#162: "I'm In Recovery In Every Sense of the Word": How Gender, Sobriety, Disordered Eating, and Chronic Illness Intersect with Recovery Coach Jo Walduck

This is a free preview of a paid episode: the first 30 minutes are available to everyone, but to hear the full conversation, upgrade to paid on Patreon: patreon.com/fullplate   (thank you, your support is what makes this podcast possible!)

Abbie chats with Jo Walduck, a recovery coach, about the intersection of gender, mental health, and personal growth. Jo shares her multifaceted identity and journey through recovery from both disordered eating and alcohol use while navigating the world as a trans person. She discusses the complexities of healing through multiple identities while overcoming addiction and chronic illness. 

This episode is an exploration of the non-linear nature of recovery – from the importance of compassion, to the impact of childhood experiences, to why our coping mechanisms need to be seen with nuance and respect. 

Jo reflects on the challenges of feeling at home in her body, letting go of perfectionism, and why it’s so hard to reach out for help when we’re struggling.

Listen to hear more about:

• What’s on Jo’s plate—literally and metaphorically
• Navigating life as a collection of niches and identities
• The ongoing nature of recovery and learning to set things down
• Why self-compassion is essential in the healing process
• How childhood experiences shape our coping mechanisms
• The role of food and alcohol as tools for survival
• The intersection of gender identity and substance use
• How therapy offers tools but isn’t a quick fix
• The pivotal moment of moving beyond coping mechanisms
• The importance of support and community in building a new life
• Grief as a part of understanding identity and healing
• The parallel journeys of sobriety and gender transition
• How chronic illness can complicate the recovery process
• Why recovery is non-linear, layered, and deeply personal
• The role of self-love in living authentically
• Finding a sense of home in one’s body
• Reaching out for support as an act of strength
• Letting go of moral judgments around food and prioritizing self-care
• Embracing uncertainty as part of being human

You can access the first 30 minutes for free, but if you want access to the whole episode, subscribe on Patreon right here! 

More about Jo:

Jo Anne Walduck (pronouns she/they), is in her late 30s, a Brit who’s lived in France for almost all her adult life, a trauma-informed business, life, and recovery coach, a cat lover, a woman in recovery, a writer, a dreamer, a napper. A storyteller and a delighter in the growth and healing that happens when we turn our nurturing energy inwards and let it overflow outwards, rather than focussing on everyone else and gasping for the dregs. A trans femme living with chronic illness and fatigue, a human navigating the waves of generational trauma, familial grief, and queer joy.

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Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

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