Liv Label Free | Neurodivergent Eating Disorder Recovery

Welcome to this Liv Label Free meditation! I’m Livia Sara, an autistic eating disorder recovery coach that’s here to help you turn your MESS into your MESSage. Today, I’m delighted to guide you through this meditation designed for autistic people struggling with eating disorders. It’s a connection that’s hugely misunderstood, which is beyond unfortunate because of how common autism and eating disorders are! My promise to you with this mediation is that you will feel validated and that you will walk away with at least a teensy tiny bit of hope. Because you are absolutely not alone, my friend. Freedom from disordered eating is already out in the Universe waiting for you. Your unique version of a healthy relationship with food is already swirling through the cosmos, waiting for your powerful neurodivergent essence to collide with it! But of course, that can be difficult to imagine, let alone to trust, when you feel stuck. When you feel like food is your only coping mechanism. When you feel that food and exercise are your only way of numbing from this overwhelming world not built for you. So that’s what we’re going to explore together today. Through your breathing and intention, and my guidance, we’re going to regulate your nervous system together, and we’re going to create the space for YOU to create a life you don’t need to escape from. Which is a life of safety. Because when you feel safe, there’s no numbing necessary. 💗 1-1 Coaching: https://www.livlabelfree.com/coaching ✨ Existential Autistic Membership: https://www.livlabelfree.com/membership 🎙️ Free Audiotraining: https://www.livlabelfree.com/free-audiotraining

Do you ever have a conversation with someone where you talk about SO much that you have no idea what you talked about afterwards? Well that’s literally the experience I had with Rosie in today’s podcast episode! Rosie contacted me around this time last year after she had completed my free audiotraining “3 Steps to Recovery From an Eating Disorder as an Autistic Person.” She’d already gotten so many insights from that training that we decided to work together through 1-1 Coaching, and we’ve been best friends ever since! We both felt it only *made sense* to have her come on the podcast to talk about ALL the things, including: Rosie’s lived experience of an eating disorder as an autistic person How eating disorders are adaptive safety mechanisms rather than about weight loss or body image Why freedom isn’t about “recovering from” an ED at all, but rather, about creating a life worth suffering for Even I got super vulnerable in sharing how my life AFTER an eating disorder is actually way more challenging than when I was struggling with anorexia – but how this is precisely what we mean when we talk about creating a meaningful life! 📚 How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery: https://livlabelfreebooks.com💗 1-1 Coaching: https://www.livlabelfree.com/coaching✨ Existential Autistic Membership: https://www.livlabelfree.com/membership🎙️ Free Audiotraining: https://www.livlabelfree.com/free-audiotraining

In this episode, Livia Sara unpacks the following 3 myths about autism and eating disorders: It’s harder for an autistic person to recover from an eating disorder You can’t diagnose someone with autism if they have an active eating disorder Autistic people can’t eat intuitively You’ll also hear a preview of two chapters from Livia’s newest book How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery, which you can buy here: https://www.livlabelfree.com/quasirecoverybook Book a discovery call for 1-1 coaching: https://livlabelfree.com/coaching Mentioned episode: What if My Autistic Traits Weren’t There Before My Eating Disorder? Blog post of this episode: https://www.livlabelfree.com/blog/3-myths-about-autism-and-eating-disorders

Livia answers a listener question about how to get rid of headaches, tinnitus, and dizziness in anorexia recovery. Want more? Find my books, courses, and coaching programs at livlabelfree.com Episode transcript: Hello my friends, well today is another Q&A episode and today’s question comes from jellyfish1093 on YouTube and they asked if I could do an episode on physical and mental symptoms no one talks about when in anorexia. And obviously there are an infinite number of things no one talks about – or rather, not enough people are talking about – when it comes to eating disorders, especially when said eating disorders intertwine with autism and LGBTQ+ identity and chronic illness and all the other things that well, no one talks about! And by this point, I do hope you know that a huge goal of mine with this podcast and with my books and my courses is to shed light on these underserved topics because they’re things I wish I had known during my own recovery. They’re the things my family wished they’d known because they would have been better able to support me. They’re things that all healthcare professionals SHOULD know so that they can help individuals unleash their full potential rather than trying to treat a “disorder” that’s merely a manifestation of, again, everything no one talks about. Anyways, all that being said, because we’ve of course gotta have some direction, I replied to jellyfish1093 asking if they could elaborate on what stage of recovery they’re in and specifically what symptoms they wanted me to talk about. And here’s what they replied:  “I’m currently in quasi recovery. My weight is very low and I am still exercising every day and struggling immensely. I am eating 4 meals a day but have been experiencing headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, and other symptoms like brain fog, extreme anxiety and depression. I also have Autism. Just looking to find hope that if I can fully recover that these symptoms can go away. For 4 years I have been trying to find out why these symptoms are happening but now I am wondering if they are all related to anorexia? Just trying to find hope. Thank you.” Well we’ve got a lot to get into and I am super excited to get into it because, as you may have guessed, I did some research (which basically means I went into multiple research rabbit holes, a very autistic trait, I might add) and I paired my findings with my own lived experience and those of my clients to now bring you this podcast! So buckle up because I’m going to take you on a journey to what I’ve learned so that hopefully, jellyfish1093, this gives you hope, and to anyone else with similar experiences, I hope this gives YOU hope as well. So without further ado, let’s dive in! Alright so we need to establish the facts first. Based on what jellyfish1093 (I freaking love saying that username so thank you for gifting me this opportunity to have a laugh), we’re going to establish as a fact that you are malnourished. Your weight is low, you’re engaging in exercise that you probably shouldn’t be, and you’re not eating enough. So, you’re in a state of energy deficit. Quasi recovery aside, the fact is that your body is depleted. And the fact that I’m really hammering this down right now is because when the body is in a state of energy deficit, nothing can function correctly. And I mean nothing. Because the truth is that the human body is nothing more than a living organism that uses energy and requires that energy to be replenished. And if that energy replenishment – AKA eating and drinking – is hard for you, trust me, I am right there with ya my friend. The amount of times that I have wished that I could photosynthesize, the amount of times I have wished this body didn’t even have needs. The amount of times I have wished I didn’t have to drink or eat or sleep or shower or clean or whatever it is that we have to do on a daily basis just because we have bodies…my god, it’s fucking exhausting. But all those feelings aside, the bottom line is that we do have bodies. And these bodies do have needs. So what happens when we don’t give our body what it needs? What happens is that the body goes into energy conservation mode. It does everything humanly possible (no pun intended) to not use up its limited resources. Now, I’m not going to elaborate on the science behind this too deeply because I literally wrote an entire book called How to Beat Extreme Hunger explaining energy deficit and how this leads to energy debt and why extreme hunger is your body’s attempt at getting you back into homeostasis, and of course, in that book I also share my lived experience around all my recovery fears including mental hunger just being a bad habit, that I would become addicted to food and develop binge eating disorder if I gave into my extreme hunger, and of course, I share how to make peace with weight gain because I’m autistic and philosophical and the whole “oh just love your body and appreciate what it can do for you” NEVER resonated with me because to be honest my friends, I still feel hella trapped in this body. I mean for real, it’s too freaking constraining and demanding. But we’re not gonna go there right now because we were gonna talk about headaches and dizziness and tinnitus and all the things jellyfish1093 has asked about. But yeah, shameless plug for all my books right now because they’re awesome and I worked really hard on them and you can find them all at livlabelfreebooks.com or on Amazon. But now back to the episode and why it’s so important to understand that energy deficit AKA restriction causes the body to try and conserve energy is that this energy conservation causes all kinds of symptoms that, to put it bluntly, fucking suck. You weaken your digestive system which means that when you start eating again in recovery you’ll feel really sick and bloated. You starve your brain which means that there will be imbalances in ALL the neurotransmitters, so hello anxiety and depression. And if you compound energy deficit with being autistic, which I’m just gonna go off on a limb here and say you probably feel permanently burnt out just trying to navigate a world not built for you, well when you take all these factors into account, well no wonder you’re in so much pain all the time. But here is the plot twist: You’re not broken. You don’t need to be fixed. What you need is to create safety within yourself and your environment. But that’s of course just the overarching message of all of this. Because essentially, the trauma caused by being autistic in a non-accommodating world compounded with the trauma of an eating disorder, while ironically being the ED being a trauma response in and of itself, well all of this just creates a never-ending spiral of fight-or-flight mode, which is incredibly energetically demanding, and thus not sustainable.  So how does all of this connect to anorexia symptoms, specifically headaches and tinnitus? Well, there are a lot of different kinds of headaches, but for me personally, my headaches were always tension headaches. This might sound kinda weird, but I felt my headaches from the front of my head all the way down to my lower back and this is because I carry so much stress with me all the time, and honestly, I still do. But when you are malnourished, your body is way more fragile so everything you experience is going to be experienced on infinitely high volume. This is why we have zero flexibility when we have eating disorders. The body and brain simply do not have enough energy to consider other options. So hello black and white thinking and what is often termed as “rigid” thinking. Now of course there’s nuance to this because autistic people often already have difficulty with change. So again, add malnutrition to that, and you’ve practically just turned that autism dial up a few notches. This is also why many people who are not autistic can actually display autistic traits during active eating disorders. But again, that’s a whole nother topic which you can learn more about in my Autistically ED-Free Academy at livlabelfree.com/group or you can book a 1-1 coaching session with me at livlabelfree.com/coaching if you’d like to work with me privately.  So, jellyfish1093 and anyone else listening, I don’t know what kinds of headaches you’re experiencing or if there’s anything that makes them worse or better, but what I do know is that restriction is fueling your fight-or-flight response, which scientifically speaking can cause headaches! Why? Well, your body perceives restriction, so energy deficit, as a famine. When you’re not eating enough, your nervous system believes there aren’t enough resources. I mean, why else would you be starving yourself? As I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, a lack of resources is one of the greatest threats to human survival! But because your body is designed to do everything in its power to ensure your survival, it’s going to activate that fight-or-flight mode so you can fight or flee whatever is causing you to be malnourished. Of course, your nervous system that obviously doesn’t have a logical thinking organ cannot know that you’re not actually in a famine environment, and it doesn’t know that you’re purposely restricting for other reasons, including fear of weight gain, autistic masking, and all the other things I talk about on this podcast and in my books and courses. Now, why is this relevant? Because when you’re in a permanent state of fight-or-flight mode, your body is literally tensing up ALL the time! Your neck muscles, your shoulder muscles, your scalp muscles, everything is constantly clenched and ready for battle. And, well, can you guess what happens when those muscles stay contracted for weeks, months, perhaps even years? Hello tension headaches! Of course, tension headaches aren’t the only type of headaches that restriction causes. Now, let’s talk about what happens when your brain is literally running on empty. As I’ve talked about before on this podcast, your

Livia and Mike chat about the fear of not knowing who you are, redefining success, and how to create a meaningful life in the void of infinite possibilities. ✨ Existential Autistic Membership: https://www.livlabelfree.com/membership💗 1-1 Coaching: https://www.livlabelfree.com/coaching🎙️ Free Audiotraining: https://www.livlabelfree.com/free-audiotraining  

Have you always asked why? Have you always been so relentlessly curious that it overwhelms your own mind? Have you always asked existential questions only to become mentally paralyzed by the fact that they will never have answers? I feel you. In fact, I was recently explaining to my psychiatrist that my brain feels like a room filled with bouncing balls. You know what he replied? “Wow, it must be exhausting to think like that.” Me: Yeah, no shit, Sherlock! 🕵️ In all seriousness though, being a neurodivergent soul in a human body is exhausting. Not only are you navigating the overwhelming stimulation of the external world, but you’re constantly being confronted with your own inner landscape that’s much too vast to be contained within a physical vessel (let alone a single lifetime). It’s this disconnect that can cause neurodivergent people to feel trapped… 👉 Trapped in expectations 👉 Trapped in a body 👉 Trapped in the system 👉 Trapped in the pressure to perform 👉 Trapped in the prison of your own mind And what’s a more convenient way to escape than through the rules of an eating disorder? When I started learning about health and nutrition in fifth grade, everything clicked. Suddenly, I had a clear path forward. As long as I adhered to the rules in my black-and-white composition notebook, I would be on the fast-track to becoming “the perfect healthy eater.” Whereas the existential questions I continued to ask had no answers, my eating disorder always did. Instead of me being overwhelmed by the abundance of choices around me, anorexia simplified my options. The eating disorder was never about food or weight – it was about the comfort of having clear boundaries in a boundless world. Black-and-white thinking serves the same purpose. When you’re spending SO much energy on surviving, there’s simply nothing left to consider the colorful in-between! ❌ 🌈 But aren’t you bored of living in black and white? Don’t get me wrong – I’m not telling you to abandon structure. Quite the opposite, in fact! What set me free from the ED prison while embracing my autistic self was creating freedom routines – routines with built-in flexibility, routines that include space for spontaneity. Because here’s the truth: The problem isn’t that you think in black and white. The problem is that your eating disorder hijacked this adaptive mechanism and turned it against you. In the Autistically ED-Free Academy, you’ll learn how to channel your autistic traits into a life that aligns with your authentic self. You’ll learn how to use the very same traits that trapped you in ED prison as keys to break free. Here’s what Becky has to say: “I am so grateful to have been a participant in Livia’s Autistically ED-Free Academy. My daughter has been in recovery for anorexia for the last four years and was recently diagnosed with autism. I can’t tell you how comforting it is to finally have someone understand and validate the struggles our daughter has been through. Livia has helped me to recognize that some of my daughter’s “ED behaviors” are actually autistic adaptations, and that not all ED recovery follows the same path or responds to the same treatments. The weekly meeting topics and the Q&A sessions were equally beneficial. I highly recommend the Autistically ED-Free Academy to anyone who is struggling in their recovery and wants to begin to trust themselves and their loved ones again.” Are you ready to discover what your life of freedom looks like when you embrace your neurodivergent self? 🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Academy: https://www.livlabelfree.com/group Your eating disorder gave you answers when nothing else could. Now it’s time to discover the answers that actually set you free. Your rainbow-full life is waiting, XO Liv 💗 Want more emails like this? Join my weekly newsletter: https://www.livlabelfree.com/join

In this spontaneous “walk with me” voicememo, I share my experience with existential nausea and how painful it feels to be confronted with consciousness. Let’s connect!🌐 WEBSITE: https://livlabelfree.com/📚 BOOKS: https://livlabelfreebooks.com🍩 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/livlabelfree/

I know you’re tired – tired of going back and forth between the ED and “trying recovery again.” Tired of believing it’s possible for you to achieve freedom, only to be submerged back into belief that you’ll just have to “manage” an eating disorder forever. Tired of having your entire life REVOLVE around rigid eating schedules and strict exercise routines. There’s no sugarcoating it: being “in recovery” is f*cking EXHAUSTING. But more importantly, it’s no way to live. And I know you know that, which is precisely WHY you keep “trying recovery again”! Let me be brutally honest with you: every time you try to recover the “normal” way, you’re fighting your autistic brain. You’re being asked to abandon the very traits that make you the unique human that you are. No wonder you keep falling back into old patterns. Your neurodivergent nervous system is trying to protect you in the only way it knows how. Most recovery advice tells you to “go all in,” smash the scales, delete the calorie counting apps...but for you, going down this path just feels wrong. Because the typical approach is consistently unsuccessful, you start believing you’re broken. Unfixable. You believe that you’ll just have to “manage” the eating disorder forever. Meanwhile, life is passing you by. You’re watching everyone else move forward while you feel more and more behind – and you know you’re missing out on becoming who you’re truly meant to be. But here’s what I want you to know: the problem isn’t you, and it never was. The real problem is that no one has taught you how to create your unique version of freedom while honoring what your autistic soul truly needs. That’s exactly why I created the Autistically ED-Free Academy: https://www.livlabelfree.com/group  This isn’t another recovery program asking you to choose between honoring your neurodivergence and healing your relationship with food. Instead, the Academy turns the tables (pun intended) – it shows you that honoring your neurodivergence is precisely what allows you to heal your relationship with food and movement! Over the course of 8 weeks, you will: ✅ Finally reclaim your autonomy from the eating disorder that’s been stealing your life✅ Stop feeling behind everyone else and start building the life you’re meant to live✅ Learn how to channel your autistic traits into meaning and purpose rather than fear-based ED behaviors✅ Create your own “freedom routines” that will serve you for life✅ Connect with other autistic individuals who truly understand your experience …and MUCH more! Here’s what previous Academy participants have to say: “This program was brilliant! It helped me shift my mindset to understanding how eating disorders function as adaptive responses when experienced by neurodivergent people. The Academy shone a light on a way forward – to decode what is serving vs not serving our authentic selves, and therefore a way out of the false safety of an eating disorder.”– Eve, Australia “I learned so much that I never knew about autism and eating disorders even after years of being in both communities online. Explanations as to why I struggle with certain behaviours and situations, how our brains and bodies work, and techniques to help move away from needing an eating disorder to handle the world. I struggle to justify spending money on myself but I’m so glad I spent this money. Thank you Livia!”– Nico, UK 🌈 Want to join these success stories? Join us in the Autistically ED-Free Academy today! https://www.livlabelfree.com/group Your freedom is waiting, XO Liv 💗 Want more emails like this? Join my weekly newsletter: https://www.livlabelfree.com/join

🎉 The Autistically ED-Free Academy is OPEN! Save your seat: https://www.livlabelfree.com/group For most neurodivergent people, the fear of weight gain isn’t about body image or the infamous “wanting to be thin so I can look like the models on the magazines!” In today’s episode, Livia Sara chats with Harriet Parsons and Jenny Langley about the real reasons autistic people fear weight gain beyond the stereotypical “fear of fatness” or distorted body image. Whether you’re an autistic person who feels misunderstood in eating disorder treatment or are a caregiver seeking to understand the connection between autism and anorexia, this episode is guaranteed to give you new insights.

🎉 The Autistically ED-Free Academy is OPEN! Secure your spot: https://www.livlabelfree.com/group Do you feel behind in life due to your eating disorder? That’s how I felt for many years. While my peers were progressing through school, getting jobs, and forming relationships, my whole life was on pause. In today’s episode, I explain why ED recovery actually gives you a jumpstart on a meaningful life & and how you can reframe your own sense of delay as perfect timing.

💫 Join the Existential Autistic Membership: https://www.livlabelfree.com/membership🌈 Autistically ED-Free Academy: https://www.livlabelfree.com/group The connection between neurodivergence, eating disorders, and LGTBQ+ is undeniable – yet it isn’t talked about enough. As someone who’s incredibly passionate about inviting curiosity and compassion to underserved topics, I’m very excited for you to listen to this podcast episode with Nico! Nico, who uses they/them pronouns, shares their journey of navigating an eating disorder that began at 14, getting diagnosed as autistic at 18, and exploring their non-binary identity. From struggling with unwanted changes during puberty to finding trans-affirming healthcare providers, Nico’s story sheds light on the complex web of neurodivergence, gender, and recovery (or rather, discovery). This conversation highlights the importance of community for neurodivergent individuals, the challenges of accessing trans healthcare, and the courage it takes to experiment with identity in safe online spaces. Nico and I also discuss our personal experiences with feeling “wrong” in a body, exploring the nuanced difference between “body betrayal” and “existential claustrophobia” – it’s fascinating! So whether you’re questioning your own gender identity, supporting someone who is, or are simply seeking authentic conversations about the messy & map-less process of discovering who you are, this episode offers both validation and practical insights for your journey. TLDR: This conversation explores the intersection of autism, eating disorders, and LGBTQ+ identity, finding specialized healthcare providers, the role of online communities for neurodivergent people, ED recovery approaches that honor both neurodivergence and gender identity, and the patience required for authentic self-discovery.

📚 How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery: https://livlabelfreebooks.com🌈 Existential Autistic Membership: https://www.livlabelfree.com/membership I’m simplifying the shownotes! 😊 In today’s episode, Kenyan is back to chat with me about how we handle being in bodies – specifically female bodies.

🌈 JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP! https://www.livlabelfree.com/membership📚 AUTISM & ED RECOVERY BOOKS: https://livlabelfreebooks.com✨ 1-1 COACHING W/ LIVIA: https://www.livlabelfree.com/1-on-1-coaching Are you afraid of growing up and being healthy in a female body? Livia and Kenyan both resonate with feeling like a girl but CRINGE when they’re called a “woman.” This episode explores the connection between autism, eating disorders, masking, burnout, and feeling like an alien in your own body! MENTIONED EPISODES:I Feel Trapped in a BodyAutistic Burnout & InjuryWatch my episode on Divergent Conversations here

How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery: https://livlabelfree.com/quasirecoverybookThe Discovery Workbook: https://livlabelfree.com/discoveryworkbookBundle & save on all my books: https://livlabelfreebooks.com/ Franz Kafka once wrote “I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound or stab us. If the book we’re reading doesn’t wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for? We need books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply…like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.” Most eating disorder recovery books are written to make you feel better, to give you hope, to reassure you that “everything will be okay if you just follow these steps.” But real transformation doesn’t come from comfort – it comes from books that disturb your comfortable illusions. The truth is, I didn’t write How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery to make you feel better. I wrote it to be the axe for the frozen sea of fear within you. That frozen sea is the illusory safety of hiding behind the recovery identity. It’s the comfort of endlessly watching other people’s “What I Eat in a Day” videos, looking for permission to do the hard work instead of actually doing it. Fear makes you believe that if you just find the right map, the right approach, the right influencer to follow, you won’t have to face the terrifying truth: that your path to freedom can only be discovered by you. How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery is designed to wake you up with that “blow to the head” Kafka wrote about…but in service of your freedom. Let me be clear here: this isn’t about destroying you. It’s about destroying the illusions that have kept you small. And the Discovery Workbook? That’s your own axe. It helps you take these uncomfortable truths and use them to chip away at the stories that are no longer serving you.

How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery: https://livlabelfree.com/quasirecoverybookThe Discovery Workbook: https://livlabelfree.com/discoveryworkbookBundle & save on all my books: https://livlabelfreebooks.com/ Are you constantly second-guessing yourself in eating disorder recovery? With the amount of contradictory messaging in our society – from both diet culture and "ED recovery influencers" – no wonder you're constantly comparing yourself to others! This comparison can lead you to believe you're "doing recovery wrong" and traps you in quasi recovery. In today's episode, I share my personal doubts around recovery and how I stopped living in fear.

How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery: https://livlabelfree.com/quasirecoverybookThe Discovery Workbook: https://livlabelfree.com/discoveryworkbookBundle & save on all my books: https://livlabelfreebooks.com/ If you’re overwhelmed by all the contradictory messages in the ED recovery space, this episode is for you. I explain why you feel stuck in the “recovery trap” and how to break free from quasi recovery.

How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery: https://livlabelfree.com/quasirecoverybookThe Discovery Workbook: https://livlabelfree.com/discoveryworkbookBundle & save on all my books: https://livlabelfreebooks.com/ Are you stuck in quasi recovery? I know how it feels to be trapped in that frustrating middle ground between your eating disorder and true freedom. You’re “recovered” to an extent, but you’re still constantly thinking about food, exercise, and whether or not you’re doing recovery “right.” The relentless self-doubt and mental questioning is f*cking EXHAUSTING…and it’s no way to live! This is why I wrote How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery and created the accompanying Discovery Workbook. With chapters exploring existentialism, perfectionism, conformity, and being “good enough,” both books guide you to transform your relationship not just with food and your body, but with your entire existence.

Quasi recovery is worse than having an eating disorder. In today's episode, Livia and Victoria chat about their experiences with quasi recovery, why the map is a trap, and how to begin trusting your inner wisdom. If you enjoy this episode and want to dive deeper into the topics discussed, you will LOVE Livia's new book How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery! 👉 Grab your copy: https://livlabelfree.com/quasirecoverybook Connect with Livia:🍩 INSTAGRAM🌐 WEBSITE📚 BOOKS

Do you feel like you’re never good enough? Livia Sara and Wouter Kleinsman both know what it’s like to chase illusory fulfillment through external identities. In this confrontational conversation, Livia and Wouter discuss how labels imprison us, why conformity is a trap, and how the story you tell yourself is the story that narrates your life. Episode highlights:  Why breaking free from the system is the only path to genuine freedom  The connection between autism, black-and-white thinking, and eating disorders  How to shift from victim mentality to consciously writing your own story  Why qualifications are bullshit and don't determine your worth or capabilities  Using human design and instinct over logic when making decisions  What it really means to live in alignment with your core being Connect with Livia: https://livlabelfree.com Connect with Wouter: https://www.wouterkleinsman.nl/

Have you ever felt that your "gifts" were more of a burden than a blessing? In this Autistically ED-Free Membership call recording, Livia and the community explore the concept of "existential claustrophobia" – that suffocating feeling of being confined within a finite physical form while having an infinitely expansive inner being. Members share their raw experiences of how giftedness, existential anxiety, and neurodivergence can create unique pressures that often manifest as disordered eating. Through authentic, unscripted conversation, this episode reveals how many of us use food behaviors as protective mechanisms when our souls feel too vast for our bodies. Key Topics Discussed: How "existential claustrophobia" creates a disconnect between our infinite inner world and the limitations of physical existence The paradox of neurodivergent creativity: having so many ideas that they become overwhelming rather than inspiring Why words and traditional emotional labels often fail to capture the depth and complexity of neurodivergent experiences The connection between giftedness, perfectionism, and using eating disorders as a way to manage overwhelming expectations How authentic self-expression becomes a pathway to healing when we stop trying to fit our experiences into neurotypical frameworks The importance of forging your own path rather than trying to follow a map that doesn't exist 👯 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership 💗 Apply for 1-1 Coaching with Livia