Navigating a Long-Term Eating Disorder

Living with an eating disorder for years or even decades can feel overwhelming, discouraging, and isolating. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explores what it means to navigate a long-term eating disorder, including the grief of lost time, the way it shapes daily life and identity, and how neurodivergence and trauma often play a role in keeping patterns in place. Dr. Marianne also brings in two often overlooked dimensions: AGING AND EATING DISORDERS: how struggles can persist into midlife and older adulthood, and the ways ageism, body changes, and health conditions intersect with recovery. SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION: how racism, anti-fat bias, heterosexism, ableism, and other forms of marginalization amplify harm, delay diagnosis, and create barriers to care. This episode emphasizes that there is no timeline for recovery. Whether you have lived with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or ARFID for a few years or many decades, your healing matters. Recovery may not erase every thought or behavior, but loosening the eating disorder’s grip and reclaiming your life on your own terms is possible. In this podcast episode on long-term eating disorders, Dr. Marianne highlights the unique challenges of navigating eating disorders across the lifespan. Listeners will hear about aging and eating disorders, how neurodivergence and trauma influence recovery, and the role systemic oppression plays in prolonging symptoms. These insights are especially valuable for people who have struggled with eating disorders for decades and are seeking affirming, trauma-informed support. CONTENT CAUTION: This episode discusses eating disorders, long-term struggles, aging, and systemic oppression. Please take care while listening. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE Why recovery feels more complex after years of living with an eating disorder How grief shows up when looking back on time lost The connection between long-term eating disorders, neurodivergence, and trauma Why aging can both challenge and shift recovery How systemic oppression creates barriers and delays access to care What recovery can look like when you have been struggling long-term RELATED EPISODES ON LONG-TERM EATING DISORDERS Orthorexia, Quasi-Recovery, & Lifelong Eating Disorder Struggles with Dr. Lara Zibarras @drlarazib on Apple & Spotify. Why is Anorexia Showing Up in Midlife? You're Not Imagining It on Apple & Spotify. Midlife Bulimia Recovery: Coping With the Internal Chaos on Apple & Spotify. Binge Eating in Midlife: Why It Starts (or Resurfaces) in Your 30s, 40s, 50s on Apple & Spotify. NEXT STEPS If today’s episode resonates with you, explore my resources and support offerings. My work is rooted in a sensory-attuned, trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming approach. For adults navigating long-term eating disorders and parents supporting teens, I offer therapy in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C., as well as consultations worldwide. Check out my ARFID and Selective Eating Course, helpful for both adults and parents, at drmariannemiller.com/arfid. You deserve care that honors your lived experience and helps you reclaim peace with food and body at every age.