August 01, 2025

EP 231: When Recovery from Disordered Eating Feels Like Swimming Against the Current ~ Finding Hope in the Hard Season🌊

19 minutes

Feeling exhausted from fighting the same eating disorder thoughts every single day? Tired of trying to navigate recovery alone while swimming against what feels like an impossible current? In this hope-filled episode, Lindsey uses powerful ocean metaphors to help you understand why recovery feels so hard and why you don't have to do it alone. If you're in the thick of the hard season and desperately want to stop carrying this burden by yourself, this episode will speak directly to your heart and give you the one step you need to finally say yes to support.

Key Takeaways

Recovery feels like swimming against the current because you're fighting it alone

You're not broken - you're a seashell in the making, getting stronger through the storms

You're not actually in control right now - your eating disorder is

Putting yourself first isn't selfish - it's putting on your oxygen mask

The hardest thing isn't doing recovery perfectly - it's admitting you can't do it alone

Main Topics Covered

🌊 The Ocean Current Metaphor

Why recovery feels like swimming against an impossible current

The eating disorder voice as the force pushing you backward

How every woman who found freedom had to swim this same current

The difference between fighting the waves and learning to ride them

🐚 The Seashell Wisdom

How seashells become beautiful through pressure and storms

Every hard day in recovery is forming another layer of strength

You're not broken in the storm - you're becoming a treasure

The process of becoming beautiful requires surviving the tumbling

😨 The Fear That Keeps You Swimming in Circles

The illusion of control that your eating disorder provides

Why holding onto your ED is actually keeping you drowning

Fear of weight gain, losing control, and trusting the process

Reality check: You're not in control right now anyway

🙏 What Stepping Into Faith Actually Looks Like

Faith as taking one stroke toward shore instead of treading water

Practical faith actions in recovery (meal plans, rest, support)

Trusting the process instead of controlling the outcome

💪 The Hard Things You're Trying to Carry Alone

The exhaustion of managing everything by yourself

Why "I should be stronger" thinking keeps you stuck

The difference between being strong and being wise

Even the strongest swimmers need a lifeguard

✨ What Putting Yourself First Really Means

Why "putting yourself first" feels selfish but isn't

The oxygen tank analogy

Setting boundaries that support your recovery

You can't pour from an empty cup

🌟 The Ripple Effect of Your Recovery

How your healing impacts everyone around you

Becoming a lighthouse for other women in the storm

Modeling freedom for daughters, friends, and coworkers

Your recovery story creates ripples of hope

Powerful Quotes from This Episode

"You think holding onto your eating disorder is keeping you safe, but it's actually keeping you drowning."

"You're not broken because you're in the storm right now. You're in the process of becoming the treasure."

"The hardest thing isn't doing recovery perfectly. The hardest thing is admitting you can't do it alone."

"You don't have to figure out how to become a beautiful seashell while you're still in the middle of the storm."

"The current is strong, but you are stronger."

The Reality Check

What feels like control vs. What's actually happening:

You think you're controlling your food → Your ED is controlling when/what/how much you eat

You think you're managing your body → Your ED is dictating your clothes, activities, social events

You think you're staying safe → Your ED is keeping you drowning in the same spot

Signs You're Swimming in Circles

Waking up fighting the same thoughts every day

Trying to manage recovery completely alone

Exhausted from "being stronger" all the time

Making the same promises to yourself that you can't keep

Feeling like you're treading water instead of moving toward freedom

The One Step That Changes Everything

Stop swimming in circles and reach out your hand for help.

Not tomorrow. Not next week. TODAY.

Because when you reach out for support:

The current doesn't disappear, but you stop fighting it alone

You learn to ride the waves instead of being crushed by them

You get a guide who knows the way to freedom

What Professional Support Looks Like

Having a guide who's already made it to the shore

Learning to work with the current instead of fighting against it

Getting a map for territory you've been trying to navigate alone

Having someone protect you while you're forming your strength (like the seashell in deeper water)

Action Step

Go to herbestself.co and fill out an application to partner with Lindsey in your recovery journey.

This is your moment to:

Stop doing the hard things alone

Say yes to the support you deserve

Take one brave step toward freedom

Let someone help you swim to shore

Ready to Stop Swimming Alone?

You don't have to earn support. You don't have to be perfect first. You just have to be brave enough to reach out your hand.

Connect with Lindsey

Website: www.herbestself.co

Private Facebook Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com

Client Applications: www.herbestself.co

About the Host

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She's been where you are - swimming against the recovery current alone - and now helps women find their way to the freedom shore through guided support and proven strategies.

If this episode spoke to your heart, please share it with a friend who needs this message. Your support helps more women find the hope and guidance they need to stop swimming alone.

* While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

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By Lindsey Nichol - Certified Health Coach, Eating Disorder Recovery Coach, Food Freedom Coach, Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy Certified

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