Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way.
By Liv & Tiffany
Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way. Dec 10, 2019
033 Holiday Boundaries
In this episode we discussed holiday-related boundaries. We talked about body and food-related boundaries, knowing our limits, and how to keep ourselves safe and honor our needs. For Liv, this has been one of the most painful lessons in recovery. Some of the challenges she has faced are well-meaning family members being overly focused on her body size and eating habits, and not understanding her needs as an empath and introvert.
For Tiffany, her challenges are self-expectations: hosting the family and ensuring everyone gets everything they might want. Sometimes, she has pushed herself to the point of exhaustion, and eaten foods she wouldn’t otherwise in fear of upsetting others.
This episode is packed full of hard won lessons, and potential solutions we can all use at this time of year.
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, #anti-diet, #IntuitiveEating, #Dietculture, #whycantIstopeating, #helpwithovereating, #bingeeating, #binging, #lifeafter12steprecovery, #bodyattunement, #Disorderedeating, #eatingdisorders, #sugaraddiction, #Alcoholism, #addiction, #howtolivesober, #sobriety, #howtostopdrinking, #recoverypodcast, #sobrietypodcast, #whatisintuitiveEating, #bodyrespect, #HAES, #healthateverysize, #bodypositivity, #BoPo, #foodrecovery, #BreakingFreeRecovery, #BreakingFree#Podcast, #Breaking Free:Your Recovery.Your Way., #recoverypatchwork, #eatingrecovery, #recoveryboundaries, #eatingdisorderrecovery, #disorderedeatingrecovery, #TiffanyThoen, #LivPennelle, #Liv’srecoverykitchen, #OliviaPennelle, #LivandTiffany
032 Self-Expectation
In this episode, we talk about how self-expectation is so prevalent in our lives, especially as female entrepreneurs, and what we can do to be more realistic with our expectations of ourselves.
The longer we’ve been in recovery, the more awareness we’ve gained around self-expectation. That’s not uncommon for women, as sexist and binary as this is. We’re often expected to have two roles: looking after the household, taking care of kids if we have them, and going to work all week.
As business owners, we both have competing priorities. But we still experience a gap between what we think we can do and what we achieve. For Liv, she can then use that deficit in achievement as a reason to be critical of her abilities. For Tiffany, there are always so many things she wants to do and so many unreasonable expectations.
As an antidote to high self-expectation, we discuss boundaries with ourselves and others, particularly our clients. We practice business efficiency where we can, and we try different ways to manage our time and our endless to-do lists more effectively. We talk about the importance of downtime, saying no, and listening to and honoring what our bodies need.
We rang a bell for:
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, #anti-diet, #IntuitiveEating, #Dietculture, #whycantIstopeating, #helpwithovereating, #bingeeating, #binging, #lifeafter12steprecovery, #bodyattunement, #Disorderedeating, #eatingdisorders, #sugaraddiction, #Alcoholism, #addiction, #howtolivesober, #sobriety, #howtostopdrinking, #recoverypodcast, #sobrietypodcast, #whatisintuitiveEating, #bodyrespect, #HAES, #healthateverysize, #bodypositivity, #BoPo, #foodrecovery, #BreakingFreeRecovery, #BreakingFree#Podcast, #Breaking Free:Your Recovery.Your Way., #recoverypatchwork, #eatingrecovery, #recoveryboundaries, #eatingdisorderrecovery, #disorderedeatingrecovery, #TiffanyThoen, #LivPennelle, #Liv’srecoverykitchen, #OliviaPennelle, #LivandTiffany
031 Self-Forgiveness
In this episode we get real and share our journey in self-forgiveness. Tiffany shares why this topic is near and dear to her heart. She actually cries on air (might be a first, folks!).
We discuss about what prompted us to be intentional in doing self-forgiveness work. You might be surprised!)
We discuss barriers and how we can go about healing as laid out in an article by Beverly Engel L.M.F.T.: “One of the barriers to self-forgiveness …You may view self-forgiveness as ‘letting yourself off the hook,’ as if self-judgment is the only way to improve. But negative self-judgment and self-blaming can actually act as an obstacle to self-improvement. The more shame you feel about your past actions and behaviors, the more your self-esteem is lowered and the less likely it is you will feel motivated to change.”
Beverly goes on to examine how we can go about self-forgiveness.
- Self-understanding
- Common humanity
- Earning your forgiveness: taking responsibility, apologizing and making amends
- Asking for forgiveness from your higher power
We talked about the 5 apology languages. It's so important to know what is meaningful for you!
Liv shares her approach to self-forgiveness through the lens of parenting a small child.
Tiffany shares her favorite affirmations:
Ho’oponopono prayer: “I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you.”
And another that she adapted: “The person I was in that moment in time did the best that I could with the skills that I had. Forgiveness is a gift I give myself today.”
We rang a bell for:
We hope this episode has been encouraging and supports you in knowing that you are valuable and worthy of respect and you deserve forgiveness. If you are experiencing any barriers to self-forgiveness, we hope you will know you are not alone. Please, if you need it, get support!
Suicide is discussed in this episode. If you or someone you love is suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255.
