Your Body Was Never the Problem

Many of us were taught-explicitly or quietly-that our bodies could not be trusted. Whether through purity culture, dieting, or both, the message was often the same: control your body, monitor your impulses, and override what you feel.In this episode of Raised on Shame, we explore how purity culture and diet culture fracture body awareness in remarkably similar ways. Through a trauma-informed lens, we talk about how disconnection from the body often develops as a survival strategy-and why rebuilding embodiment doesn’t require confidence, sexuality, or positivity.Together, we cover:How purity culture and dieting teach distrust of the bodyCommon sex myths and body-image beliefs many women carry into adulthoodWhy advice like “just relax” often increases shame instead of safetyHow trauma reshapes body awareness and sensationA gentle practice for reclaiming neutral body awarenessThis episode is about presence, not performance. It’s about learning to notice your body again—without fixing it, judging it, or demanding anything from it.As you listen this week, consider starting with neutrality:Notice one neutral body sensation (temperature, pressure, contact)Let awareness be enough—no interpretation or change requiredThis episode discusses purity culture, diet culture, shame, and body disconnection in a non-graphic, trauma-informed way.What to be a guest on the show? Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to complete the form. BooksHealth at Every Size - Linda BaconIntuitive Eating & Intuitive Eating Workbook - Evelyn Tribole & Elyse ReschMore Than A Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament - Lexie Kite, Lindsay Kite, et al.The F*ck It Diet: Eating Should Be Easy - Caroline DoonerShameless: A Sexual Reformation -  Nadia Bolz-WeberThe Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'FarrellTrauma TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Somatic Experiencing® (SE)Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)Other ResourcesReligious Trauma InstituteThe Reclamation CollectiveCenter for Body Trust® Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consentwww.OMGYes.comHappiness in America, Part 1-The Secret to a 'Good Life,' According to an 80-Year StudyPop Culture (Blanket trigger warning for all - please read reviews before viewing)  Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals (HBO)The Keepers (Netflix)Under the Banner of Heaven (FX / Hulu)SpotlightThe Vow (HBO)Dying for Sex (Hulu)Reflection/Journal Prompt Where did you first learn to override your body’s signals—and what did that protect you from?This podcast is not a substitute for therapy or mental health care. If you’re looking for additional support, resources for finding a therapist in your area are available below.Find a Therapisthttps://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/www.psychologytoday.com