Life doesn't pause for recovery — and right now, life is a lot. In this Clinician's Corner episode, co-hosts Molly Painschab and Clarissa Kennedy sit down for an honest, grounded conversation about what it looks like to stay connected to your recovery when the world feels like it's on fire and your personal life is a lot at the same time.

This isn't a pep talk. These are two clinicians talking real about the neuroscience of stress and cravings, the shame spiral that follows a slip, and what "minimum viable recovery" can look like when you're just trying to make it to tomorrow.

If you've been asking yourself why this is suddenly so hard? This episode is for you.

In This Episode, We Cover:

🧠 Why your brain is working against you right now The neuroscience behind chronic stress and cravings — and why a recovering brain is already running harder than average before you add the weight of the world on top.

🌍 The macro AND the micro From political instability and financial stress to grief, caregiving, and personal loss — we name what's happening and why pretending otherwise is doing you a disservice.

📱 Setting boundaries with the news cycle How to stop the doom scroll from hijacking your nervous system — without swinging to total avoidance. Finding the middle path that keeps you informed without dysregulated.

😔 The shame spiral that turns slips into recurrences It's not always the slip itself that does the damage. Molly breaks down why the judgment after the slip often has far longer-lasting consequences — and how to interrupt that cycle.

🛟 Minimum viable recovery What's the smallest version of recovery you can do today to make it to tomorrow? Clarissa introduces this framework and it will change how you think about hard seasons.

⚓ Recovery anchors and non-negotiables The value of identifying a few tethering behaviors before you're in crisis — and why protecting those anchors can keep you from unraveling.

💙 Co-regulation and connection We are not wired to regulate alone. From turning on your camera in group to body doubling with an emotional support human — why connection isn't optional when things get hard.

🌿 Meaning-making, spiritual practice, and nature Reconnecting with your why — the deep one, not the diet-culture one — and how spiritual practice and time in nature can restore a felt sense of control when everything else feels uncertain.

Resources & Links Mentioned

▶YouTube: Food Junkies Podcast - YouTube

🌐 Sweet Sobriety membership & groups: https://sweetsobriety.newzenler.com/courses/group-coaching-2025

📧 Email us with topic requests or questions: [email protected]

If this episode resonated with you: → Share it with someone who needs to hear it right now → Come to group — even if you've been avoiding it, just go → If you're a professional, bring this conversation to your next supervision session

The Food Junkies Podcast is hosted by Dr. Vera Tarman, Molly Painschab, and Clarissa Kennedy. New episodes drop weekly.

🎙️ Subscribe, leave a review, and share with someone in recovery who could use a reminder that they're not broken — they're just carrying a lot right now.

BACK-to-BASICS WORKSHOP with Megan Sloan

What you'll walk away with: • Simple strategies to improve balance, posture & core stability • A deeper understanding of your body and how it communicates with you • Practical tools you can use immediately • A stronger sense of trust and connection with your body Saturday, April 25 at 10am EST 90 minutes Live + replay included $25 USD

➡️ https://sweetsobriety.newzenler.com/courses/back-to-basics

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.