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
030 Shame
In this episode we talk about the much-avoided topic: SHAME. We explore how shame has wreaked havoc in our lives and then look to the experts for their perspective.
- Dr. Brene Brown talks about shame in her work. We love her work and her books. She highlights the difference between shame and guilt. Guilt is I did something bad, shame is I am bad. According to Brown, “Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging ... Shame creates feelings of fear, blame and disconnect.”
- From the Habits for Wellbeing Blog: Shame has been associated with depression, grief, anxiety, eating disorders, addiction and violence.
- An awesome article in The BMJ (British Medical Journal), that highlights the lack of research, and acknowledgement of the power of shame and its impact on health.
Liv talks about her experience of shame — feeling as though she wasn’t accepted in many areas of her life and working through it. We know that this work is an ongoing process. Tiffany shared how shame has shown up in her life, including in her relationship with food, in behaviors like numbing, overworking, and avoiding, and in feeling like she wasn't good enough and trying to make up for it.
We rang a bell for:
J.F. Benoist’s book: Addicted to the Monkey Mind.
Nadine Burke’s book: The Deepest Well.
Liv’s article on diet culture and shame, soon to be released by The Fix.
We also dive into what to do about shame, such as recognizing it and increasing awareness (knowing what it feels like in our body), speaking it, and sharing our story. Last but not least, we work on self-forgiveness. Be sure to listen to our next episode on self-forgiveness!
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, #diets #dont #work, #anti-diet, #Intuitive Eating, #Diet culture, #why #cant #I #stop #eating, #help #with #overeating, #binge #eating, #binging, #life #after #12 #step #recovery, #body attunement, #Disorderedeating, #eatingdisorders, #sugaraddiction, #Alcoholism, #addiction, #how #to #live #sober, #sobriety,#how tostopdrinking, #recoverypodcast, #sobrietypodcast, #whatisntuitiveEating, #bodyrespect, #HAES, #healthateverysize, #bodypositivity, #BoPo, #foodrecovery, #BreakingFreeRecovery, #BreakingFreePodcast, #Breaking Free: Your Recovery.Your Way., #recoverypatchwork, #eatingrecovery, #recoveryboundaries, #eatingdisorderrecovery, #disorderedeatingrecovery, #TiffanyThoen, #LivPennelle, #Liv’srecoverykitchen, #OliviaPennelle, #LivandTiffany
029 Latinx Culture & Mental Health with Irina Gonzalez
Show notes:
In this conversation we talk to Irina about Latinx culture and her experience of stigma that surrounds mental health.
We also discuss what recovery looks like to her, what has been helpful in her recovery, and how to access support.
Suicide is discussed in this episode. If you or someone you love is suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255.
Resources
SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator
Bio
Irina Gonzalez is an editor and freelance writer covering Latinx culture, sober living, parenting, and all things lifestyle. Her work has been featured in Oprah magazine, Glamour, Marie Claire, and more. She's also an audiobook enthusiast and creator of the Self-Care For Writers newsletter. She lives in Florida with her husband and their attention-loving kitties and pup. You can find her writing on her portfolio site, http://irinagonzalez.com, or by following her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
028 Trauma Aware Recovery
As we alluded to in our conversation with Lynn: The instance of trauma and adverse childhood experiences is high for people in recovery, with at least two-thirds of us having experienced some kind of trauma.
We have a responsibility as members of the recovery community to be more trauma-aware so that we can support one another in getting the help we need, but also in being mindful of how certain behaviors could be triggering.
Here are some of the ways we can be more trauma-aware:
- If leading a meditation, consider that asking someone to close their eyes to meditate might be triggering. Provide alternative options
- Consider leaving the door to a meeting open
- Don’t block the exits
- Do not silence or minimize others’ experiences
- Do not practice toxic positivity
- Accept differences
- Understand that the 12-steps or another mutual-aid program cannot “fix” an individual and that outside help is required
- If in a sponsor role, consider pausing when someone mentions a trauma and know your limitations. If unsure, refer to guidelines about the role of a sponsor
- Know that a meeting is not the answer if someone is exhausted, or feeling triggered
- Do not make someone stay in a meeting if they try to leave because they are feeling triggered
- Read books about trauma: Childhood Disrupted, The Body Keeps the Score, and Trauma and the 12 Steps
- Never suggest that a sponsee make amends to an abuser
- Do not shame someone, or suggest they do more research, if one method of recovery doesn’t work for them
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s recovery kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
027 Body Attunement
What is body attunement/interoception? Interoception is the science-y word for body attunement. Tiffany’s definition is being intune with/or connected to our body so that we have an increased awareness of our needs.
Here are a few of the definitions we found in the medical journals in case you want to do some deep reading.
On the origin of Interoception: What is generally agreed upon by most current scholars is that interoception is the perception of the state of the body.
