Yeah, exactly.

I'm used to having this conversation, so it's all good.

Yeah, so yes, I mean, the eating disorder does serve a function.

And it can be any of those things I've just mentioned.

So things like it can be that way of communicating.

And someone might not be fully aware of it in the moment, right? because no one's really asked them that question before.

But it could be that way of communicating, that way of, you know, people with eating disorders often are often people that have really big feelings, are really emotive and empaths.

What are the steps that you take?

And, and I'd like to start right at the beginning with this conversation and I'd like to start, like, why did you start journeyed? Can we start there?

Yeah, we, we, we definitely can.

So, um, as I say, I have lived experience of anorexia.

Um, I, whilst I was in the UK, um, I reached a point in my life where, uh, my relationship with anorexia was no longer sustainable.

Um, what that meant was that I had to step away from my life, my career, um, everything I built.

Um, I, you know, I was.

I was doing pretty well as an academic, I would say.

Let's reclaim it.

But in the context of that need, how is your charity coming at this? What is the purpose of what you're launching today and, and the role you're wanting to play?

So our organization, JourneyED Eating Disorder Support Aotearoa, we are a lived experience-based organization.

Um, our, um...

I guess our offering to the community will be in the form of peer support.

Uh, so I'm a, I'm a peer support specialist.

Um, I, um, trained in peer support a number of years ago, and I've been working in the peer support space since.

Um, since leaving academia really, I, I discovered the lived experience workforce and I haven't looked back.

Yeah