Episode 37: Self-Compassion Isn't Woo - Finding Your Voice After Shame, Trauma, and Diet Culture

The Food Shrinks open up about their personal journeys with self-compassion—from eye rolls and resistance to finding voices that finally felt true. They explore how trauma, neurodivergence, addiction, and childhood conditioning make self-compassion feel foreign, even threatening. With humor, honesty, and lived experience, they share how they’ve begun to chip away at old patterns of self-hate and embrace compassion as a lifelong practice, not a magical fix. This episode is real talk for real people who are tired of shaming themselves into change and are ready to try something gentler.

 

🧠 Key Topics Covered:

• Why self-compassion feels so uncomfortable (and sometimes impossible) at first
• How neurodivergence and ADHD impact the ability to receive compassion
• The difference between self-pity, self-permission, and true compassion
• The myth of "spiritual bypassing" and the danger of pretending to be okay
• How to develop your own compassionate inner voice that actually sounds like you
• Using somatic tools and nervous system regulation as a bridge to self-kindness
• Faith, spirituality, and the higher self as sources of compassionate guidance
• How modeling compassion for others often helps us practice it for ourselves
• When receiving love feels like too much—and why that’s okay
• Tiny ways to start practicing, even when it feels awkward or fake

 

💡 Favorite Quotes:

“No one has ever shamed themselves into wellness—but that didn’t stop me from trying.”

“You can’t just throw affirmations at yourself like spaghetti and hope they stick.”

“Whatever voice you're listening to—if it's not loving, it's not your higher self.”

“Self-compassion isn't the finish line. It's the practice that lets you stay in the race.”

 

💬 Call to Action:

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The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.