Show Notes
Why are Autistic people more likely to develop an Eating Disorder? What is Interoception and how does it link to Autism?
TW: Mental health and eating disorders
Livia Sara (@Livlabelfree) is a late-diagnosed Autistic coach, writer, and podcaster. Specialising in helping individuals reframe labels and identity to help them process and recover from their eating disorder. Liv has two books in the making, one being a Neurodivergent-focused cookbook 'Nourishing Neurodiversity' (released 21/02/23) for helping people nourish their body and mind in a simple and delicious way (see link.tree below).
Liv's Links - https://www.livlabelfree.com/links // My Links - https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK
Thomas kicks off the episode with a nod to Valentine's day before a swift transition to Liv's background; Livia opens up about her experiences with Anxiety, Depression, OCD, and Anorexia through her many years in and out of the medical system. She found that Autism was the missing element in her recovery journey, causing her to actively fight back against assumptions of 'Eating Disorder Behavior' by ignorant Psychologists.
Labels are a common topic within the Autism space, but Liv claims that labels around eating disorders can be restrictive on growth. Addiction becomes a habit and eventually a part of your identity, and once it's there it can be hard to separate from. Liv explains how her ED label was a source of certain comfort, a part of who she thought she was, and something that required a lot of uncomfortable change to distance herself from it and recover.
They talk about the issues around BMI, BMR, and Somatotypes in the medical and biological realms before moving on Autism and Eating Disorders. It seems that a few factors may be responsible for the high occurrence rates, Interoception, anxiety disorders, vagal nerve function, routine, aversion to change, literal interpretation, and ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).
Thomas and Liv debate the legitimacy of professionals without an open-minded approach, trust in clients, and input from lived experience. They talk about their own personal journies through healthcare, touching on the important qualities to look for in a good therapist, and leaving on some practical changes they would like to see in the future.
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