Breaking Stereotypes & Embracing Yourself: Eating Disorder Recovery for Males
Mon Feb 02 2026
You can’t heal what you can’t name. We sit down with recovery coach and advocate Eric Pothen to name what often goes unseen: how eating disorders affect men, why stereotypes keep them silent, and what real support looks like when shame and masculinity collide. Eric’s story fuels a wider movement for representation—from launching EmbraceWare, an apparel brand that donates to treatment and sparks conversation, to building spaces where men can show up as they are and feel understood.
We dig into the signs most people miss in men: the normalization of bulking and cutting, obsessive macro tracking, and how gym culture masks distress as discipline. Eric explains why anger often becomes the only “safe” emotion, what’s under that iceberg of irritability, and how to create a neutral space around diagnosis so men can approach recovery without losing their identity. He shares practical steps to move through fear—drafting before posting, confiding in one trusted person, treating discomfort as information not danger—and the mindset shifts that make courage a daily practice.
You’ll hear where men can find community through meal support groups and advocacy networks, plus how loved ones can help without centering the illness: ask better questions about how gender shapes the struggle, accept partial answers, and keep seeing the whole person—musician, friend, dog dad—instead of only the diagnosis. The message is clear and hopeful: your story is valid even if others don’t understand it yet. Embrace is more than a word on a hoodie; it’s a way to soften around reality and move forward together. If this conversation opened something for you, follow, rate, and share the show—then tell us what stereotype you want to dismantle next.
Show notes:
Trigger warning: this show is not medical, nutrition, or mental health treatment and is not a replacement for meeting with a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Mental Health Provider, or any other medical provider. You can find resources for how to find a provider, as well as crisis resources, in the show notes. Listener discretion is advised.
Resource links:
ANAD: https://anad.org/
NEDA: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
NAMI: https://nami.org/home
Action Alliance: https://theactionalliance.org/
NIH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/
How to find a provider:
https://map.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
https://www.healthprofs.com/us/nutritionists-dietitians?tr=Hdr_Brand
Suicide & crisis awareness hotline: call 988 (available 24/7)
Eating Disorder hotline: call or text 800-931-2237 (Phone line is available Monday-Thursday 11 am-9 pm ET and Friday 11 am-5 pm ET; text line is available Monday-Thursday 3-6 pm ET and Friday 1-5 pm ET)
If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
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You can’t heal what you can’t name. We sit down with recovery coach and advocate Eric Pothen to name what often goes unseen: how eating disorders affect men, why stereotypes keep them silent, and what real support looks like when shame and masculinity collide. Eric’s story fuels a wider movement for representation—from launching EmbraceWare, an apparel brand that donates to treatment and sparks conversation, to building spaces where men can show up as they are and feel understood. We dig into the signs most people miss in men: the normalization of bulking and cutting, obsessive macro tracking, and how gym culture masks distress as discipline. Eric explains why anger often becomes the only “safe” emotion, what’s under that iceberg of irritability, and how to create a neutral space around diagnosis so men can approach recovery without losing their identity. He shares practical steps to move through fear—drafting before posting, confiding in one trusted person, treating discomfort as information not danger—and the mindset shifts that make courage a daily practice. You’ll hear where men can find community through meal support groups and advocacy networks, plus how loved ones can help without centering the illness: ask better questions about how gender shapes the struggle, accept partial answers, and keep seeing the whole person—musician, friend, dog dad—instead of only the diagnosis. The message is clear and hopeful: your story is valid even if others don’t understand it yet. Embrace is more than a word on a hoodie; it’s a way to soften around reality and move forward together. If this conversation opened something for you, follow, rate, and share the show—then tell us what stereotype you want to dismantle next. Show notes: Trigger warning: this show is not medical, nutrition, or mental health treatment and is not a replacement for meeting with a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Mental Health Provider, or any other medical provider. You can find resources for how to find a provider, as well as crisis resources, in the show notes. Listener discretion is advised. Resource links: ANAD: https://anad.org/ NEDA: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ NAMI: https://nami.org/home Action Alliance: https://theactionalliance.org/ NIH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ How to find a provider: https://map.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us https://www.healthprofs.com/us/nutritionists-dietitians?tr=Hdr_Brand Suicide & crisis awareness hotline: call 988 (available 24/7) Eating Disorder hotline: call or text 800-931-2237 (Phone line is available Monday-Thursday 11 am-9 pm ET and Friday 11 am-5 pm ET; text line is available Monday-Thursday 3-6 pm ET and Friday 1-5 pm ET) If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Support the show