78. When it Feels Like Someone Else is Running Your Body: Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and Eating Disorders with Monika Orstroff, LICSW, CEDS-S

In this episode of Body Justice Podcast, Allyson Inez Ford, LPCC sits down with Monika Orstroff, LICSW, CEDS-S, Executive Director of MEDA for an honest and deeply informed conversation about dissociative identity disorder (DID) and eating disorders.

Monika shares her lived experience of being diagnosed with DID in 1993 (when it was still called 'multiple personalities disorder'), breaks down what DID actually is (and what it is not), and explains why dissociative systems are often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and stigmatized. Together, we explore how DID can shape eating disorder recovery, why treatment often fails when clinicians ignore or pathologize parts, and what it looks like to support safety, collaboration, and internal communication, without fear-based demands and expectations of neuronormativity.

Learn more about Monika’s work at healingmyparts.org. You can also find her other resources through Healing My Parts, including her podcast and Substack.

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Disclaimer: this podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This is not a replacement for individual therapy or medical advice.

As always, you can find the host of this podcast, Allyson, on her website: www.eatingdisorderocdtherapy.com or IG: @bodyjustice.therapist.