Owning a pet can be incredibly healing; research has found that building a relationship with an animal can help people recovering from eating disorders better manage their emotions, feel higher levels of satisfaction in life, increase resilience, lower levels of depressive thoughts, can reduce feelings of loneliness, increase feelings of comfort and support and as a general mood booster.

In this episode, we talk through our experience of bringing a new pet into the mix.

Trigger Warning:

This show contains discussions around anorexia, eating disorders, body image and mental health that may be triggering for some listeners.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. Please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider if you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder.

You are not alone.

💛 Resources & Support Services:

Australia:

Butterfly Foundation – National support for eating disorders

📞 Helpline: 1800 33 4673

🌐 https://butterfly.org.au

LifeLine - National Crisis Support 📞 Helpline: 13 11 14 🌐https://www.lifeline.org.au/

United States:

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

🌐 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

United Kingdom:

Beat Eating Disorders

🌐 https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Global/Online:

Recovery Warriors – Resources, podcasts, and community for recovery

🌐 https://www.recoverywarriors.com

For many, the long slog of treating an eating disorder is like being stuck in a monotonous loop day after day. Al and Fi explore the tedium and heartache of supporting a loved one who doesn't want to get better.

Trigger Warning:

This show contains discussions around anorexia, eating disorders, body image and mental health that may be triggering for some listeners.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. Please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider if you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder.

You are not alone.

💛 Resources & Support Services:

Australia:

Butterfly Foundation – National support for eating disorders

📞 Helpline: 1800 33 4673

🌐 https://butterfly.org.au

LifeLine - National Crisis Support 📞 Helpline: 13 11 14 🌐https://www.lifeline.org.au/

United States:

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

🌐 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

United Kingdom:

Beat Eating Disorders

🌐 https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Global/Online:

Recovery Warriors – Resources, podcasts, and community for recovery

🌐 https://www.recoverywarriors.com

Having a child with an eating disorder can feel like your future's been hijacked. Al and Fi chat about having to reimagine hopes, goals and dreams when you're staring down the barrel of caring for someone with a serious long-term mental illness... and it's not all bad.

Trigger Warning:

This show contains discussions around anorexia, eating disorders, body image and mental health that may be triggering for some listeners.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. Please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider if you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder.

You are not alone.

💛 Resources & Support Services:

Australia:

Butterfly Foundation – National support for eating disorders

📞 Helpline: 1800 33 4673

🌐 https://butterfly.org.au

LifeLine - National Crisis Support 📞 Helpline: 13 11 14 🌐https://www.lifeline.org.au/

United States:

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

🌐 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

United Kingdom:

Beat Eating Disorders

🌐 https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Global/Online:

Recovery Warriors – Resources, podcasts, and community for recovery

🌐 https://www.recoverywarriors.com

Caring for someone with an eating disorder can be emotionally draining, and if you're running on empty, it becomes even more challenging to provide the support your loved one needs. Fi and Al talk what self-care looks like and why you sometimes need to put yourself first.

Trigger Warning:

This show contains discussions around anorexia, eating disorders, body image and mental health that may be triggering for some listeners.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. Please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider if you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder.

You are not alone.

💛 Resources & Support Services:

Australia:

Butterfly Foundation – National support for eating disorders

📞 Helpline: 1800 33 4673

🌐 https://butterfly.org.au

LifeLine - National Crisis Support 📞 Helpline: 13 11 14 🌐https://www.lifeline.org.au/

United States:

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

🌐 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

United Kingdom:

Beat Eating Disorders

🌐 https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Global/Online:

Recovery Warriors – Resources, podcasts, and community for recovery

🌐 https://www.recoverywarriors.com

We talk about the well-meaning remarks from friends, family, and colleagues that come up when you're dealing with an eating disorder, why they often miss the mark and some of the ways we handle them.

Trigger Warning:

This show contains discussions around anorexia, eating disorders, body image and mental health that may be triggering for some listeners.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. Please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider if you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder.

You are not alone.

💛 Resources & Support Services:

Australia:

Butterfly Foundation – National support for eating disorders

📞 Helpline: 1800 33 4673

🌐 https://butterfly.org.au

LifeLine - National Crisis Support 📞 Helpline: 13 11 14 🌐https://www.lifeline.org.au/

United States:

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

🌐 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

United Kingdom:

Beat Eating Disorders

🌐 https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Global/Online:

Recovery Warriors – Resources, podcasts, and community for recovery

🌐 https://www.recoverywarriors.com

Lies and deceit are an almost a daily experience when caring for someone with an eating disorder. Fi and Al discuss how it feels to be lied to all the time by the person you're trying to help, common untruths faced with anorexia and bulimia, and how to back yourself.

Trigger Warning:

This show contains discussions around anorexia, eating disorders, body image and mental health that may be triggering for some listeners.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. Please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider if you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder.

You are not alone.

💛 Resources & Support Services:

Australia:

Butterfly Foundation – National support for eating disorders

📞 Helpline: 1800 33 4673

🌐 https://butterfly.org.au

LifeLine - National Crisis Support 📞 Helpline: 13 11 14 🌐https://www.lifeline.org.au/

United States:

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

🌐 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

United Kingdom:

Beat Eating Disorders

🌐 https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Global/Online:

Recovery Warriors – Resources, podcasts, and community for recovery

🌐 https://www.recoverywarriors.com

In this episode, Fi and Al explore the feelings and stigma of being labelled as a parent of a child with an eating disorder. They discuss how society's view of the disease is very different from the reality, and how the concept of blame can be really painful for carers on the front line.

Trigger Warning:

This show contains discussions around anorexia, eating disorders, body image and mental health that may be triggering for some listeners.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. Please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider if you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder.

You are not alone.

💛 Resources & Support Services:

Australia:

Butterfly Foundation – National support for eating disorders

📞 Helpline: 1800 33 4673

🌐 https://butterfly.org.au

LifeLine - National Crisis Support 📞 Helpline: 13 11 14 🌐https://www.lifeline.org.au/

United States:

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

🌐 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

United Kingdom:

Beat Eating Disorders

🌐 https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Global/Online:

Recovery Warriors – Resources, podcasts, and community for recovery

🌐 https://www.recoverywarriors.com

Getting an eating disorder diagnosis can be a shock for the whole family. It might mean facing the reality you've been trying to ignore and brings big changes for everyone involved.

Fi and Al talk about what it was like to find out, how it felt, and the realities of starting this journey your family didn't choose.

Trigger Warning:

This show contains discussions around anorexia, eating disorders, body image and mental health that may be triggering for some listeners.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. Please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider if you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder.

You are not alone.

💛 Resources & Support Services:

Australia:

Butterfly Foundation – National support for eating disorders

📞 Helpline: 1800 33 4673

🌐 https://butterfly.org.au

LifeLine - National Crisis Support 📞 Helpline: 13 11 14 🌐https://www.lifeline.org.au/

United States:

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

🌐 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

United Kingdom:

Beat Eating Disorders

🌐 https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Global/Online:

Recovery Warriors – Resources, podcasts, and community for recovery

🌐 https://www.recoverywarriors.com