Permission to Want: Healing Self-Betrayal and Emotional Eating

In this episode, Alana dives into the quiet yet powerful experience of having desire – whether it's for food, affection, rest, or a bigger life – and the shame and self-sabotage that often arise in response. She unpacks how many of us, especially women, were taught to minimize our wants and internalize the idea that our desires are dangerous or unworthy. Through personal reflection and insights from her work with clients, Alana explores how ignoring or hiding our desires leads to self-betrayal and emotional eating. She outlines the beliefs and behaviors that keep us stuck in cycles of secrecy, struggle, and earning, and offers practical guidance on reclaiming permission to want openly and without shame.

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Takeaways

• Desire often comes with feelings of unworthiness and shame.

• Many women feel they must earn their desires through struggle.

• Societal expectations can lead to downplaying one's desires.

• Self-betrayal is a common coping strategy for women.

• Practicing permission is essential for self-acceptance.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Desire and Shame

04:45 The Impact of Societal Expectations on Women

10:19 The Connection Between Desire and Self-Betrayal

17:31 Practicing Permission and Self-Acceptance

24:04 Reclaiming Your Right to Desire