On Interoceptive Awareness Skills for Emotion Regulation-
Interoception is the perception of sensations from inside the body and includes the perception of physical sensations related to internal organ function such as heartbeat, respiration, satiety, as well as the autonomic nervous system activity related to emotions (Vaitl, 1996; Cameron, 2001; Craig, 2002; Barrett et al., 2004). Much of these perceptions remain unconscious; what becomes conscious, i.e., interoceptive awareness, involves the processing of inner sensations so that they become available to conscious awareness Cameron, 2001.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5985305/
We discuss barriers to having body attunement such as:
- Adverse Childhood Experiences
- Untreated mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, physical pain, shame, and stigma
- Environmental, behavioral, and cultural barriers include “numbing,” screens, busy-ness, being shut down, being connected is not modeled
- Disconnected eating including having “shoulds” around food, food rules, and attempting appetite suppression
Last but not least, we share what we can do to increase body attunement — listen in to learn how!
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
026 Healing Trauma with Dr. Jamie Marich
In this episode we talk to Dr. Jamie Marich about trauma. We discuss how to approach trauma healing in recovery and how to support yourself, as well as how to incorporate creativity and mindfulness into your healing process.
What we particularly love about Jamie — aside from her expertise on trauma healing — is her use of movement in trauma process, particularly dance, yoga, and martial arts. We talk about the use of those mediums to aid healing and enhance our creative abilities. Both Liv and Tiffany love her book, Process Not Perfection
Last, we talk about how trauma can be identified within mutual-aid settings and how we can all be more trauma-aware in helping others with their journey.
More about Jamie: Jamie Marich, Ph.D., LPCC-S, LICDC-CS, REAT, RYT-200, RMT travels internationally speaking on topics related to EMDR therapy, trauma, addiction, expressive arts, and mindfulness while maintaining a private practice in her home base of Warren, OH. She is the developer of the Dancing Mindfulness practice (www.dancingmindfulness.com). Jamie is the author of five books, including the popular EMDR Made Simple and EMDR Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma Focused Care (Springer Publishing in 2017), written in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Dansiger. Her newest title, Process Not Perfection: Expressive Arts Solutions for Trauma Recovery, was released in April 2019.
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s recovery kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
025 Setting Boundaries in Recovery
Boundaries? What are those? They are so helpful in recovery (and life in general).
noun: boundary; plural noun: boundaries
- a line that marks the limits of an area; a dividing line.
Not that kind of boundary, silly! Personal boundaries! Tiffany shares that for her, setting a boundary represents the ability to honor our needs and not try to fix others.
This blog post on loveisrespect.org called “Love is Setting Boundaries: “What Are My Boundaries?” helps clarify what boundaries might look like in a relationship.
Liv shares what boundaries mean to her, and introduces Tiffany and our listeners to the awesome Nedra Tawwab and her insightful posts on boundaries.
We talk about problems that we had before we started intentionally practicing boundaries, such as resentment.
Check out Melody Beattie’s book Codependent No More.
We then dive into the how to’s of of setting boundaries, even in the middle of a conflict.
We love what our friend Veronica Valli of Soberful says about boundaries: “Say what you mean, mean what you say and say it without being mean.”
And again the fabulous Nedra Tawwab has an awesome post for us:
We know it's not easy, so be gentle with yourself and tune in for the rest!
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s recovery kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
024 Adverse Childhood Experiences with Lynn Matti
In this episode, Liv and Tiffany interview Lynn Matti and dig into adverse childhood experiences and the groundbreaking ACE study. We explore how common trauma is in people with substance use disorder, and we examine the challenges individuals in recovery with a trauma history might face. We also look at how those challenges might be experienced in mutual-aid programs and the need for individualized recovery plans.
Bio: Lynn Matti, MA, LPCC, is a person-centered and cognitive behavioral licensed counselor and recovery leader who mentors, counsels, and coaches online and in-person at the intersection of resilience, courage, and hope. With her expertise, authenticity, and commitment to life-long learning, she helps others find their truest self and learn the skills needed to build and sustain meaningful mental wellness. She brings tested, interesting, and fun practices and perspectives to her individual clients and group endeavors. In addition to a thriving private counseling/coaching practice in Peachtree City, GA,, Lynn is the creator and host of The SoberSoul Recovery Podcast, a top-rated addiction, recovery, and self-improvement podcast. Each week, Lynn tackles the many issues of life and recovery, trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, relocation, divorce, empty nest, loneliness, substance overuse and abuse, and much more. The SoberSoul Recovery approach is to make quality therapy accessible for all who desire it.
Contacts:
The SoberSoul Recovery Podcast
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s recovery kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
023 Food and Body Boundaries
“Oh, you look great! Did you lose weight?” “Are you really going to eat that?” These are milder things people “innocently” ask, but there are so many more questions and comments that are even more harmful. In this episode we dive into how to set boundaries with friends and family around food and body comments.
We love this Self article on the importance of ending body and weight loss “compliments.” Why are women's bodies and what we choose to put in our bodies up for discussion? It is nobody's business!
This Fat Girl Flow article is brilliant and so needed. They point out that health is not a moral issue, and asks people to stop justifying comments with this cop-out.
You can also check out Coach Tiffany’s blog on boundaries for more tips!
Listen in to hear our take on how to set boundaries around these sensitive subjects. It's not easy, but we are here for you. Remember, together, we are breaking free!
