Interview: I Have Cancer, Cancer Doesn’t Have Me
Our founder Daniel Hight is interviewed by Dr. George Ackerman for Together For Sharon on how he navigates life with his cancer diagnosis.
More Than Our Story
Eric Pothen
Eric shares his story from struggling with an eating disorder, to using his own lived experience as a certified eating disorder recovery coach and a certified integrative wellness and life coach to help heal people’s relationship with food and their bodies, and achieve their goals. He also debunks some of the misconceptions around this disorder, and talks about his Embracing You podcast where he advocates for eating disorders, body image, mental health and wellbeing.
Highlights
After I shared my story, I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that also reached out and shared their own stories of struggling with food, and body image. So I think it takes vulnerability to really begin to let others know that they're safe, and sharing their own stories as well.
When people think of eating disorders and those that struggle with body image, they mostly think of females being the only individuals that struggle... I think that fear of being perceived as more feminine can be scary for men.
I put myself into that category when I shared my own story, of really realizing I was part of this marginalized community, and I was defying a lot of the stereotypes that are associated with those that struggle or who society believe that struggle with eating disorders.
Of those that struggle with an eating disorder, about 20 to 25% are male, and I think this data is skewed in some way because these are men that choose to self-report... To be honest, I would think that the percentage would be a little higher.
I don't think there should be any shame or guilt for any individual, but more particularly men, and realizing that it's okay for them to struggle with something such as an eating disorder or body image.
I feel like it's truly the distorted views of our bodies that fuels eating disorder behaviors... The way we experience mental distress with our bodies translates to the way we view our bodies.
When you develop an eating disorder, you don't just develop it out of nowhere... Typically at the onset of an eating disorder, some of these behaviors that we engage in are actually coping strategies, for some sort of mental distress.
I think where we're at right now in terms of media and evoking and preaching diet culture, I think is very detrimental, to the way that we view our bodies... On social media you have these videos where you have people who aren't even trainers, dieticians or nutritionists, sharing what they eat in a day for the everyday folk to watch, and they interpret that if I eat exactly like this person, my body is going to look exactly like theirs - and that couldn't be any further from the truth... I think it really comes down to media literacy as well.
Culture as a whole has a found weak spots within people who want these quick, temporary fixes to manipulate the way that out body looks or to lose weight... It's these subconscious messages. They're not inadvertently saying you need to change the way your body looks, but it's in the way that all of this is presented to you that's saying, "wow, you're going to feel so much happier by making yourself have a smaller body".
I think we are doing a great job in having more body diversity for women in the space of advertising and marketing. But I really think there is still a need for more body diversity when it comes to the men. We still see a lot of very toned, built men in a lot of marketing, and I would really love for there to be more space more body diversity.
The Trevor Project just released their annual survey with LGBTQ+ youth, and 87% of them experience dissatisfaction with the way their body looks.
On being a certified integrative wellness and life coach:
I love doing this work... One of the things that I enjoy most about it is that I really walk alongside people on their journey... I'm helping them take action to meet whatever goals that they have... When I work with clients - the best part about it is they choose their own actions. They choose the direction that they would like to take. I don't say you need to do this. I think you should do this. It's really asking those reflective questions to empower them to feel intrinsically motivated and aligned with the direction and steps that they would like to take to help them reach the goals that they've set for themselves.
When we enter into this space of helping others, we can see our own story reflected in others... I think it is really eye opening for me... Not only can it be more didactic where I might be teaching them these skills or knowledge, but I really think these relationships are reciprocal, where they might learn from me and I learn from them in the process.
If we don't create a safe space where other people feel comfortable enough to share their own voice and opinions, then we're not doing our job right.
My podcast Embracing You covers a wide array of topics, from mental health, to eating disorders and body image and, and just really, overall well-being.
I want other people to have intentional time and space to share their own story of living with an eating disorder or struggling, with body image with others... The amounts of pride that they have, once their episode is created and shared with others... and for them to say something as simple as, oh my gosh that was really powerful - there's nothing that makes me happier than creating those spaces for other individuals.
Entering into this space, and to really begin to normalize having conversations about struggles with eating disorders and body image... I think we've done such a beautiful job of opening up the door to have more conversations about mental health.
You don't just live with an eating disorder, or just fully get rid of it. Those thoughts might lie more dormant at times than others, but I think they'll always be there beneath the surface. And when they really arise, I think it's really how you choose to respond to that moment that determines whether or not you're in recovery, or you might still be struggling with an eating disorder.
At the end of the day, one of the biggest things my podcast has taught me is that every individual just wants to feel loved, and to feel accepted, they just want to be happy with themselves.
Another thing that this podcast has really taught me is we are all more, similar than different... There are so many commonalities that exist in this space, where I think we can really, tap into those commonalities and join together as a much larger community to create a larger impact... People can feel so scared and isolated that no one understands what they're going through, but chances are you'll find a lot more commonalities in your story with another person than differences.
I think in me becoming a much more grounded and stronger advocate in this space, it's really required me to begin to practice more and more of what I am asking others to do myself. And I think in me sharing a lot of my inspiration of what I share with others are things that come to my own mind, the things that I'm practicing and telling myself in the moments.
On starting Embrace Wear:
I wanted to try and find a way to make my messaging more widespread in a very subtle way, and so I thought why not create an apparel company that raises awareness around these disorders.... So I did a brain dump... Why do I want this apparel company to exist? What do I want to be at the core of the messaging about this?... That's how I got the name embrace. I want people to learn how to embrace themselves as an individual, and learn to really begin to love themselves.
On hosting the 2024 Minnesota NEDA Walk:
The National Eating Disorders Association hosts awareness walks throughout the country. I wanted to make this walk happen, because these walks really create a sense of community for those that have struggled with, or have family members that have also struggled with [eating disorders]. And [they] build a safe space and support system and support network for all individuals.
One thing that I hope people take away from today's chat is that they aren't alone. I think sometimes when we enter into this space of talking about things that carry a large amount of weight upon our shoulders, it can feel really isolating. and so I just want other people to hear that.
I will always be a safe space if you are struggling with one of these things - my DMs are always open for you to reach out.
Another thing that I want people to hear is that they are worthy of their own love, which I think can be really, really hard... because they are a whole individual, who has so many, beautiful, innate qualities that make them, and that are worth being celebrated.
Embracing You Podcast
We are all on our own unique journey to discovering ourselves. Embracing You is a podcast dedicated to help you take the journey within to reconnect with and discover the innate love you have for yourself.
Embrace Wear
Eric’s apparel company, created to help that raises awareness around eating disorders.
@epothen
Visit and follow Eric’s Instagram page.
Eric's Linktr.ee
Visit Eric’s Linker.ee for links to his podcast, his Embrace Wear apparel line, booking a free consultation, information about the Minneapolis NEDA Walk and more
Daniel
Daniel is an extremely curious person, a wealth of random knowledge and facts. Extremely passionate about a vast array of interests ranging from health to history, science to athletics, everything culinary and the list goes on. Trust us, you would want to be on his team for Trivial Pursuit.
Daniel is also years into his battle with brain cancer. He experienced a seizure while on a Zoom call at work in late 2020 and quite literally, his life changed within minutes. After his operation he started to talk about his story but had always known it was more than just him. From then, More Than Our Story became a PROJECT that has evolved into the starting point it is today.
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