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For people that don't have a history with it, self-harm can be difficult to understand. While it develops as a way to cope with difficult emotions, they can be challenging to identify. Self-harm is something I always saw existing in my life in some capacity. Today marks a year since I have done so and I have no intentions of going back.

I share my struggle with self-harm as it became my primary method of coping while I navigated a later discovered misdiagnosis. I also explore how the development of an eating disorder took became a new method of self-harm which led to less reliance on cutting. This episode unpacks the comorbidity between eating disorders and self-harm, as well as what someone engaging in these behaviors feels they can receive from it. I hope this can make some feel seen, and give others a greater sense of understanding and compassion.

I promise you it gets better. I promise you, it is possible.

*Trigger Warning: This episode details events of self-harm. This could be triggering to some audiences. If you feel this episode might be harmful to you, please do not listen and go pet a dog instead. :)

Your neighbor, Sheri, could have a disordered relationship with exercise. Your little brother could have a binge eating disorder. Your favorite snack cake could feel insecure about its body. It doesn't matter who you are, how you identify, or if you believe in Santa-- everyone struggles with their perception of themselves at times.

Men and boys are often overlooked when it comes to disordered relationships with food and exercise. Eating disorders and feeling insecure about one's body are often perceived as "women's issues." However, these are very real struggles men deal with as well.

Personal Trainer, Tate Brodeur, lends his perspective on unrealistic male beauty standards, toxic masculinity, why the gym can feel scary as a man, and donuts. He also opens up about his own struggles and disordered relationship with food, exercise, and body.

If you or someone you know is struggling, check out the National Eating Disorder Association website for resources.

Get to know your Episode 7 guest better. In the episode, Tate and I talk about toxic masculinity, eating disorders in men, and the media's "ideal" male body.

Here, we see if he passes the vibe check with more hard-hitting content: his Mario Kart driver and how American cheese is (apparently) controversial.

Listen to Tate share his perspective and experiences in Episode 7.

Hi.

I've always been a storyteller, but in this episode lie stories I don't often share. As I've begun the journey toward recovery, I've realized just how much sexual trauma has played a role in its evolution and development.

Listen as I talk about the ways my ED provided me with a sense of control, safety, and a way to live in denial. I discuss the shame I felt following the trauma and how it has affected much of my adult life. I've never been good at sharing pieces of myself, especially ones like this, but I'm hoping that these issues can be recognized as widespread so people know they are not alone.

Don't ever doubt me. Spongebob references were made. Wasn't sure I would be able to slip one into this episode but with such a heavy topic, humor is always needed.

Please do not listen to this if you feel you will be triggered by talks of eating disorders or sexual violence of any kind. I want what is best for you and to ensure you feel safe.

Those with eating disorders are hyperaware of the comments others make about food and body. Some of the things we say can be harmful to others without our knowledge.

In this episode, I discuss five different comments that could be triggering to someone struggling. Oftentimes, those that are battling keep it under wraps like a closeted teen with catholic parents. Further commentary can cause them to withdraw or internalize certain beliefs.

Being mindful of the things we say when we're socializing or eating with friends and family just makes us more of a badass. It also allows you to create a safe space for those you care about. Mindfulness and awareness are best practices for change. They also make you ten times hotter... just saying.

Eating disorders stretch beyond just the two most everyone hears about: anorexia and bulimia. In the first half of the episode, I talk about the other kinds of eating disorders, the symptoms, and warning signs people don't know are part of the struggle.

The second half of the episode dives into the aspects of life an eating disorder affects beyond just a person's relationship with food and their body. I focus on how an eating disorder negatively impacts relationships and the brain.

Many people neglect to realize that eating disorders are more of a mental disorder than physical one. If you want to skip ahead to the brain and not learn about different eating disorders, pop over to 28:05.

To learn more about the different kinds of eating disorders, please visit: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Hope you dig :)

In a digital age, we all can get caught up in how others or ourselves look online. This can lead to dangerous comparison games, low self-esteem, a lack of self-confidence, and a pressure to fit into an unrealistic ideal. In this episode, I talk a bit about the harmful aspects of social and traditional media and the role they play in a person's perception of themselves both physically and emotionally. I also touch on the way media can influence a younger generation, exercise culture online, and my own struggle with obsessing over unhealthy accounts. While I may look like I've got it all together on social media, I am still just as human as you-- maybe even more ;) I have bad days, I have acne, I have scars, I have insecurities, I sometimes have a hard time making it to the bathroom (oops). While the online world is everyone's good side, don't allow yourself to believe that is everyone's reality.

Show Notes:
Some body positive and uplifting accounts I like:
@intuitively.eaten
@gabbymale
@hayleymadiganfitness
@jessijeannn
@steph_gaudreau
@coachangelrose
@gabville_fitness
@flourishwithciandra
@livinginyourworth
@itsryannnicole
@sarasfaves
@dylanmurphy.rd
@oshthoughts
@kerrylifecoach

When I began to look back on my relationship with food and body image, I realized its roots stemmed from experiences in my childhood. This episode is centered around how the things we observe as children greatly impact our relationship with ourselves. I share what mealtimes in my households looked like and how the rules around food have affected my relationship with pizza--(pineapple or you're wrong)-- today. I also talk about how the self talk of my parents taught me how to speak to myself. I hope to make others aware of the role their childhood played in their perception of food and their body. In doing that, we can begin to pave the way for the younger generation to see they are so much more than what they look like or put into their bodies.