Becoming Anchored S7E7: When You Feel Like Your Body Betrayed You
Host and licensed therapist Laura Deneen is joined by co-host and fellow licensed therapist, Lauren Jackson.
Together we discuss the spectrum of body betrayal and how to move through the grief of when you feel like your body has let you down.
Key Takeaways:
1. What Is Body Betrayal?: Body betrayal is any experience in which we may feel like our body is not working the way we believe it should, does not look the way we believe it should, or we feel let down by our body. This could include chronic illness or pain, medical conditions, infertility, just to name a few. Body betrayal is often rooted in loss; loss of expectation. It may also feel like a threat to our fundamental human need of belonging or acceptance. Lauren discusses the idea of, “If my body does not function a certain way or look a certain way, will I be accepted?”
2. Healing From Body Betrayal: The first piece we discuss is acknowledging the pain and suffering we may be experiencing from the betrayal. Laura and Lauren discuss the importance of attuning to the pain and believing someone’s experience while also slowing down and sitting with the pain rather than rushing through it or trying to fix it.
3. Ways To Support Yourself: Laura encourages us to find a community who can support us, believe our stories, and advocate for us when we feel as if our body has betrayed us. Also, she encourages us to hold space for grief. Lauren encourages us to practice compassion for our bodies and provides questions to help us be compassionate towards our bodies in the midst of pain.
This episode provides insight into how body betrayal may show up in our life as well as practical ways to heal and move through the betrayal with compassion.
Homework: Identifying areas you notice you feel like your body has betrayed you, what is the grief that accompanies the betrayal, and where can you practice compassion towards those areas.
Affirmation: “My body is for me.”
Friend, we are passionate about offering more support beyond the insights and advice in this podcast.
Becoming Anchored Co. is rooted in the belief that hope is fundamental to our human experience. The body image program + resources were created to support you in accessing hope and in shifting your relationship with your body. Our commitment is to authenticity, living in harmony with our values, and embracing the incredible resilience and adaptability that define the human spirit.On this podcast, you will find topics covering topics related to body image and embodiment. We are here to support you as you navigate towards peace, kindness, tenderness, and curiosity with your body.
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