Dear Recovery

csteddy12
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Mental Health

Hello beautiful people, this podcast is a listener supported space for anyone struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, body distress/dysmorphia, or Co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges. Each episode is guided by listener emails and DM's, questions stories, fears, and hopes read and responded to with compassion clinical insight and lived recovery and experience hosted by, me Colleen, a marriage and family therapist working in private practice as well as a person in long term recovery from an eating disorder and substance use this podcast is not about perfection or quick fixes. It is about being heard, being understood and knowing you're not alone. This space is inclusive of all genders, bodies, and identities, including members of the LGBTQIA plus community. Whether you're in active struggle, early recovery long term recovery or simply searching for language for what you're experiencing, you are welcome here. This podcast is not a substitute for therapy or medical care, but it is a place to sit, listen and remember that recovery in all the imperfect forms is possible. Just a short disclaimer for this podcast; I do not discuss any numbers or weights or explicit behaviors, and I will always keep your identity anonymous if that is your wish. Most importantly, I always encourage you to seek out higher levels of professional care as appropriate, and I will answer emails or DMS to questions and experiences, etcetera where I feel I can genuinely give advice or share my own personal experience, and perhaps what helped me. A note to remember is that recovery in all its imperfect forms is possible and I truly just want to connect with you, help, hear you, and hopefully answer some of those anxiety provoking questions that I know I was riddled with for so many years. I promise, no question is too stupid, outlandish, bizarre or weird, because I know how isolating this disease is, but I promise you are not alone and any topic/concern is welcome here :)

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 10: Did I Trade in my Eating Disorder for Alcohol

    Did I trade my eating disorder for alcohol...or was I trying to survive the same pain in a different way? In this deeply personal episode of Dear Recovery, I share my own experience navigating both eating disorder recovery and alcohol use while exploring why these struggles so often overlap. We'll talk about co-occurring disorders, coping, shame, and the hope that comes from looking beneath the behaviors with compassion instead of judgment. If you've ever wondered whether you've "traded one disorder for another," this conversation is for you. As always, my hope is that you leave feeling a little less alone—and a little more hopeful. 💙  "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."

  2. 6d ago

    Episode 9: Comparing Your Plate is the Thief of Joy!

    Episode 9: How Do I Stop Comparing What I Ate to What Everyone Else Ate? Have you ever sat down to eat and found yourself paying more attention to everyone else's plate than your own? If so, you're not alone. In this episode of Dear Recovery, we're talking about one of the most common—and exhausting—parts of living with an eating disorder: comparing what, how much, and how quickly you eat to everyone around you. Together, we'll explore why our brains do this, how comparison steals us from the present moment, and what it looks like to begin trusting ourselves instead. 💙 Dear Recovery Reminder: You weren't invited to dinner because of what you eat. You were invited because someone wanted to spend time with you. And if today you don't believe recovery is possible...you can borrow my belief until you find your own.

  3. Jul 8

    Episode 8 (Part 3 &4)) : What If I Gain Weight...and Never Stop?

    Episode 8 (Part 3 & 4): What If I Gain Weight...and Never Stop? In Part Two of this conversation, we explore why healing can feel so scary, how to move forward even when anxiety comes along for the ride, and what it means to trust your body one courageous choice at a time. Together, we'll talk about borrowing hope, protecting your peace, and discovering that recovery isn't about becoming fearless—it's about choosing freedom, even while fear is still in the room. If you've ever wondered whether recovery is really worth it, I hope this episode reminds you that it absolutely is. "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." 💙

  4. Jul 6

    Episode 8 (Part 1 & 2) : What If I Gain Weight...and Never Stop?

    Episode 8 (Part 1 & 2): What If I Gain Weight...and Never Stop? "What if I gain weight...and never stop?" If you've ever asked yourself that question, you're not alone. In fact, it's one of the most common—and most frightening—questions I hear as both a therapist and someone in recovery. In Part One of this two-part conversation, we're exploring where that fear comes from, what "food noise" really is, and why your body isn't trying to betray you—it has been trying to protect you all along. We'll talk about rebuilding trust with your body, why recovery can feel so overwhelming at first, and why healing often feels like losing control...right before you realize you're finding freedom. Whether you're just beginning recovery, supporting someone you love, or simply curious about the recovery process, I hope this episode reminds you that you are not broken, your body is not your enemy, and you don't have to walk this path alone. ✨ Dear Recovery Reminder: Recovery doesn't ask you to stop being afraid. It simply asks you to stop letting fear make every decision. I'll see you Wednesday for Part Two, where we'll talk about letting go of control, borrowing hope from others, and what recovery has taught me about truly living. 💙 And if today you don't believe recovery is possible...you can borrow my belief until you find your own.   "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."

  5. Jul 1

    Episode 7 Recovery Isn't a Race - It's Rehabilitation (Part Two)

    Recovery has a funny way of moving the finish line. Just when we think we've arrived, we start worrying about what's next. In Part Two of Episode 7, we talk about the "pink cloud," learning to celebrate how far we've come, and letting go of comparison so we can reconnect with what really matters. This episode is a gentle reminder that you're not behind—you’re rebuilding, one day at a time.  "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."

