Liv Label Free | Neurodivergent Eating Disorder Recovery

Demand avoidance can be one of the most misunderstood aspects of autism, especially when it intersects with eating disorders. What may seem like defiance or resistance is often an attempt to preserve autonomy and regain a sense of safety. In this episode, I’ll be breaking down what Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) really is, how it impacts eating behaviors, and why reframing our approach can make all the difference in supporting recovery. You'll learn: What PDA is and why it’s better understood as a Pervasive Drive for Autonomy How food and eating can feel like demands for someone with PDA Why traditional eating disorder treatments often backfire for individuals with PDA Simple language shifts to create PDA-friendly communication Practical strategies for creating a supportive and autonomy-affirming environment 👉🏻 Enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia🎧 In case you missed it: FBT for Autism and Eating Disorders Connect with Livia:🍩 INSTAGRAM🌐 WEBSITE📚 BOOKS 📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Family-Based Therapy (FBT), often hailed as the "gold standard" for eating disorder treatment, claims to help families take control of recovery. Unfortunately, this approach can be harmful for autistic people. In this episode, Livia shares her lived experience and insights on why FBT can clash with the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals. From issues of autonomy to the oversimplified prioritization of weight gain, we’ll explore how "evidence-based" treatments often overlook neurodivergence. You'll learn: The basics of FBT and its three-phase structure Why FBT's focus on control and weight gain can fail neurodivergent individuals The importance of autonomy and safety in recovery for autistic people How eating disorders act as adaptive responses to an overwhelming world Why "evidence-based" treatments should really be called "evidence-biased" A compassionate alternative for supporting recovery 👉🏻 Enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS 📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Are you or someone you care for always in fight-or-flight mode? In today’s episode, I’m sharing how a foot injury forced me to stop, rest, and confront the fears I’d been avoiding for years – stillness, emptiness, and a relentless desperation to distract myself. I also answer a listener question about viewing autistic burnout through the lens of energy debt. We’ll explore why this parallel makes so much sense, unpacking some of the unique challenges neurodivergent individuals face in eating disorder recovery. Episode Highlights: How a foot injury became a wake-up call to confront stillness and burnout The connection between autistic burnout, energy debt, and eating disorders How distraction serves as a coping mechanism for emptiness – and why it’s counterproductive Insights into energy deficit, energy debt, and their parallels with masking, sensory overwhelm, and societal pressures How crises can be turning points for growth and recovery 💗 Join my newsletter to receive episode updates👉🏻 Enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS 📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Traditional eating disorder treatment tends to overlook the unique needs of autistic individuals. This leads to invalidation, trauma, and harmful labels. In today's episode, I share my personal story of growing up undiagnosed autistic, how this shaped my eating disorder, and the journey I took to find true freedom. Whether you or someone you care about is struggling with food, exercise, or body image, this episode sheds light on the complex interplay between autism and eating disorders – and why recovery is 100% possible. You'll learn: The role of autistic masking in eating disorder development How existential questions and literal thinking contribute to disordered eating behaviors Misunderstanding of autistic traits in treatment settings How interoceptive awareness impacts hunger cues The psychological impact of strict dietary changes Why discovering my autism was the key to full recovery Importance of separating autistic traits from eating disorder behaviors 🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia👉🏻 Enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS 📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Interoception, the sense that helps us recognize our internal bodily signals like hunger and thirst, is often impaired in individuals with autism and eating disorders. But could this "missing sense" be the key to understanding the overlap between autism and anorexia? In this episode, I explore how interoceptive challenges affect emotional regulation, self-perception, and body image, drawing connections between science and lived experience. You'll learn: What interoception is and how it impacts everyday life The role of the insula in interoceptive awareness How interoceptive challenges contribute to autistic traits and anorexia behaviors The link between interoception and body image, including the Rubber Hand Illusion What "allocentric lock" is and its role in anorexia Practical strategies for improving interoceptive skills 🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS 📝 Read the blog post of this episode (with sources)

Eating disorders present unique challenges for people with sensory sensitivities, which is why traditional treatment can do more harm than good. In this episode, Livia and Jess share their lived experience of neurodivergence and eating disorders, delving into the importance of trauma-informed care for neurodiversity-affirming eating disorder recovery. Key Topics Discussed: Managing environmental overwhelm Speech challenges and developmental processing delays The link between sensory sensitivity and eating disorder development Iatrogenic harm in eating disorder treatment The need for trauma-informed care in eating disorder treatment Polyvagal Theory and our nervous system's response to stress and trauma Neurodivergent perspectives on control and safety How treatment environments often fail to accommodate sensory needs Misdiagnosis faced by individuals with both eating disorders and neurodivergent conditions 🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS Connect with Jess:🍩 INSTAGRAM🎙️ PODCAST

Welcome to part 4 of my series on autism and binge eating! In this final episode, we explore some of the key psychological and hormonal factors that contribute to binge eating in neurodivergent individuals. From black and white thinking to decision fatigue and hormonal changes, this episode covers the many reasons why autistic people may struggle with binge eating. You'll learn: A recap of Parts 1-3, including interoception, extreme hunger, the nervous system, sensory experiences, procrastination, and autistic inertia How black and white thinking can lead to rigid rules around food, contributing to binge eating behaviors The role of analysis paralysis in binge eating, and how too many food choices can overwhelm neurodivergent individuals How the need for food to “make sense” and be aesthetically “right” can influence eating patterns in autistic people Why constraints and boundaries around food are important for autistic individuals, and how they can avoid triggering demand avoidance My personal experiences with food needing to look a certain way, and how this relates to binge eating behaviors The role of PMS and PMDD in contributing to hormonal binge eating in autistic individuals 💗 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger📝 Read the blog post of this episode Connect with Livia:🍩 INSTAGRAM🌐 WEBSITE📚 BOOKS Mentioned episodes:☯ Black and White Thinking in Autism and Anorexia🔟 Childhood Autistic Traits in Girls❌ Why All In Recovery Didn’t Work For Me👌 When food has to “make sense”🌈 3 more ED behaviors that are ACTUALLY autistic traits🩸 Autism, PMDD, and Extreme Hunger

Welcome to part 3 of my series on autism and binge eating! In this episode, we dive deeper into the relationship between procrastination, transitions, and binge eating. Autistic people often struggle with transitions and experience something called autistic inertia, both of which can play significant roles in overeating and binge eating behaviors. You'll learn: A recap of Part 1 and Part 2, covering interoception, extreme hunger, and the sensory connection to food How difficulty with transitions can lead to binge eating, especially when hyperfocus delays eating Why compensatory binge eating may occur after prolonged periods of restriction or delayed eating The concept of autistic inertia, and how it contributes to starting or stopping activities, including eating How eating can be used as a transition tool and why it may be hard to stop once you’ve started My personal experiences with binge eating tied to planning food in advance and the flow state of eating 📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching💗 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here📝 Read the blog post of this episode Connect with Livia:🍩 INSTAGRAM🌐 WEBSITE📚 BOOKS

Welcome part 2 of my series on neurodivergence and binge eating! In this episode, we explore the sensory factors that contribute to why autistic and ADHD individuals may struggle with overeating or binge eating. We also discuss how this connects to the nervous system and how neurodivergent people experience sensory input in ways that impact eating behaviors. You'll learn: A basic overview of the nervous system and how it affects sensory processing How nervous system dysregulation in neurodivergent individuals leads to living in a constant state of fight-or-flight mode How the sensory experience of eating can either be overwhelming or grounding for autistic people The difference between sensory avoidance and sensory seeking in the context of eating behaviors My personal story of shifting from being sensory avoidant to sensory seeking during recovery and how this played into my eating behaviors How food can be used as a form of stimming or self-regulation in autistic and ADHD individuals The connection between binge eating and procrastination as a neurodivergent coping mechanism Why emotional eating isn’t always bad, and how food can be an effective reward for accomplishing tasks 📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching💗 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here📝 Read the blog post of this episode Connect with Livia:🍩 INSTAGRAM🌐 WEBSITE📚 BOOKS

Autism and binge eating – is there a connection? While the relationship between autism and eating disorders is well-acknowledged, most of the conversation revolves around the restrictive side of the eating disorder spectrum, specifically anorexia and ARFID. Overeating and binge eating are much less discussed forms of disordered eating in the context of autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence. This is very problematic, considering many autistic people struggle with overeating. Because every individual is deserving of validation and support, I’ve created this Autism and Binge Eating Series to shed light on the relationship between autism and overeating. Whether you are a neurodivergent individual struggling with binge eating or are seeking to better support someone you care for, I hope this series helps you understand the connection and ultimately, gain insights so you can have the healthy relationship with food you so deserve. In each episode of the series, I delve into different factors that may contribute to binge eating in the neurodivergent population. In today's episode specifically, you'll learn: A breakdown of interoception and how it affects hunger and fullness cues in autistic individuals How the neurodivergent experience of feeling unsafe plays a role in overeating and binge eating My personal story with extreme hunger as an autistic person, and how this differs from binge eating disorder Why addressing energy debt is essential for full recovery and how the body's need for safety influences eating behaviors 🍩 Enroll in my course, Extremely Hungry to Completely Satisfied👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching9️⃣ Autistic Types of Binge Eating📝 Read the blog post of this episode Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS