The Impact of Our Childhood on Eating Disorder Development with Ciandra Birnbaum

In this week's podcast, Han is joined by Ciandra Birnbaum. Ciandra is the creator of Flourish with Ciandra recovery coaching and is a passionate advocate for mental health and eating disorder recovery. Having personally experienced the devastating effects of Anorexia Nervosa at a young age, she embarked on a courageous journey of healing, resilience, and self-discovery. Through her blog and social media platforms, Ciandra shares her transformative recovery process, offering support, inspiration, and hope to others facing similar challenges.

In this week's episode, we discuss:

• Ciandra's personal experience of having an eating disorder, and how her childhood impacted her eating habits.
• The impact of our parent's relationship with food and how being an only child can impact our relationship with food due to loneliness.
• The impact of childhood bullying on Ciandra's self-esteem and how this created a perfect opportunity for an eating disorder.
• Ciandra's turning point that initiated her recovery, and how she decided she was ready and wanted to work in eating disorders.
• Ciandra's recovery experience and how she has developed self-compassion and validity from other areas than her eating disorder to enhance recovery.
• Choosing your version of "hard" in recovery, and whether you want this to be life-long or short-term.

To find out more about Ciandra, you can follow her on Instagram/TikTok @flourishwithciandra, or follow her podcast @recovertoflourish_pod. Also, you can visit Ciandra's website www.flourishwithciandra.com.

Kindly note, this episode delves into sensitive eating disorder topics. Remember to take care of yourself while listening, and always seek professional help if needed. This podcast is your bridge to insightful discussions, not a substitute for clinical guidance.