 If you’ve been through eating disorder recovery, you already know what it means to live in a state of survival. You’ve existed in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. You’ve ridden the waves of anxiety, helplessness, rage, and grief. You’ve felt disoriented by change and destabilized by the unknown.
And now, here we are again. With Trump back in the administration (and with something new and destabilizing seeming to happen every day) the country feels shaky, volatile, and unsafe. For many of my clients in recovery, I’ve seen how this is triggering the same patterns we’ve worked so hard to untangle. The body remembers. The nervous system tightens. The old behaviors tempt us to fall back into old, unhelpful patterns of numbness, disconnection, and giving in. But there’s another F we’ve learned through recovery: Face. In recovery, we learned to face the truth: things had to change. We had to change. We had to stop pretending we were fine and look directly at what was going on inside us, no matter how painful or overwhelming it was. And now, once again, it’s time to face what’s happening in our country. It’s tempting to shut down. To despair. To dissociate. To hide. But you’ve been here before. You’ve done the impossible. You’ve sat with emotions that felt unmanageable. You’ve tolerated discomfort. You’ve made space for uncertainty. You’ve faced what scared you most, and came out stronger on the other side. This is not just about politics. It’s about survival, identity, safety, and truth. And if you’ve navigated recovery, you already have the tools to respond to this moment with clarity, integrity, and care. When the world feels like a trigger Let’s name it: This moment feels destabilizing. There’s a lack of security. A fog of uncertainty. It’s hard to trust the future. That is deeply familiar territory for those in recovery. It can mimic the internal chaos felt when you first tried to let go of disordered behaviors. And just like in recovery, there may be no immediate resolution. No single action that “fixes” the fear. But you don’t need to have all the answers right now, your job is to stay with yourself through it and do what you need to stay connected, well and safe. This isn’t about bypassing your feelings or pretending everything’s fine. It’s about learning to feel without letting things take over. Remember it’s okay to feel all the emotions, whether that’s all at once or in stages. You are allowed to be angry, you are allowed to cry, you are allowed to feel a spectrum of emotions all at once. Maybe you’ll feel numb, maybe you’ll be paralysed with overwhelm. It’s all okay, and it’s all manageable. What matters here is meeting those emotions with compassion – no judgement or expectations, simply making space for yourself and honoring how you feel. So, what now? If we’re being honest, honoring your emotions is one piece of the puzzle, but it can feel difficult to stay level-headed when things are changing rapidly, and what feels like out of your control, around you. So, if the world feels overwhelming right now, here’s what I’d like you to do:
Living through this political era is not easy, especially for those of us who have already fought so hard just to stay alive and present in our own lives. But you are not powerless here. The strength you built in recovery didn’t disappear, it’s right there, inside you, waiting to be used again. The work of facing doesn’t rely on knowing an outcome or that things will turn out “okay” - it is instead a very radical act – one grounded in choosing to show up regardless of the outcome. An act that is inherently hopeful and courageous. Face what is happening. Feel what is real. And then ask yourself: What do I want to do with this? Because you’ve done hard things before. You can do this too. Read This: Well + Good "The XL Way Diet Culture Capitalizes on Gender Roles and Expectations"12/28/2023
 “There is tremendous empowerment to be found in understanding
how rigid ideas about gender and bodies limit us all.” So pleased to be featured in this Well + Good piece alongside other providers and advocates. Click the image to read more!  So honored to be featured on my friend (and amazing therapist) Allyson's, podcast! Click the image to listen on Spotify!
 “I found that using substances...clouded my ability to be present to what I felt—both the good and the bad,” Coakley shares. “It also hindered me from being present with those I love.” They also list all the reflecting you can do while sober. For example, consider how drinking hurts your life, if it’s actually helping in the ways you want it to, and what aspects of your life change.
Super honored to be featured in this piece on the sober-curious movment & its intersection with diet culture alongside fellow RDs Mia Donley & Stephanie Kile. Click the image to read the full piece!  Learn more about how I work with my Nutrition Jobs career spotlight! Click the image to learn more.
 I was named one of the best nutritionists of 2022 by NY Mag!
'One of their clients, Sara, who would prefer to remain anonymous, spent the past few decades meeting with countless nutritionists and dietitians, and none felt like the right fit... until she found Coakley...they go beyond food, discussing Sara’s relationships and family as well as diet culture and systemic oppression more generally. “Hannah is the Eating Disorder Whisperer,” says Sara.' Click the link below for the full profile... “It’s just affirming the experiences and trying to create a space where someone feels like they can show themselves love.” — Hannah Coakley, MS, RD (they/them) See my interview with Healthline below: www.healthline.com/health/eating-disorder-treatment-needs-to-be-more-accessible-to-trans-people-heres-what-should-change  Illustrated by Jason Hoffman |
