Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

What if binge eating isn't a lack of willpower, but a way your brain and body are trying to find relief? In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Jessica Neukam-Helms, PsyD, to explore the connection between high achievement, perfectionism, chronic stress, emotional eating, and binge eating. We talk about why people who seem to have everything together on the outside can struggle with food behind the scenes, how dieting can offer the illusion of control, and why rigid rules can sometimes contribute to the very eating patterns we're trying to escape. Dr. Jessica shares insights into the mental models and behavioral loops that can keep binge eating going. We explore nervous system regulation, neuroscience, and how parts work and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) can help us approach binge eating with curiosity instead of shame. And, we discuss practical ways to build more joy, calm, and flexibility into everyday life—including Jessica's five-by-five method, rethinking movement, and learning to give ourselves permission to rest. Things We Yap About: How perfectionism and high achievement can contribute to vulnerability around binge eating Why chronic stress can make food feel like an easy source of relief Emotional eating, nervous system regulation, and coping The role of autonomy, restriction, and the “rebellion loop” Understanding binge eating through parts work and IFS How mental models and neural pathways influence food behaviors Jessica's binge pattern assessment and understanding underlying loops How diet culture can keep old food rules alive Using curiosity and self-compassion when familiar patterns return Resources & Mentions: Jessica’s Practice: Peaceful Presence Psychological Services LLC The Finding Food & Body Freedom Formula Dr. Jessica’s IG: @finding_food_and_body_freedom Dr. Jessica’s Free Emotional Eating & Binge Eating Facebook Group Rate & Review: If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks! Connect With Us: JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER: https://stopcollaboratelistenpod.substack.com/ IG: @stop.collaborateandlistenpod

When we talk about postpartum mental health, postpartum depression is often the first, and sometimes only, thing that comes to mind. But perinatal mental health is so much bigger than depression. Today on Stop, Collaborate, and Listen, we’re joined by Ashley Hogan, PMHNP-BC, PMH-C, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, for an honest and educational conversation about perinatal mental health, pregnancy anxiety, postpartum depression, intrusive thoughts, postpartum OCD, medication, and the transition to motherhood. Ashley helps us look beyond the most obvious signs of perinatal mental health struggles and talk about the experiences that can be easy to dismiss or hide, including anxiety, overwhelm, intrusive thoughts, perfectionism, and the pressure to appear like you're handling everything just fine. We also yap about the gaps in postpartum care, including the reality that support is often reduced to a single six-week checkup, and why ongoing mental health support matters throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. Things We Yap About: What perinatal mental health actually encompasses Less obvious signs of perinatal mental health concerns The pressure new mothers feel to be “fine” The transition to motherhood and its impact on mental health Gaps in postpartum care and follow-up The difference between having an intrusive thought and acting on a thought How to have informed conversations about medication risks and benefits The importance of support systems and community Early intervention and recognizing when something feels off How partners, family members, and providers can offer support Resources for parents navigating perinatal mental health Resources & Mentions: Connect with Ashley: https://www.hermindpsychiatry.com/ Postpartum Support International: https://postpartum.net/ Goodwill Nurse & Family Partnership: https://www.goodwillindy.org/health/ Rate & Review: If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks! Connect With Us: JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER: https://stopcollaboratelistenpod.substack.com/ IG: @stop.collaborateandlistenpod

What if the name we’ve been using for PCOS has actually been part of the problem? We are so excited to chat with one of our favorite RD’s to talk about the rebrand from PCOs to PMOS, and what this could mean for how we understand, diagnose, and treat this complex condition. PCOS has historically been framed primarily around reproductive health and fertility—but there’s much more to the picture. PMOS aims to better reflect the hormonal, metabolic, and reproductive factors involved, while also opening the door to a broader understanding of who is affected and what supportive care can look like. We dig into why the name matters, how lived experience can inform healthcare reform, and why moving beyond weight-centered approaches could lead to better care. We also explore the complicated intersection of PMOS, eating disorders, insulin resistance, diet culture, weight bias, and the pressure to pursue weight loss as the default treatment strategy. Things We Yap About: Why PCOS is being reconsidered as a name and framework What PMOS means and how it broadens the conversation The hormonal, metabolic, and reproductive components of PMOS Why PCOS/PMOS is about more than fertility How body diversity can contribute to missed or delayed diagnoses The importance of early diagnosis across the lifespan Misconceptions about insulin resistance and weight The connection between PMOS, eating disorders, and disordered eating How diet culture and weight bias can influence medical care Why treatment doesn't have to center on weight loss Supplements, emerging research, and ongoing questions Resources & Mentions: Megan’s S1 PCOS Episode PCOS Nutrition Center Rene Jay & Women’s Health Series on TikTok Ovasitol Inositol Powder Supplement pcos.nutritionist pcosnutrition Rate & Review: If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks! Connect With Us: JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER: https://stopcollaboratelistenpod.substack.com/ IG: @stop.collaborateandlistenpod

What happens when “healthy eating” becomes so rigid that food stops being joyful—and starts controlling your life? In this episode, we’re joined by Jason Wood, Executive Director of ANAD, for an honest conversation about orthorexia, men’s body image, eating disorders, vulnerability, and recovery. Jason shares his personal experience with orthorexia and what it was like to recognize that his relationship with food had become increasingly rigid and consuming. We talk about how diet culture can shape men’s relationships with food and their bodies, why eating disorders in men can be difficult to recognize, and how the pursuit of “health” can sometimes become another way an eating disorder hides in plain sight. We also dig into something that can be especially complicated for men: vulnerability. Jason talks about the pressure many men experience to keep pain to themselves, the power of telling our stories, and how peer support and community can create safer spaces for people to seek help Things We Yap About: What orthorexia can look like—and why it can be difficult to recognize How diet culture influences men’s body image and relationships with food Why eating disorders in men are often overlooked or misunderstood The connection between “healthy eating,” rigidity, and disordered behaviors Masculinity and the pressure to keep emotional pain to yourself The role of vulnerability and storytelling in recovery The importance of peer support and community care Creating safer spaces for men to talk about eating disorders Eating disorders don't always look like restriction, weight loss, or a desire to be smaller. Sometimes they can hide behind the pursuit of health, fitness, discipline, or “clean” eating. And sometimes, finding the language to talk about what's happening is the first step toward getting support. Resources & Mentions: ANAD: https://anad.org/ ANAD Book Corner: https://anad.org/learning-library-old/book-recommendations/ Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery by Mallory Tenore Tarpley Starving for Survival: One Man’s Journey with Orthorexia by Jason Wood Running in Silence: My Drive for Perfection and the Eating Disorder That Fed It by Rachel Steil Rate & Review: If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks! Connect With Us: JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER: https://stopcollaboratelistenpod.substack.com/ IG: @stop.collaborateandlistenpod

What does an eating disorder look like when you don't see yourself represented in the stories you're told about eating disorders? Today, we are joined by Elijah Smith and Derek Savick-Hesser for an honest conversation about eating disorders, body image, mental health, masculinity, queerness, and recovery. Elijah and Derek share their personal experiences with disordered eating and eating disorder recovery, including the complicated relationship between gastrointestinal issues, food fears, ARFID, and body image. They also discuss what it was like to seek help as men, the importance of receiving a diagnosis that makes sense of your experience, and how community and representation can change the recovery process. From theater and the arts to queer community and supportive relationships, we explore the many forms that healing can take—and why recovery doesn't have to mean navigating these experiences alone. Things We Yap About: Men's experiences with eating disorders and body image How GI issues can complicate relationships with food and eating ARFID, food fears, and the intersection of physical and mental health The impact of masculinity and societal expectations on eating disorders Queerness, body image, and identity What it can be like to seek eating disorder treatment as a man The role of community, representation, and being seen How theater and the arts can support healing and self-acceptance The importance of patience and self-compassion in recovery What men struggling with body image or disordered eating should know about asking for help Rate & Review: If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks! Connect With Us: JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER: https://stopcollaboratelistenpod.substack.com/ IG: @stop.collaborateandlistenpod