In Conversation: Redefining eating disorder language, treatment and recovery

In Conversation: Redefining eating disorder language, treatment and recovery

Author: Charts & Leisure January 1, 2025 Duration: 49:17

Start the New Year with a special thought-provoking episode of Unravelling. Hosts Kurt White and Mary Wilson are joined by Brattleboro Retreat postdoctoral psychology fellow Mary Iellamo to revisit a compelling panel from the Brattleboro Literary Festival. Moderated by Iellamo, this conversation brings together authors Anna Shechtman (The Riddles of the Sphinx) and Emmeline Clein (Dead Weight), who were each featured individually in the previous two episodes of Unravelling (episodes 13 and 14).

With clips from the panel, this episode delves into the cultural narratives surrounding eating disorders, unpacking the paradoxes of connection and competition in recovery. It also tackles critical questions about treatment: how do we balance harm prevention with addressing the systemic causes of these illnesses? And how can innovative strategies—like group outings that mimic real-life social experiences—be integrated into care, even when they provoke anxiety?
The conversation concludes by exploring how treatment centers and individuals can create spaces for recovery that support autonomy, healing, and meaningful connections.

Links:

Anna Shechtman's website: Anna Shechtman

The Riddles of the Sphinx: The Riddles of the Sphinx – HarperCollins

Emmeline Clein's website: https://emmelineclein.net/Homepage

Dead Weight: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Weight-Essays-Hunger-Harm/dp/0593536908


Brattleboro Literary Festival: https://brattleborolitfest.org/



There’s a thread that connects our inner lives to the culture we live in, and Unravelling pulls on it to see what emerges. This isn’t a lecture series, but a conversation guided by therapist Kurt White and journalist Mary Wilson, who bring their distinct perspectives to every discussion. They explore how mental health is woven into everything from our daily fitness routines and societal pressures to the art we consume and the relationships we keep. In each episode, you’ll hear from experts who study the mind alongside individuals sharing their personal, lived experiences, creating a dialogue that feels both intellectually rigorous and deeply human. The aim is to move beyond simple definitions, examining how anxiety, resilience, joy, and struggle shape our collective reality. Produced by Charts & Leisure, this podcast provides a space for nuance, challenging the idea that our psychological worlds exist in a vacuum. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the tension between their private thoughts and the public world, offering not easy answers but a more textured understanding. By listening, you become part of a broader exploration into how compassion, for ourselves and our society, can actually be built from a place of genuine curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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