family dynamics, mealtime anxiety, and those well-intentioned comments that can leave someone struggling with an eating disorder feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or misunderstood.
We'll explore how eating disorders affect the entire family, why education and family therapy can be so valuable, and how loved ones can begin learning to support recovery without adding more pressure.
Because sometimes the people who love us the most need a little help understanding how to help us.
If something has been weighing on your heart, I'd love to hear from you.
Send me your questions, your thoughts, or even just say hello.
You can email me at dearrecovery1@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram @dear_recovery1.

Have you ever wondered why you developed an eating disorder? Why food, body image, or the need for control became such a complicated part of your life?
The truth is, eating disorders don't develop for just one reason. In this episode of Dear Recovery, we're taking a closer look at the many factors that can contribute to their development through a biopsychosocial lens—including biological influences, psychological experiences, and the social and cultural environments we live in.
We'll explore how genetics, temperament, emotions, life experiences, relationships, and societal pressures can intersect in ways that make someone more vulnerable to developing an eating disorder. We'll also talk about why there isn't one single cause, and why understanding the roots of an eating disorder is about so much more than blaming yourself, your family, or one particular experience.
Because understanding why an eating disorder developed isn't about finding someone to blame. It's about building understanding, making room for compassion, and recognizing that recovery is possible.
You didn't choose to struggle. But with support, understanding, and care, you can begin to build a different relationship with food, your body, and yourself.

Have you ever been invited to dinner with friends or coworkers, only to spend the entire evening obsessing over what's on your plate? Should you eat more? Should you eat less? Are people watching you? And what happens when you get home and the anxiety follows you right through the door?
This week on Dear Recovery, we're talking about the exhausting mental gymnastics of eating around other people when you're struggling with an eating disorder. We'll explore the fear of being judged, comparing your food choices to everyone else's, and how you can be physically present at the table while your mind is somewhere else entirely.
We'll also talk about navigating social situations, letting go of the pressure to prove that you're eating "normally," and how vulnerability and connection can help us move toward recovery. Because you don't have to eat like everyone else to belong at the table, and you don't have to spend your entire evening analyzing everybody's enchiladas! 😂
You deserve to enjoy the people around you, make memories, and be present for your own life. Recovery isn't just about changing your relationship with food. It's also about reclaiming the moments that your eating disorder has been taking away.
So let's talk about getting those moments back. 🩶
And, as always...
If something has been weighing on your heart, I'd love to hear from you.
Send me your questions, your thoughts, or even just say hello. You can email me at dearrecovery1@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram @dear_recovery1.
No question is too messy, and you never have to figure it out alone.

Dear Recovery… Will Eating Dinner Late Turn Straight Into Fat?
Is there a time when you're no longer allowed to eat? If you've ever worried that eating dinner after 7 PM will make you gain weight, or found yourself lying in bed hungry because you're afraid of what eating late might do to your body, this episode is for you.
This week on Dear Recovery, we're answering a listener's question about the fear of eating at night, the food rules eating disorders create, and the anxiety that can come with needing nourishment after a certain time.
We'll talk about why your body doesn't stop needing energy when you go to sleep, why feeling guilty about eating doesn't mean you've done anything wrong, and how to begin challenging the rules that make food feel frightening. We'll also explore what it might mean when you're lying in bed thinking about food and why learning to respond to your body's needs with compassion is such an important part of recovery.
Because food doesn't have a curfew. You don't have to earn your dinner, and you don't have to wait until you're no longer afraid to take care of yourself.
If eating after a certain time has ever made you anxious, I hope this episode reminds you that you deserve nourishment, rest, and a life that is bigger than your eating disorder's rules.
You are allowed to eat. Even at 9 PM.

In Part 2 of our conversation about sponsorship, we're getting into the realities of having a sponsor in substance use recovery. We'll talk about emotional sobriety, working through the Twelve Steps, setting boundaries, learning to trust your gut, and why your sponsor is your guide—not your taxi, your ATM, or your cigarette dealer.
I'll share some of my own experiences as a newcomer, including lessons I learned the hard way about giving too much of myself away. We'll also talk about finding a new sponsor when you need one, revisiting the steps throughout your recovery, and learning to make decisions without constantly worrying about whether everyone likes you.
Because recovery isn't just about putting down the drink or the substance. It's also about learning how to navigate life, build healthy relationships, protect your peace, and show up for yourself.
And, as always, if something has been weighing on your heart, I'd love to hear from you.
Send me your questions, your thoughts, or even just say hello.
You can email me at dearrecovery1@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram at @dear_recovery1.
No question is too messy, and you never have to figure it out alone.
You don't have to be perfect at recovery. You just have to keep learning, growing, and taking it one step at a time.

Thinking about AA or another recovery program but feeling overwhelmed by the idea of finding a sponsor? What if you don't like them? What if they expect you to call every day? And wait… is finding a sponsor basically like the DMV, where you take a number and hope for the best? 
In this episode of Dear Recovery, we're talking all things sponsorship! I share my personal experiences, explore how to find someone who might be a good fit, explain temporary sponsorship, and discuss what happens when a sponsorship relationship isn't working out. We'll talk about changing sponsors, navigating uncomfortable feelings, and remembering that you can take your recovery seriously without giving someone else control over it.
Whether you're brand-new to recovery, considering a program, or simply curious about how sponsorship works, this conversation is here to help you feel a little less intimidated and a little less alone.
If something has been weighing on your heart, I'd love to hear from you.
Send me your questions, your thoughts, or even just say hello.
You can email me at dearrecovery1@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram @dear_recovery1.
No question is too messy, and you never have to figure it out alone.
You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to take the next step. 

Have you ever eaten something and immediately worried that your body will look different tomorrow?
In this episode of Dear Recovery, we're talking about the fear of weight gain, bloating, body checking, and the eating disorder thoughts that convince us we need to undo what we've eaten. We'll explore why our bodies can feel different from one day to the next, how anxiety can influence the way we see ourselves, and what we can do when the fear gets loud.
Most importantly, we'll talk about why you don't have to compensate for eating, punish yourself with restriction, or wait until you feel comfortable in your body to take care of yourself.
You are allowed to eat today and eat again tomorrow. 
If something has been weighing on your heart, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your questions, your thoughts, or even just say hello.
You can email me at dearrecovery1@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram at @dear_recovery1.
No question is too messy, and you never have to figure it out alone.

What if you're physically full…but your brain is still screaming for food?
In this episode of Dear Recovery, we're answering a deeply vulnerable listener question about feeling full, feeling hungry, and the fear that comes with not knowing which signals to trust.
We're talking about the confusing experience of feeling full and starving at the same time, how anxiety can show up physically, why safe foods don't always quiet the food thoughts, and why feeling full does not mean you've done something wrong.
We'll also talk about exercise, compensation, and why movement should never be the price you pay to earn food. And I'll share some practical ways to ride out the anxiety when the eating disorder gets loud.
Most importantly, we'll talk about something I hope you carry with you after listening:
You deserve to eat without having to earn it. You deserve to rest without having to earn it. And you deserve a life that's bigger than your eating disorder. 
And I'll talk to you soon. 
And as always...
 "If something has been weighing on your heart, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your questions, your thoughts, or even just say hello. You can email me at dearrecovery1@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram @dear_recovery1. No question is too messy, and you never have to figure it out alone."  

What if you think you might have an eating disorder…but you're not sure what to do next?
In this episode of Dear Recovery, we're talking about what to do when you suspect you might have an eating disorder—and why you don't have to be “sick enough” to deserve help.
I'll walk you through where to start, who you can talk to, resources that may help, and what it can look like to take that very first step. I'm also sharing more of my own recovery story—including the many things I tried before I finally found something that helped quiet the food noise that had controlled my life for years.
If you've been wondering whether your struggles are “bad enough” to count, my friend…this episode is for you. 
You don't have to know exactly what's wrong before you ask for help. And you never have to figure it out alone
Resources: Eating-disorder-informed therapist Dietitian (Any Local) Page 4 | Eating Disorder Dietitians - Book Appointments Onlineand Online Nutrition Counseling Covered By Insurance - Health Loft Physician: Find Eating Disorders Treatment | NEDA and Virtual Eating DisorderTreatment or your local search NEDA/resources: Home - National Eating Disorders Association Psychology Today: Eating disorder - Psychology Today ANAD: ANAD | Free Eating Disorder Peer Support, Helpline & Recovery Resources Alliance for Eating Disorders: Get Eating Disorder Help Today | Alliance for EatingDisorders Support groups (Resource: Virtual Eating Disorder Treatment or your local search Trusted people (loved ones and trusted friends) Resources for minors: Virtual Eating Disorder Treatment or your local search
 "If something has been weighing on your heart, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your questions, your thoughts, or even just say hello. You can email me at dearrecovery1@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram @dear_recovery1. No question is too messy, and you never have to figure it out alone."