Fly To Freedom: The anorexia recovery podcast

Welcome to Fly to Freedom, and a gentle Happy New Year.This first episode of 2026 explores perfectionism in eating disorder recovery through a nervous system lens, focusing on the constant pressure to be doing things right.This episode may resonate if recovery feels structured, controlled, or driven by self-pressure, even when motivation and care are present.This episode speaks to the quiet, ongoing pressure many people feel to stay on track, stay capable, and keep doing things properly. A sense that effort needs to continue. That vigilance needs to remain. That doing things right somehow keeps everything steady.Many notice this pressure not as a thought, but as a bodily state. A leaning forward. A readiness. An internal monitoring that rarely switches off. The feeling that effort is required to remain safe, acceptable, or okay.These patterns develop because they once created structure and predictability. When being organised, prepared, or impressive reduced risk or increased belonging, the nervous system learned to stay alert. Over time, doing things right began to feel essential rather than optional.In this episode, I explore how this pressure shows up across everyday life and recovery. In productivity that feels regulating. In difficulty resting. In managing time carefully. In control around food that appears disciplined or generous. In recovery itself becoming something to perform well. These responses emerge because the nervous system is adapting to uncertainty.Perfectionism and eating disorders often reinforce one another because both offer clarity and structure. Rules reduce ambiguity. Control brings temporary relief. As recovery unfolds and old frameworks soften, the pressure to do things right often relocates rather than disappearing.Change unfolds through experience rather than insight alone. Each moment of resting while things remain unfinished allows the nervous system to register safety. Each experience of being accepted while imperfect reshapes threat responses. Gradually, the body learns that safety exists without constant effort.Growth rarely follows a straight line. Calm and fear frequently coexist. Softening unfolds alongside vigilance. Movement forward arrives at a pace the nervous system can absorb.Inside The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle, these experiences are held with shared language, nervous system awareness, and support from people who recognise the realities of recovery. The perfectionism workshop connected to this episode is available within the circle and offers space to practise safety, embodiment, and gentler ways of being.This episode offers an orientation rather than a task.When the pressure to do things right appears, curiosity can soften the moment.A quiet question may arise: What feels at risk if effort eases?Thank you for being here, and for beginning this new year with yourself.That workshop: Visit this web pageMy website: https://www.juliatrehane.com/The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle

Welcome to this episode of Fly To Freedom — a Q and A session filled with real, honest questions from inside The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle. If recovery has felt confusing, scary, messy, or strangely “too much”… this episode will help you feel understood, and steady again.We talk about the moment recovery starts to feel terrifying rather than freeing — when the eating disorder has been a familiar “safety structure” for so long that choosing freedom can feel disorienting. You’ll hear why that wobble often means the brain is rewiring, why belief grows through action, and how to keep moving forwards even when certainty feels far away.This episode also covers some of the most searched (and most misunderstood) parts of eating disorder recovery and anorexia recovery: extreme hunger, constant thoughts about food, panic when hunger hits, fears about “healthy eating” turning into new rules, worries about set point and balance, and the wave of physical symptoms that can arrive during weight restoration.Why recovery can feel unreal and frightening even when you’re doing the “right” thingsWhat to do with old photos from the lowest point of the eating disorder (and what it means when sadness shows up)Recovery with a busy life: kids, work, studying, dogs, and chaos — and still choosing freedomGuilt about wanting recovery: why it appears, and how to meet it with courage“All in” as a mindset (not a rigid protocol) — and how to stay committed without turning it into another set of rulesPerfectionism, cleaning, hypervigilance, and anxiety: how these patterns link to the same root system as an eating disorderEating disorder behaviours that start in adulthood: why inner child work still matters, and what it’s really aboutThe moment restriction starts feeling “impossible”: why biology can begin protecting you (and why that’s a win)“Healthy” rules like five a day or “clean eating”: how to spot restriction dressed up as wellnessConstant food thoughts even at a stable weight: why weight is not a measure of mental recovery, and what food preoccupation often signalsHunger panic and urgency: why it can feel extreme, and how proactive nourishment rebuilds trustExtreme hunger in the evenings: why it happens, how long it can last, and what consistency teaches the bodyItchy, sensitive skin and hair changes during weight restoration (including telogen effluvium) and gentle ways to support your bodyThe longing for “balance” and the fear of being too much: rebuilding an inner compass based on values, not shameRecovery belief grows through repetition and action. Each recovered choice teaches the brain what safety really is.Food obsession often eases through permission and consistency. The brain quiets when it truly trusts that food is allowed and available.Freedom includes flexibility. Nourishment supports health, and a rigid rulebook keeps the eating disorder alive in disguise.A busy life can still hold real recovery. Freedom gets built in real-time moments, right in the middle of everything.Finding Your WHY (inside The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle) — a powerful anchor for staying committed when fear gets loudFeelings Navigator — support for processing emotions and building safety from the inside outIf this episode resonated, daily support like this exists inside The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle — with community chat, Q and A sessions, group coaching calls, workshops, on-demand courses, and the Feelings Navigator.Join here: https://www.edrecoverycircle.com/join

Christmas can be a beautiful time of year — and it can also feel incredibly overwhelming.There’s often pressure to keep going, keep smiling, keep showing up, even when your body and mind are quietly asking for rest. For anyone navigating eating disorder recovery, this season can amplify anxiety, exhaustion, and emotional overload.This Christmas meditation is an invitation to pause.In this episode of Fly To Freedom, I gently guide you into a short, supportive meditation designed to help you slow down, soften the nervous system, and reconnect with yourself when everything feels like too much. There is no fixing, no pushing, and nothing you need to achieve — just space to breathe and be.This meditation is especially for you if:You’re feeling overwhelmed by Christmas expectations or social demandsYou’re carrying emotional or physical exhaustionYou’re in eating disorder recovery and finding this time of year particularly challengingYou need permission to take time out without guiltWe focus on self-care that is simple and human, reminding you that rest is not something you have to earn. Taking time for yourself is part of recovery, not a distraction from it.You are allowed to step back. You are allowed to slow down. You are allowed to choose yourself — even at Christmas.You can return to this meditation whenever you need grounding, reassurance, or a few quiet moments just for you.💛 And if you're looking for real support from people who’ve been there and truly get it, The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle is here for you. It’s a unique community of people at all stages of recovery, supporting each other through the mess, the milestones, and everything in between.Inside, you’ll also find the Feelings Navigator to guide you through hard emotions, monthly coaching calls, live workshops, on-demand recovery courses, and of course — me, Julia, here with you every step of the way.Come be part of something that actually helps. You don’t have to do this alone.

In this heartfelt episode of Fly to Freedom, I have the privilege of speaking with Di Archer, the CEO and co-founder of tastelife UK. Di shares her personal journey into the world of eating disorders, detailing how her family's experience led to the creation of tastelife UK—a charity dedicated to providing support, education, and recovery tools for those affected by eating disorders. We delve into the challenges faced by families, the importance of understanding eating disorders beyond the surface, and the transformative power of community support in the recovery process.Key Takeaways:Personal Journey: Di discusses her family's initial lack of understanding about eating disorders and how a personal crisis led to the founding of tastelife UK.Founding of tastelife UK: Established in 2014, tastelife UK offers an 8-session Community Recovery Course designed for individuals and families affected by eating disorders. Community Support: The charity emphasizes the importance of community in recovery, providing a safe space for individuals and families to share experiences and support each other.Prevention and Education: Tastelife UK focuses on prevention by offering resources for young people in schools and youth groups, aiming to equip them with the knowledge to avoid developing eating disorders. Recovery Tools: The Community Recovery Course is non-threatening, educational, and encourages a self-help approach, helping individuals and families break free from eating disorders.Accreditation and Training: Tastelife UK provides accredited training for leaders to run recovery courses, ensuring quality support for those affected. Listen to the full episode here:About Di Archer:Di is a trainer, writer, and speaker with a theological background. Family experience led to her co-founding and now heading up tastelife. She loves working with the gifted tastelife team and volunteers, and is delighted that together they offer such innovative and effective resources for those affected by eating disorders. Di and her husband Graham have three grown-up children, an assortment of gorgeous grandchildren... and a hot tub. The latter for medicinal purposes, of course! (tastelifeuk.org)Connect with Di Archer and tastelife UK:Website: (tastelifeuk.org)Email: [email protected] Media:Facebook: tastelife UKTwitter: @tastelifeukInstagram: @tastelifeuk

In this episode of Fly to Freedom, I sit down with the wonderful George Mycock, a lived experience PhD researcher at the University of Worcester whose work is reshaping how we understand eating disorders in men.George specialises in men’s access to healthcare for eating, exercise, and body image psychopathology, bringing both academic expertise and deeply personal experience to this conversation. He’s also the founder of MyoMinds and host of the MyoMinds Podcast — a mental health organisation dedicated to improving understanding of exerciser mental health through research, education, and powerful lived-experience storytelling.Through MyoMinds, George collaborates on a range of national projects, contributes to media across podcasts, radio and TV, and holds influential roles such as serving on the Mental Health and Movement Alliance at Mind and the steering board for the National Audit of Eating Disorders at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. His insight is both academically rich and profoundly human.In our conversation, we explore the hidden landscape of eating disorders in men — an area still surrounded by silence, shame and misunderstanding. Together we talk about:✨ George’s lived experience of muscularity-driven disordered eating and compulsive exercise✨ The intense cultural pressure on men to appear “strong” and emotionless✨ How emotional suppression, identity, and masculinity norms shape men’s mental health✨ Why so many men feel unwelcome or unseen within eating disorder treatment services✨ What George’s research reveals about gender bias in public-facing information✨ The critical need for more inclusive, diverse, and representative research✨ Alexithymia, emotional literacy, and why so many people with eating disorders struggle to name what they feel✨ How we can each help dismantle stigma and make space for men to access support✨ Why commenting on someone’s body — even positively — can reinforce shame✨ How recovery becomes possible when we stop being who we think the world expects us to beThis is an important, compassionate, and eye-opening conversation — especially if you’ve ever believed that eating disorders only affect certain types of people. They don’t. Eating disorders do not discriminate, and George’s work is a vital step toward making support truly accessible for all.💛 Connect with George:Website: https://myominds.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myo_minds/💛 Join us inside The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle:https://www.edrecoverycircle.com/joinIt’s a supportive community grounded in lived experience, where you’ll find the Feelings Navigator, expert workshops, recovery courses, monthly coaching calls, and a place where you never have to face recovery alone.Thank you for listening, and for being here with me. I’ll be back next week.