In this episode of Recovery Rising, we’re diving into a topic that doesn’t get talked about enough: the real and often painful barriers to treatment and recovery.

While recovery is possible, access to care isn’t always simple. From financial limitations and insurance challenges to long waitlists, stigma, shame, and the feeling of “not being sick enough,” many individuals face obstacles that can delay or complicate getting help. We also explore cultural pressures, diet culture, family dynamics, and internal fears that can make seeking or staying in recovery feel overwhelming.

Through our lived experiences, we share the barriers we encountered, what nearly held us back, and how we learned to navigate systems that weren’t always built with eating disorder recovery in mind.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, dismissed, or discouraged in your journey, this episode is for you. Struggling to access care is not a failure. Needing support is not weakness. You deserve help, compassion, and a path forward — even if it doesn’t look perfect.

As always, we are not medical professionals — we speak from lived experience and advocacy. If you are struggling, we encourage you to seek licensed support in your area.

Recovery is possible — even when the road feels blocked.

We took Recovery Rising to Campus💛

This week, we recorded on location at St. Cloud State University for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week — bringing real conversations about recovery, body image, and breaking stigma directly to campus.

Being surrounded by students, hearing their voices, and creating space for honest dialogue reminded us why we started this podcast in the first place. Recovery isn’t just personal — it’s communal. And awareness matters.

We’re so grateful for the opportunity to share lived experience, spark conversation, and remind students that recovery is possible — and worth celebrating.

In this episode of Recovery Rising, Kelly and Reva dive into the complex and emotional topic of body image in eating disorder recovery. From negative self-talk and comparison to learning compassion and acceptance, we explore how body image can shift throughout the recovery journey — and why healing your relationship with your body takes time, patience, and support.

We share personal experiences, challenges, and tools that have helped us move toward greater self-respect and neutrality, while also acknowledging that loving your body doesn’t happen overnight. This conversation is a reminder that struggling with body image doesn’t mean you’re failing at recovery — it means you’re human.

Whether you’re early in recovery, supporting someone you love, or working toward a healthier relationship with your body, this episode offers encouragement, honesty, and hope.

Recovery from an eating disorder isn’t something you walk through alone, and neither is loving someone who’s fighting to heal. 💛

In this week’s episode of Recovery Rising, Reva’s husband, Matt, shares his experience supporting a loved one through eating disorder recovery. We reflect on the moments that were heavy, the memories that still ache, the strength it took to advocate, and the love that never wavered.

We talk about what it feels like to watch someone you love struggle, how support can change the course of recovery, and why caring for yourself matters just as much when you’re standing beside someone in healing.

This episode is raw, honest, and full of heart — a reminder that recovery is a team effort.

When someone you care about is in eating disorder recovery, it’s natural to want to help — but knowing what to say (and what not to say) can feel overwhelming.

In this episode of Recovery Rising, Kelly and Reva talk openly about the do’s and don’ts of supporting someone in recovery, with a focus on empathy, listening, and showing up with compassion rather than trying to fix things. Drawing from lived experience, we share examples of comments that felt supportive, ones that unintentionally caused harm, and why even well-meant words can sometimes miss the mark.

We discuss the importance of holding space, asking open-ended questions, validating emotions, and remembering that there isn’t always a perfect response — and that’s okay. This episode isn’t about saying everything right; it’s about being present, patient, and willing to learn.

Whether you’re supporting a friend, partner, family member, or simply wanting to better understand how to show up with care, this conversation offers guidance, perspective, and reassurance.

💛 Empathy matters.
💛 Listening is powerful.
💛 Your presence can make a difference — even without the perfect words.

Hard seasons don’t pause recovery from an eating disorder — and during difficult times, taking care of yourself can feel heavier, harder, or even out of reach.

In this episode of Recovery Rising, Kelly and Reva talk honestly about self-care and prioritizing recovery during hard times, including periods of stress, grief, burnout, or emotional overwhelm. Drawing from lived experience, we explore what self-care can look like when life feels chaotic — and why it often needs to be gentler, simpler, and more compassionate than we expect.

We’re honored to welcome our first guest to Recovery Rising — Alexis Demuth, RD, registered dietitian and owner of Mother Nurture.

In this episode, Kelly and Reva sit down with Alexis to talk about her gentle nutrient philosophy and how she supports clients in finding food freedom, rebuilding trust with their bodies, and gaining the confidence needed to navigate disordered eating and eating disorder recovery.

Alexis shares her approach to nutrition that moves away from rigid rules and fear-based messaging, focusing instead on nourishment, compassion, and sustainability. We discuss how she helps clients feel empowered in their recovery, the importance of advocacy, and what it looks like to collaborate with other medical and mental health professionals as part of a supportive care team.

This conversation highlights the value of multidisciplinary support, lived experience alongside professional guidance, and the role of gentle, individualized care in healing relationships with food.

Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone you love, or interested in a more compassionate approach to nutrition, this episode offers insight, hope, and encouragement.

💛 Food freedom is possible.
💛 Support matters.
💛 You deserve care that meets you where you are.

Family dynamics play a powerful role in how we see food, bodies, emotions, and ourselves — and many of the patterns we carry into adulthood were learned long before we had words for them.

In this episode of Recovery Rising, Kelly and Reva explore family cycles and what it means to recognize, question, and gently break patterns that no longer serve our healing. Drawing from lived experience, we talk about how beliefs around food, body image, perfectionism, silence, and coping can be passed down, often unintentionally — and how recovery can bring these patterns into clearer focus.

We discuss the grief, guilt, and courage that can come with breaking cycles, especially when those patterns are rooted in generations of survival, trauma, or unspoken expectations. This episode isn’t about blame — it’s about awareness, compassion, and choice. Choosing to do things differently. Choosing to heal. Choosing to create new narratives.

Whether you’re navigating recovery within complex family relationships, reflecting on where certain beliefs came from, or working to create healthier patterns for yourself or future generations, this conversation offers validation, insight, and hope.

💛 You are not responsible for the cycles you inherited.
💛 You are powerful for choosing to break them.
💛 Healing forward is possible.