Eating disorders present unique challenges for people with sensory sensitivities, which is why traditional treatment can do more harm than good. In this episode, Livia and Jess share their lived experience of neurodivergence and eating disorders, delving into the importance of trauma-informed care for neurodiversity-affirming eating disorder recovery.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Managing environmental overwhelm
• Speech challenges and developmental processing delays
• The link between sensory sensitivity and eating disorder development
• Iatrogenic harm in eating disorder treatment
• The need for trauma-informed care in eating disorder treatment
• Polyvagal Theory and our nervous system's response to stress and trauma
• Neurodivergent perspectives on control and safety
• How treatment environments often fail to accommodate sensory needs
• Misdiagnosis faced by individuals with both eating disorders and neurodivergent conditions

🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia
📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

Connect with Jess:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🎙️ PODCAST

Welcome to part 4 of my series on autism and binge eating! In this final episode, we explore some of the key psychological and hormonal factors that contribute to binge eating in neurodivergent individuals. From black and white thinking to decision fatigue and hormonal changes, this episode covers the many reasons why autistic people may struggle with binge eating.

You'll learn:

• A recap of Parts 1-3, including interoception, extreme hunger, the nervous system, sensory experiences, procrastination, and autistic inertia
• How black and white thinking can lead to rigid rules around food, contributing to binge eating behaviors
• The role of analysis paralysis in binge eating, and how too many food choices can overwhelm neurodivergent individuals
• How the need for food to “make sense” and be aesthetically “right” can influence eating patterns in autistic people
• Why constraints and boundaries around food are important for autistic individuals, and how they can avoid triggering demand avoidance
• My personal experiences with food needing to look a certain way, and how this relates to binge eating behaviors
• The role of PMS and PMDD in contributing to hormonal binge eating in autistic individuals

💗 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching
📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

Mentioned episodes:
☯ Black and White Thinking in Autism and Anorexia
🔟 Childhood Autistic Traits in Girls
❌ Why All In Recovery Didn’t Work For Me
👌 When food has to “make sense”
🌈 3 more ED behaviors that are ACTUALLY autistic traits
🩸 Autism, PMDD, and Extreme Hunger

Welcome to part 3 of my series on autism and binge eating! In this episode, we dive deeper into the relationship between procrastination, transitions, and binge eating. Autistic people often struggle with transitions and experience something called autistic inertia, both of which can play significant roles in overeating and binge eating behaviors.

You'll learn:

• A recap of Part 1 and Part 2, covering interoception, extreme hunger, and the sensory connection to food
• How difficulty with transitions can lead to binge eating, especially when hyperfocus delays eating
• Why compensatory binge eating may occur after prolonged periods of restriction or delayed eating
• The concept of autistic inertia, and how it contributes to starting or stopping activities, including eating
• How eating can be used as a transition tool and why it may be hard to stop once you’ve started
• My personal experiences with binge eating tied to planning food in advance and the flow state of eating

📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching
💗 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS