Sexual Abuse and Eating Disorders

The Eating Disorder Therapist

This podcast has some triggering content. Please take care of yourself.

If you have experienced some form of sexual abuse in childhood, it is incredibly common that you may struggle with with the abuse of food and have very negative body image. This is understandable, with food becoming a coping and survival mechanism at a very difficult time. Unconsciously, your relationship with food can mirror your deeper relationship with yourself, after experiencing this trauma.

In this episode, I talk about how the violating act of sexual abuse can impact the body, body image, and induce overwhelming feelings of shame, guilt and powerlessness. I then explore taking baby steps towards healing and finding hope and recovery.

Further help and resources:

https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/

https://www.recovery-from-child-sexual-abuse.org.uk/

https://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/child-abuse-survivors/