  6. Jun 29

    Episode 7: Recovery Isn't a Race—It's Rehabilitation (Part One)

    Hello friends:) Recovery is hard—but rebuilding your life afterward can feel even harder. In Part One of Episode 7, we explore the discouragement that can come with starting over, finding work, and learning to trust the timing of recovery. Through personal stories, gentle encouragement, and practical hope, this episode is a reminder that healing isn't a race—and you're not behind.

  7. Jun 27

    Trailer Episode 1

    Welcome! This short snip it explains how and where to send in your questions, thoughts, fears, hopes, etc. Cant wait to get started and connect with you! I have updated my Instagram handle to make it more streamline. You can email your questions to dearrecovery1@gmail.com  or send me a direct message (DM) at @dear_recovery1. This episode sites my previous email address but I have linked the new email here :)

  8. Jun 24

    Episode 6: Why do I panic when dinner plans change?

    A simple text saying "Dinner plans changed" can send an eating disorder into overdrive. In this episode, we talk about why unexpected food situations can feel so threatening, how eating disorders rely on certainty and control, and what it means to practice flexibility in recovery—one meal at a time.  Send me your questions to my email: dearrecovery1@gmail.com or DM me at @dear_recovery1

  9. Jun 22

    Episode:5 Why do I feel guilty after eating

    Episode Title: "Why do I feel guilt after eating even though I know I shouldn’t?" Episode Summary: It’s one of the most common—and frustrating—questions in eating disorder recovery: Why does eating trigger an overwhelming wave of guilt, even when you logically know your body needs the nourishment? In this episode, we dive deep into this exact question, looking at it through both a personal lens and a fascinating evolutionary framework known as Migration Theory (popularized by Tabitha Farrar). We explore how an ancient survival mechanism—designed thousands of years ago to keep us moving with our tribe—can misfire in modern recovery, interpreting the act of stopping to eat as a literal threat to survival. If you have ever felt like you are fighting an uphill battle against your own mind after a meal, this episode is a reminder that your guilt isn’t proof that you did something wrong. In fact, it might just be proof that you did something incredibly brave. What You'll Learn: The Evolution of Food Anxiety: How ancient biological alarm systems still impact our relationship with food today. The Misfiring Brain: Why logic and emotion don't always align during mealtime in recovery. Guilt vs. Reality: How to reframe food guilt as activated anxiety rather than a moral failure. Rewiring for Safety: The power of sitting with discomfort and teaching your brain, one meal at a time, that eating is safe.

  10. Jun 17

    Episode 4: Eat the Chocolate Cake!

    Hello beautiful people. On today's episode, I wanted to answer a question I think many people who are struggling with with an eating disorder or disordered eating may or do have. I know it will take time to build up questions and DM's, so I thought I'd start with one I used to ask myself when I was in my eating disorder. Remember, no question you have is to crazy and you are not alone with your thoughts. Okay, love you & thank you!

  11. Jun 15

    Episode 3: Cont. Recovery Story: Courage, Strength, and Hope

    Hello everyone, I wanna thank you for listening, and maybe telling a friend:) In today's episode I'm sharing the rest of my story because it occurred to me that I didn't explain the relationships that had blossomed with family and friends and my career as a therapist in my present everyday life. I hope that something in this episode identifies with you and something gives you courage, strength, or hope, or all three. Love you and thank you!

  12. Jun 11

    Episode 2: My Path to healing

    In this episode, I share a little of my own recovery story—from eating disorders to alcohol recovery, and all the messy, beautiful in-between. I spend extra time talking about eating disorder recovery because I want you to know that no question is too weird, too embarrassing, or too "OCD" for this space. Trust me, I've probably thought it too. Whether you're struggling with an ED, navigating recovery, supporting someone you love, or just curious, you're welcome here. Recovery can be hard, confusing, and sometimes a total bitch—but you don't have to figure it out alone. Have a question? Email me at dearrecoveery1@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram at @dear_recovery1. I'd love to hear from you.

  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Hello beautiful people, this podcast is a listener supported space for anyone struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, body distress/dysmorphia, or Co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges. Each episode is guided by listener emails and DM's, questions stories, fears, and hopes read and responded to with compassion clinical insight and lived recovery and experience hosted by, me Colleen, a marriage and family therapist working in private practice as well as a person in long term recovery from an eating disorder and substance use this podcast is not about perfection or quick fixes. It is about being heard, being understood and knowing you're not alone. This space is inclusive of all genders, bodies, and identities, including members of the LGBTQIA plus community. Whether you're in active struggle, early recovery long term recovery or simply searching for language for what you're experiencing, you are welcome here. This podcast is not a substitute for therapy or medical care, but it is a place to sit, listen and remember that recovery in all the imperfect forms is possible. Just a short disclaimer for this podcast; I do not discuss any numbers or weights or explicit behaviors, and I will always keep your identity anonymous if that is your wish. Most importantly, I always encourage you to seek out higher levels of professional care as appropriate, and I will answer emails or DMS to questions and experiences, etcetera where I feel I can genuinely give advice or share my own personal experience, and perhaps what helped me. A note to remember is that recovery in all its imperfect forms is possible and I truly just want to connect with you, help, hear you, and hopefully answer some of those anxiety provoking questions that I know I was riddled with for so many years. I promise, no question is too stupid, outlandish, bizarre or weird, because I know how isolating this disease is, but I promise you are not alone and any topic/concern is welcome here :)

Information

  • Creator
    csteddy12
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    Dear Recovery