Over the last 5 years, hospital visits related to eating disorders has doubled, and those being diagnosed are getting younger and often presenting with a more serious condition. The reasons for why someone develops an eating disorder is a complicated process with biological, psychological, genetic and social-cultural factors at play. It is also important to acknowledge that it is also a long and difficult process when supporting a loved one on their recovery journey.

In this episode, we will hear from Genevieve Mora as she shares her personal journey to recovery and her advice for any individuals dealing with an eating disorder.

Genevieve’s biography:

Genevieve spent most of her teenage years trying to managing both her OCD and anorexia nervosa. As part of her recovery, she has made it her mission to offer hope to those who are struggling themselves. Genevieve co-founded Voices of Hope, and through this platform, she uses her lived experience to show people that recovery is possible and that there is no shame in having a mental illness. Genevieve is the author of ‘Bite Back - a compassionate guide to navigating Eating Disorders,’ and the co-creator of Love your Kite, an eating disorder resource app. Alongside Jazz Thornton, her cofounder, she was named in 2023 Forbes Asia 30 under 30.

In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:

0:00 - Intro
 2:25 - How did Gen’s mental illness journey begin?
5:00 - Why did Gen develop Anorexia Nervosa?
8:55 - What were the challenges Gen faced while having an eating disorder?
11:25 - What was the turning point towards her recovery?
13:45 - Why the denial phase prevents recovery from an eating disorder
15:25 - Did Gen feel judged about her mental illness?
17:00 - What is a typical recovery journey?
19:35 - How to help individuals move past the pre-contemplative (denial) phase
21:35 - How to avoid unhelpful language when supporting someone who is struggling with an eating disorder
24:15 - Are there more young men struggling with eating disorders?
25:45 - Has Gen experience relapses after recovery?
28:00 - Is recovery based only from the perspective of the individual going through the mental illness, or from the perspective of the people supporting them?
31:40 - What Gen does to stay mentally well
33:45 - What parents can do to try and prevent their child from develop an eating disorder 
37:00 - What has Gen learnt from running a charity about the community's mental health and lived experiences?
39:45 - What is the role that workplaces can play in supporting individuals?
41:00 - Why did Gen develop an eating disorder resource app?
43:30 - What did Gen learn after people starting using her app?
45:20 - What is Gen hopeful about the eating disorder space?
46:17 - What is Gen’s message to those who are supporting loved ones struggling with an eating disorder?
47:20 - Is there any difference for those who are overeating compared to those who are restricting their intake?
49:00 - What is Gen’s one wellbeing practice?

Learn more about Gen:

https://thevoicesofhope.org/pages/team
https://www.linkedin.com/in/genevieve-mora-a02948174/?originalSubdomain=nz

Helpful resource: (Genevieve's book)
https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/bite-back-9781776950447

Learn more about Clearhead:
https://www.myclearhead.com/