What if we viewed “eating disorder behaviors” as adaptive responses to an unsafe world? In this special episode, Livia Sara is interviewed by Harriet Parsons and Jenny Langley from the BodyWhys Podcast about her view of reframing eating disorders as adaptations, and how this perspective can support individuals moving from quasi recovery to a life of freedom and purpose.

Highlights of the episode:

• Livia shares her personal journey with anorexia from age 11-18 and how her autistic traits influenced both her eating disorder development and recovery path
• The concept of quasi recovery as the frustrating middle ground between active eating disorder and full freedom, and why many people get stuck in this phase
• How demand avoidance and the drive for autonomy play crucial roles in both eating disorders and recovery, especially for neurodivergent individuals
• Why the phrase “that’s your eating disorder talking” can be harmful, invalidating, and traumatic, particularly for autistic individuals
• The importance of understanding intention behind behaviors rather than simply categorizing them as “disordered” or “healthy”
• Reframing exercise and movement as adaptive rather than “compulsive,” and discovering what a healthy relationship with movement looks like for each individual
• The power of partnering with fear rather than trying to overcome it, and using anxiety as a compass to understand what matters most to us

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