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
022 Body Obsession with Shannon Whaley
In this episode, we talk to Shannon Whaley about bodies — more specifically, about her journey towards body acceptance. We discuss the pervasiveness of diet culture, Shannon’s process of removing her breast implants and what she learned on that journey, and boundaries that Shannon has with others around her body.
Bio: Shannon Whaley (she/her) is a certified storytelling and marketing coach as well as the head of admissions for Inner Glow Circle, the #1 Coach Training company for women. Shannon believes that if you're alive, you have a story and her mission in life is to help women heal themselves and the world through raw, honest storytelling. Shannon uses her coaching platform to bring attention to issues that are important to her and to educate her community so we can all do better.
She is an American expat living in Italy with her husband, Stefano, and two cats, Niccolo and Kevin. You can find Shannon via her website: https://shannonwhaley.com/
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s recovery kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
021 Why We Should Stop Comparing Our Bodies To Others’
In this episode, we zero in on body comparison. Liv and Tiffany share about beginning to compare our bodies to others as very young girls. We explore how our culture is hyper-focused on bodies, how it begins to appear early in life how it’s harmful, and what we can do about it.
We ask:
-How many times a day do you check your body in the mirror and then adjusting your clothes, and try to make yourself look smaller?
-What does your Facebook and Instagram feed look like? Do you see only small bodies?
-How often are we body-bashing ourselves or listening to others comment on people’s bodies?
We dive into this awesome article by Abby Langer, R.D. in Self. It explains in depth why even complimenting people on weight loss is harmful. https://www.self.com/story/we-really-need-to-stop-complimenting-people-on-weight-loss?utm_sq=g5hbx3uhyc&fbclid=IwAR3l0xEklfweb4GFbnI8mR9SxvHKoQgbITbxsItFYbMK554oX-xvpx8QZGw
We also look at this fantastic article by Fat Girl Flow on why our body (and our health) is nobody’s business but our own. https://fatgirlflow.com/afraid-youre-going-to-die-fat/
We are not JUST a body. We ring the bell for Lindsay Kite of Beauty Redefined/ Check out her great TED talk about being more than just a body: https://youtu.be/uDowwh0EU4w
Tiffany talks about her passion for helping women that know their value and worth is not related to how their body looks or what they weigh.
Tiffany’s Womanifesto: https://www.coachtiffanyrn.com/womanifesto.html
We dive into one of our favorite Principles of Intuitive Eating — Respect your body.
• Acceptance
• Gratitude
• Self-care
• No longer commenting on bodies
• Fighting fatphobia, starting within!
We ring a bell for Michelle Elman at #scarrednotscared. We encourage you to read her post “Fat is not a Feeling”:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/BxaiuTRBmI0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_lin
We also share more about the Health at Every Size components:
- Respect
- Celebrates body diversity
- Honors differences in size, age, race, ethnicity, gender, dis/ability, sexual orientation, religion, class, and other human attributes
- Celebrates body diversity
- Critical Awareness
- Challenges scientific and cultural assumptions
- Values body knowledge and lived experiences
- Challenges scientific and cultural assumptions
- Compassionate Self-Care
- Finding the joy in moving one’s body and being physically active
- Encourages eating in a flexible and attuned manner that values pleasure and honors internal cues of hunger, satiety, and appetite, while respecting the social conditions that frame eating options
- Finding the joy in moving one’s body and being physically active
Check out the Health at Every Size website here: https://haescommunity.com/
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
020 Sugar Addiction
In this episode, we discuss the nuances of sugar addiction. We ask:
- Does sugar addiction exist?
- Is it truly an addiction?
- What’s wrong with the argument that sugar lights up the same pathways as cocaine?
- Why is throwing around the phrase “sugar addict” harmful?
- Why do we experience sugar cravings?
We talk about the neurochemistry, the role dopamine plays in sugar cravings, what the science is currently telling us, and why the data isn’t able to give us a full picture.
We also look at the role that diet culture plays in this messaging. It is so important to consider where these messages are coming from. Who benefits from us thinking there is something wrong with us?
Check out this awesome article by Imma Eat That on Sugar and Intuitive Eating. https://immaeatthat.com/2017/05/02/intuitive-eating-haters/
So, should we swear off sugar forever? No, because that actually increases the brain reward for sugar.
What to do instead of restriction if you are struggling with sugar:
- Release judgement and get curious.
- Try other focusing on overall health. Increase sleep, see your doctor, try supplements, decrease stress, implement gentle nutrition by increasing consumption of veggie fiber, cooking at home, and eating enough throughout the day.
- Look at emotional eating (again without judgement). Learn new ways of coping. Increase pleasure in your life to help improve dopamine tone.
If you need support around sugar and your relationship with food, reach out to Coach Tiffany at tiffany@coachtiffanyrn.com or visit her website at https://www.coachtiffanyrn.com
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
019 Intuitive Eating In Practice
In this episode, Liv and Tiffany share their experiences with finding Intuitive Eating. Diving deeper, we look at the barriers to Intuitive Eating and how to get started.
Barriers:
- Diet culture
- Rigid food rules growing up
- Poor modeling around food
- Parents who dieted
- Shaming messages
- Negative body image
- Childhood trauma
- Mental health conditions: depression, anxiety, PTSD
- Pain
Getting started with IE:
- Reject diet culture, food “shoulds,” judgement and shame
- Celebrate awareness
- Honor your body, focus on body attunement
- Honor your hunger — IE encourages you to eat food, and experience fullness and satisfaction
- Body acceptance/respect (gratitude for our body, self-care, body comparison, self criticism)
- Honoring feelings without using food (how do I feel, what do I need?)
- Honoring your health: gentle nutrition, exercise because it feels good
These are our bellworthy and noteworthy resources:
The Ten Principles of Intuitive Eating:
https://www.intuitiveeating.org/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/
Coach Tiffany’s self-paced Intuitive Eating course:https://www.coachtiffanyrn.com/course.html
Grab Coach Tiffany’s hunger scale here:
https://www.coachtiffanyrn.com/hunger-scale-opt-in.html
Harvard’s take on the ACE test: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/media-coverage/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean/
Article: What Cookies and Meth Have in Common: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/30/opinion/sunday/what-cookies-and-meth-have-in-common.html
Books to check out:
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, Fiaedp, FADA, FAND
The Body Keeps the Score by Gabor Mate
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
018 What Is Intuitive Eating?
Intuitive Eating is Tiffany’s passion. In her work as an Intuitive Eating coach, she helps people to heal their relationship with food. In this episode, Tiffany and Liv discuss what is and why it is awesome.
Intuitive Eating is essentially learning to let go of all of the “shoulds” around food. Judgement and shame around food keep us from gaining awareness, connection, and attunement with our bodies. By letting go of all the judgment, we can focus instead on building trust in our bodies and honoring our bodies’ needs. With Intuitive Eating, we give ourselves unconditional permission to eat by making feeding ourselves satisfying foods a priority while also being discerning about how we want to feel.
These are our bellworthy and noteworthy resources:
The Ten Principles of Intuitive Eating:
https://www.intuitiveeating.org/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/
http://boldandbadass.com/the-principles-of-intuitive-eating/
Coach Tiffany’s self-paced Intuitive Eating course: https://www.coachtiffanyrn.com/course.html
Grab Coach Tiffany’s hunger scale here:
https://www.coachtiffanyrn.com/hunger-scale-opt-in.html
Some of our favorite places to eat treats in Portland:
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
017 Why Diets Don't Work
In this episode, we focus on weight loss — why dieting doesn't work and why focusing on weight loss is actually harmful. Studies show that dieting to lose weight does not work long-term: while initially people often lose weight, if we zoom out and look 2-5 years past the diet, 85-95% of the time people gain back all the weight and often even more. Listen in to find out what to focus on instead.
The healthcare industry also contributes to harm by focusing on weight. When we focus on weight rather than health, people are not treated as thoroughly and are stigmatized.
Ellen Maud Bennett’s obituary, where her final message is her experience of fat shaming by the healthcare industry, is highlighted. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timescolonist/obituary.aspx?pid=189588876
In this article, Laura Fraser writes about her sister, Jan, whose symptoms were disregarded, likely due to weight bias while her cancer went undiagnosed: https://www.statnews.com/2017/08/15/cancer-diagnosis-weight-doctors/
These are our other noteworthy acknowledgements:
Great article by the Intuitive Eating founders, Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, Fiaedp, FADA, FAND, about risk of increasing weight from dieting referencing the twin study:
Interesting article by Melissa Gerson, LCSW, on the conscientious objectors starvation experiment:
https://www.theprojectheal.org/healblog/impact-of-starvation-on-behavior
The New York Times article focused on the biggest loser study by Sandra Aamodt, a neuroscientist - https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/why-you-cant-lose-weight-on-a-diet.html
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
016 Diet Culture
In this episode we discuss diet culture: what it is, Tiffany’s take on it, and why it's harmful. Ultimately, we are all affected by diet culture. It is subtle and it is pervasive. Listen in to learn why it's time to reject diet culture and focus instead on building connection and trust with our body.
These are our bellworthy and noteworthy acknowledgements:
A great article on how diet culture is related to social inequity: https://katebrowne.net/defining-diet-culture/
#iweigh: https://www.instagram.com/i_weigh/ by https://www.instagram.com/jameelajamilofficial/ to be reminded that you are more than a number on the scale.
Shilo George is the fat activist we mentioned who shared on another podcast about negative self-talk and “shoulds” being like invasive species. https://podtail.com/en/podcast/every-body-reclaiming-body-talk/ep-28-great-awakening-of-heart-and-spirit-shilo-ge/
https://www.sarahblondin.com/: Check out her meditations on loving and listening to yourself.
Tiffany’s favorite definition of diet culture: Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CDN is an outspoken leader in the non-diet, weight-inclusive movement, and her definition of diet culture has been widely quoted and referenced.
She says:
“Diet culture is a system of beliefs that:
015 The problem with “Clean”
How many times have we heard the phrases:
- “dry drunk,”
- “recovery lite”
- “sober but not in recovery?”
- “chronic relapser”
- “they can’t get out of their own way”
Then there are all the pejorative terms, “Junkie,” “Addict,” and “Alcoholic”
And unhelpful slogans:
“Take the cotton wool out of your ears and put it in your mouth,” and
“Our secrets keep us sick”
How many of these terms do we use every day?
In this episode Liv and Tiffany explore how shaming this language is and how it can potentially impact people in recovery and those seeking it. We encourage everyone to think about the language they use and how they are contributing to stigma both directly and indirectly.
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
014 Shaming Language
How many times have we heard the phrases:
- “dry drunk,”
- “recovery lite”
- “sober but not in recovery?”
- “chronic relapser”
- “they can’t get out of their own way”
Then there are all the pejorative terms, “Junkie,” “Addict,” and “Alcoholic”
And unhelpful slogans:
“Take the cotton wool out of your ears and put it in your mouth,” and
“Our secrets keep us sick”
How many of these terms do we use every day?
In this episode Liv and Tiffany explore how shaming this language is and how it can potentially impact people in recovery and those seeking it. We encourage everyone to think about the language they use and how they are contributing to stigma both directly and indirectly.
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s recovery kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
013 "Real Alcoholics" and "Real Recovery"
Show notes:
In this episode, Liv and Tiffany explore the terms “real alcoholic” and “real recovery.” For example, people in the rooms often say “you might be sober, but you’re not in real recovery.”
The overall issue of using terms like these is the implication that you have to get to a certain state (being a “real alcoholic”, or hitting “rock bottom,” for AA to work. Anyone feeling that AA isn’t the right fit for someone often hears that they can’t really have a problem and they aren’t desperate enough. This is not only harmful, it’s untrue. AA is not the validator of anyone’s problem: only the individual suffering can truly assess if they have a problem, and that might be a “grey area” drinking problem or acute alcohol use disorder.
This thinking doesn’t allow for other pathways of recovery, either. Just because AA isn’t the right fit for someone, that doesn’t mean that they haven’t had enough pain. The fact that they have walked through the doors of AA is enough reason to extend the hand of recovery. But to imply that they don’t have AUD because the program isn’t the right fit is shaming. It pushes someone back to using because they think they haven’t suffered enough. Second, it’s also inappropriate for someone in AA to think they have the authority of a doctor, or of the person with AUD.
“Real recovery” is a term often bandied around by people in 12-step programs. For example, they sometimes say that you might be sober but you might not be in “real recovery.” I cannot stress enough that for someone who is seeking help with harmful drinking and using behaviors is recovery. Recovery is an individualized process that isn’t beholden to a certain pathway or program. We have to stop speaking with such authority that we know of the only way to recover. Just because something works for us does not mean it will work for everyone else. There is always another way. And we shouldn’t shame anyone for discovering their own path.
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s recovery kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
012 Robert Ashford on Reducing Stigma
In this episode, we talk to Robert Ashford about his work as a recovery scientist, the varying definitions of recovery, his recovery community organization, and the impact of the way we share our stories.
Robert’s biography:
Robert Ashford is a recovery scientist focused on substance use, recovery communities, recovery support services and institutions, integrated behavioral health systems, linguistic patterns, and technological interventions for behavioral health disorders. Mr. Ashford holds a Bachelor of Social Work with minors in Addiction Studies and Psychology from the University of North Texas, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2). Currently, Robert is pursuing his PhD in Health Policy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Robert has also completed fellowships with the Treatment Research Institute and is currently a graduate research assistant at the Center on the Continuum of Care in Addictions at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Substance Use Disorders Institute at the University of the Sciences. Robert has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, most notably NADAAC’s Young Emerging Leader Award (2014), and the University of Pennsylvania Provost’s Citation for Excellence in Service (2017). He is also the founding editor for the Journal of Recovery Science, a national recovery planning partner for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a grant reviewer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and an appointee to the Philadelphia Mayor’s Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.
Resources:
The Journal of Recovery Science
Article: The Deserving and Undeserving Paradox
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety
011 Life After 12-Step Recovery
In this episode, Liv and Tiffany explore the process of leaving 12-step recovery and how life evolved afterwards. So often we hear in the rooms that to leave means one thing: returning to use. But that simply hasn’t been the case for us.
What was particularly intriguing to Liv was that when she finally did leave, she realized that she was relying heavily upon the fellowship, and she started to look at the conditioning that you cannot trust independent thought, such as the desire to try another pathway. She also found that meetings were a crutch in difficult times. Leaving enabled Liv and Tiffany to depend on themselves and to develop more effective individual coping strategies. For Liv, this meant learning about autonomy and recovering her agency. Today the decisions they make are ones that are right for them as individuals, rather than a prescribed response.
For Tiffany, when she discovered intuitive eating, she realized she was already whole and complete. Regaining her agency allowed her to begin to trust herself, which was core to her healing her relationship with food. In turn, she also realized that some parts of 12-step messaging were not working for her.
By speaking openly about this topic, Liv and Tiffany hope to validate others’ concerns, and to show that people do exist in recovery even if they have left the program that initially provided a framework for them to find recovery.
Liv’s life after 12-Step Recovery group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/272533446852021/
How to have fun in recovery:
https://www.thefix.com/you-got-sober-are-you-having-fun
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s Recovery Kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
010 Did AA Save Your Life Or Did You?
In this episode, Liv and Tiffany explore the role of AA in their lives and whether they believe it saved them. So often we hear people say the phrase “AA saved my life,” or “if it wasn’t for AA I wouldn’t be alive.”
Liv has spent a long time dissecting this statement. She’s even written about it (link here). It is her belief that to be empowered and autonomous in her recovery, she would have to be the one to save her life — AA gave her the tools and framework to do that initial work, but only she could do that. Simply attending AA didn’t save her. AA was a touchstone for her: it was a place to land and to find sober community, and a framework to look into her substance use disorder. It then became an invitation to look deeper, and that work took Liv outside of AA.
For Liv, the challenge we encounter when we praise a fellowship and program for saving our lives is that we create an unhealthy dependence upon it. And ultimately, we can end up believing that our recovery is incumbent upon continued attendance at meetings, involvement in fellowship, and continued step work. That hasn’t been the case for Liv or Tiffany.
Tiffany believes that initially AA did save her life — she didn’t believe that she was capable of doing so herself. She also didn’t realize the scope of her substance use disorder. Later it became more of a habit to make the statement that AA saved her life, although she’s not sure what would’ve happened had she not gone to her first meeting. She now believes that the choices she makes on a daily basis lead her to where she is today.
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s recovery kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
009 Jennifer Matesa on Sober Sex
In this episode we talk about something that we all experience in early recovery: How to have sober sex. We talk to expert Jennifer Matesa on how our sex drive changes in recovery, the problems and anxieties we experience, orgasms, self-pleasure, and feeling at home in our bodies.
“Recovery is attuning to your own wellness.”
Jennifer Matesa, LSW is author of four nonfiction books about body, mind, and human well-being, the most recent of which is Sex in Recovery: A Meeting between the Covers (Hazelden, 2016). She is a licensed social worker and psychotherapist and has spoken and written widely about health and well-being. Her blog about addiction and recovery, Guinevere Gets Sober (http://guineveregetssober.com), was one of the first websites to address addiction as a public-health issue, and it has always been dedicated to giving the public reliable information and commentary about substance use disorders without advertising or fees. Her early commitment to removing the stigma from addiction and recovery earned her a fellowship at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
You can find all of these books on Amazon, via this link.
"Sex in Recovery is a work long overdue. In a frank, personal, and highly personable way, Jennifer Matesa opens a topic usually only whispered about: the essential role of sexual healing in sobriety. Many readers will be grateful to her."
—Gabor Maté, MD, author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and to tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety, diets dont work, anti-diet, Intuitive Eating, Diet culture, why cant I stop eating, help with overeating, binge eating, binging, life after 12 step recovery, body attunement, Disordered eating, eating disorders, sugar addiction, Alcoholism, addiction, how to live sober, sobriety, how to stop drinking, recovery podcast, sobriety podcast, what is Intuitive Eating, body respect, HAES, health at every size, body positivity, BoPo, food recovery, Breaking Free Recovery, Breaking Free Podcast, Breaking Free: Your Recovery. Your Way., recovery patchwork, eating recovery, recovery boundaries, eating disorder recovery, disordered eating recovery, Tiffany Thoen, Liv Pennelle, Liv’s recovery kitchen, Olivia Pennelle, Liv and Tiffany
008 Tiffany's Story
Episode 008 Show Notes: In this episode, Tiffany shares more about her journey. Her struggle with food, dieting, body image, and substance use set the stage for coming to recovery at a young age. She then became a single teen mom, newly sober, trying to find a way to survive. After putting herself through nursing school and finding stability, she started seeking more for her health and recovery. Her discovery of intuitive eating was life-changing. She now helps others to heal their relationship with food. Be sure to listen in to hear her wish for you!
These are our bellworthy and noteworthy acknowledgements:
Tiffany’s Womanifesto: https://www.coachtiffanyrn.com/womanifesto.html
Marianne Williamson’s quote:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/928-our-deepest-fear-is-not-that-we-are-inadequate-our
Sarah Blondin’s meditation at SHE RECOVERS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC5VlKpaD9Y
SHE RECOVERS:
Be Nourished, Portland:
Thai Fresh, Portland:
Learn more about Tiffany’s work: https://www.coachtiffanyrn.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CoachTiffanyRN/
https://www.instagram.com/coachtiffanyrn/
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and to tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity
007 Liv's Story
In this episode Liv shares her story, the trauma she suffered, and how she found recovery. She also talks about her decision to move to the US and how her recovery really flourished once she did. Liv has dedicated much of her time in recovery to sharing her journey, through her writing as a journalist and on her popular site Liv’s Recovery Kitchen, so that others have the resources to thrive in their recovery. You can find her articles across the web on podcasts and addiction recovery websites including The Fix, Ravishly, Recovery Campus, The Phoenix Spirit, and STAT News.
We invite you to subscribe to our podcast, and tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity.
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety
006 Questioning 12-Step Recovery
This episode unearths all of the questions, concerns, and fears around 12-step recovery, and the ultimate question: Is 12-step recovery right for me? For Liv and Tiffany, they both had niggling feelings about certain aspects of the program, like thinking about their character as defective, not being able to trust independent thought, and resigning themselves to live in a church basement several evenings a week for the rest of their lives.
Many of us have these concerns, and we want to shine a light on them.
We have found that since writing and talking about these concerns, many people have come forward saying they too felt the same way but were too frightened to say something — they thought it was their “addiction speaking.” Frankly, we find this kind of language and conditioning unhelpful. For us, recovery is about recovering the ability to make decisions that honor us rather than harm us; it’s about fulfilling our potential and regaining trust in ourselves. We found it disempowering to subscribe to the belief that we needed to always question our thoughts, that we must rely on others to make decisions, and that we could not trust ourselves. The decision to leave empowered us to create our own path of recovery.
We invite you to tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity
#Recovery #Allpaths, #allpathways, #recoverypathways, #BreakingFree, #12steprecovery, #AlcoholicsAnonymous, #alternativepathways, #alternativesToAA, #sober, #sobriety
005 Helpful Aspects of 12-Step Recovery
This episode explores the helpful aspects of 12-step recovery, such as:
Community
Peers in recovery
Rituals
The 12 steps
Spirituality
Sponsorship/mentorship
So often, people consider this topic in a binary way: it’s either the right pathway or it’s wrong. As people who both began their recovery in 12-step fellowships and later left, Liv and Tiffany don’t consider 12-step recovery to be a poor choice — it was helpful. Given that they also discuss elements that didn’t work for them, and beliefs they grew out of in this season, it’s helpful to look at the topic holistically, starting with the aspects that were helpful to their early recovery.
We found that it provided a much-needed perspective in early recovery: it was a doorway to look deeper and see the ways in which drugs and alcohol impacted our lives and the lives of those we loved. This was foundational for further personal growth we pursued later in our recovery.
We invite you to tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity
004 All Pathways of Recovery
In this episode, Liv and Tiffany explore the real landscape of recovery. So often we read on social media that there is only one pathway that works, and that if you don’t follow this traditional path you’ll return to use. This episode highlights a study of how people recover through a variety of means.
Liv has covered these pathways in depth in the article What Options are Available if AA isn’t the Right Fit for Me?
https://www.mhaoforegon.org/blog/2019/1/18/what-options-are-available-if-aa-isnt-the-right-fit-for-me
This is a helpful info-graphic -- Click here
This is a link to the study highlighting the landscape of recovery: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29055821
We invite you to tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity
003 The Essentials of Recovery
In this episode, Liv and Tiffany discuss the essential elements they feel are crucial to a sustainable recovery. From ways to process growth in recovery to mutual aid meetings and exercise, they discuss it all — including what has been important to their needs in recovery. Exploring these elements has allowed them to remain somewhat fluid in their approach to recovery. This is essential to long-term recovery, especially if you grow out of more traditional programs.
So often when people leave 12-step fellowships, they don’t know what to do. They have been so reliant upon what someone has told them to do that they haven’t necessarily been encouraged to think freely about what truly works for them. Rather than being fearful, Liv and Tiffany saw this as a huge invitation to get curious about their needs and find a solid footing on an individualized patchwork of pathways for them.
We invite you to tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity
002 What Do We Mean By Recovery?
This episode explores the broader definitions of recovery — what that term means both medically and within the recovery community. So often when we refer to recovery, there is this implied assumption that to be in recovery you have to be completely abstinent. Most medical and spiritual community definitions did have a requirement of abstinence. However, over the years, those definitions have changed, instead focusing on the individual and dynamic nature of recovery, with the overall goal being on wellness and self-improvement.
One definition we like is one by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which defines recovery as follows: “Recovery from mental disorders and substance use disorders is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.”
We love the latest definition, created by The Recovery Science Research Collaborative (RSRC), which states: “Recovery is an individualized, intentional, dynamic, and relational process involving sustained efforts to improve wellness.”
We encourage our listeners to consider those broad definitions in their recovery and that of their peers. The value we want to instil in the recovery and medical communities is respect for everyone's right to recover in a way that is right for them.
To learn more, check out Liv’s recent article where she delves into this topic in-depth — How Do You Define Recovery?: https://www.thefix.com/how-do-you-define-recovery
We invite you to tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity
001 Defining Breaking Free
In this episode, Liv and Tiffany define what breaking free means to them and in the broader context of the podcast. They explore the paradigms that keep us small both internally and externally, including self-harm, substance use disorder, negative self-talk and body image, shame and stigma. It is these systems along with internalized shame that prevent us from knowing our inherent worth and value in the world, leading us to the belief that we aren’t worthy.
For us, breaking free means untangling the wiring that led us to believe we were broken and defective, and unburdening ourselves from the external systems, cultural conditioning, and responsibilities that don’t work for us. And for our listeners, this means challenging cultural norms and conditioning both in society and within the recovery community. We encourage everyone to embrace messaging that values autonomy and growth and that celebrates who we are individually, and to challenge the systems that tell us we’re broken and need to be fixed.
We invite you to tell us the ways in which you’re breaking free in our free Facebook community: Breaking Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingfreecommunity