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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

“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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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:...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...