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:
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Connect with Jess:
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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:
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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
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Welcome part 2 of my series on neurodivergence and binge eating! In this episode, we explore the sensory factors that contribute to why autistic and ADHD individuals may struggle with overeating or binge eating. We also discuss how this connects to the nervous system and how neurodivergent people experience sensory input in ways that impact eating behaviors.

You'll learn:

• A basic overview of the nervous system and how it affects sensory processing
• How nervous system dysregulation in neurodivergent individuals leads to living in a constant state of fight-or-flight mode
• How the sensory experience of eating can either be overwhelming or grounding for autistic people
• The difference between sensory avoidance and sensory seeking in the context of eating behaviors
• My personal story of shifting from being sensory avoidant to sensory seeking during recovery and how this played into my eating behaviors
• How food can be used as a form of stimming or self-regulation in autistic and ADHD individuals
• The connection between binge eating and procrastination as a neurodivergent coping mechanism
• Why emotional eating isn’t always bad, and how food can be an effective reward for accomplishing tasks

📚 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

Autism and binge eating – is there a connection? While the relationship between autism and eating disorders is well-acknowledged, most of the conversation revolves around the restrictive side of the eating disorder spectrum, specifically anorexia and ARFID. Overeating and binge eating are much less discussed forms of disordered eating in the context of autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence. This is very problematic, considering many autistic people struggle with overeating.

Because every individual is deserving of validation and support, I’ve created this Autism and Binge Eating Series to shed light on the relationship between autism and overeating. Whether you are a neurodivergent individual struggling with binge eating or are seeking to better support someone you care for, I hope this series helps you understand the connection and ultimately, gain insights so you can have the healthy relationship with food you so deserve.

In each episode of the series, I delve into different factors that may contribute to binge eating in the neurodivergent population. In today's episode specifically, you'll learn:

• A breakdown of interoception and how it affects hunger and fullness cues in autistic individuals
• How the neurodivergent experience of feeling unsafe plays a role in overeating and binge eating
• My personal story with extreme hunger as an autistic person, and how this differs from binge eating disorder
• Why addressing energy debt is essential for full recovery and how the body's need for safety influences eating behaviors

🍩 Enroll in my course, Extremely Hungry to Completely Satisfied
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching
9️⃣ Autistic Types of Binge Eating
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

Do you believe you’re too old to recover from an eating disorder? Have you been struggling for so long that you don’t see a way out? You’re not alone, and today’s episode will show you that recovery is always possible! Livia Sara is joined by Julia Trehane, an eating disorder recovery coach who has herself recovered from over 40 years of anorexia, orthorexia and exercise addiction. She is now on a mission to use her own experience, research and knowledge to help others who are wanting to recover but struggling to do so. Julia is qualified in CBT for eating disorders, transformational life coaching and spiritual life coaching and uses those, alongside a deeply supportive and loving nature to guide and support clients from all over the world.

Topics Discussed:

• Family dynamics contributing to eating disorders
• The impact of motherhood on eating disorder symptoms
• Sensitivity as a factor in eating disorder development
• The necessity of Inner Child Work in recovery
• Transformative power of Recovery Coaching
• Building effective support systems for recovery
• Using restriction and exercise addiction as emotional suppressants
• Unintentional validation for eating disorder behaviors by others
• Navigating control vs safety
• Moving from self-loathing to self-love
• The challenges of finding appropriate treatment
• Recovery is possible at every age
• Prioritizing self-care and seeking help are essential
• The role of shame and secrecy in eating disorders

📖 Download my FREE GUIDE with answers to the top 10 most frequently asked questions about extreme hunger!
📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger

Connect with Julia:
🌐 WEBSITE
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🎙️ PODCAST

Connect with Livia:
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An eating disorder creates suffering – there’s no doubt about that – but can recovery itself cause suffering as well? This episode takes a philosophical and neurodiversity-affirming approach to creating purpose after an eating disorder, exploring how meaningful suffering can lead to a fulfilling life.

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👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching

Connect with Livia:
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📝 Read the blog post of this episode

You might also enjoy...
Fear of Growing Up and Being Healthy
Autism, Eating Disorders, and Existentialism
Autism and Existential Loneliness

How does the intersection of orthorexia, masculinity, and sexuality impact the journey to recovery? In today's episode, Livia Sara chats with Jason Wood. Jason turned his battle with orthorexia into a mission to break the stigma around men’s mental health by publishing his memoir Starving for Survival. He is proud to serve on the board for two eating disorder recovery organizations, Running in Silence and SoulPaws Recovery Project. Jason is the Director of Community Engagement at ANAD and facilitates the organization’s new men’s peer support group. Through speaking engagements, his writing, and his advocacy work, Jason strives to be part of the important conversation that encourages everyone – especially men – to speak up, share their stories, and get the help they deserve.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Jason's memoir "Starving for Survival" and his journey with orthorexia
• Stigma around men asking for help and showing vulnerability, leading to reluctance in seeking support
• Struggles with processing emotions and identifying them accurately
• Internalized homophobia and societal pressures around sexuality
• The power of words and language in shaping perception
• Childhood relationship with food, bullying, and fear of illness
• The hidden nature of eating disorders, the difficulty in recognizing their impact during the active phase, and the long-term effects they can have
• Accepting that we don't know everything and being open to learning from others

🎙️ Get FREE Audio Training on Autism and Eating Disorders
🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia

Connect with Jason:
🏳️‍🌈 Website
🌀 Instagram
🌐 ANAD

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS