I Spent 15 Years in Overeaters Anonymous—Here’s Why I Left

Food addiction: does it exist or not? Is it helpful or harmful? Does science support it or disprove it? These questions have become so polarizing, especially in the eating disorder and substance abuse communities, where people often take a hard yes or no stance.

In this podcast, we look at it differently.

The fact that there are such strong, diverging opinions on this topic is the best indication that both experiences are real. There are people who are helped by the food addiction model and people who are harmed by it. Otherwise, why would so many be so emotionally invested in defending one position or the other?

In our last episode, we talked about the importance of acknowledging food addiction so that we can hold space for those who experience it. In this episode, we explore the pitfalls of adopting a food addiction framework for people whose loss of control around food is actually rooted in restriction.

Our guest, Libby Supan, shares why she joined and why she left Overeaters Anonymous. She talks about the hope and sense of community she initially found in OA, a space where she could speak openly about her food struggles. And also discusses how the abstinence-based model, which positions certain foods as addictive substances, ultimately perpetuated the food struggles she was trying to recover from.

Libby talks about the shame she felt as an “unsuccessful addict in recovery,” the growing dependence on her sponsor that left her unsure of her own judgment and unable to trust in herself.

Libby is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified intuitive eating counselor. As someone who has personally recovered from a 20-year struggle with an eating disorder, she has a deep understanding of what it's like to live with, and heal from, an unshakeable eating disorder.

Libby runs a therapy and coaching practice, specializing in supporting individuals who are exhausted from obsessing over food and body image. Most of her clients are caught in the binge/restrict cycle and are seeking to break free from it. She is dedicated to guiding as many people as possible toward intuitive eating and a life of true food freedom.

Connect with Libby

Email: libby@libbysupan.com

Website: libbysupan.com (https://libbysupan.com)

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Binge eating recovery with Elka https://elkacubacub.com/