Take It From Us

Eating Disorders Carer Support (EDCS) was formed in 2018 by a group of parents of children with eating disorders. They had all experienced the effects of isolation and lack of support and were looking to form a safe place for other parents to connect and access resources. One of the co-founders and current co-chairperson, Sarah Rowland, has first hand experience of eating disorders, firstly through her own younger years and then as a parent of a child with an eating disorder, she tells Kent Johns she is still learning about the effects that this illness has on a person’s life.

Eating Disorders Carer Support (EDCS) was formed in 2018 by a group of parents of children with eating disorders. They had all experienced the effects of isolation and lack of support and were looking to form a safe place for other parents to connect and access resources. One of the co-founders and current co-chairperson, Sarah Rowland, has first hand experience of eating disorders, firstly through her own younger years and then as a parent of a child with an eating disorder, she says she is still learning about the effects that this illness has on a person’s life.

Bex Chapman grew up in a loving home with supportive and present parents.She fell into a meth

addiction as a young mum and struggling with body image and self-esteem. She says she quickly went from having a good job and a routine to her life revolving around using and selling meth. Now 4 years clean and working as a builder's apprentice, Bex shares her very personal story with Kent Johns.

Matthew Steans has been committed to supporting suicide prevention and workplace wellbeing for several years. His current project is called The Yarns Men, a social enterprise creating opportunities for men to experience connection through good, open and honest conversation. Currently operating in Christchurch, the group encourages men to come together for a coffee and a yarn.

Catherine Sylvester shares her experience of living with ADHD. Diagnosed later in life, Catherine, a journalist of 20 years of experience, talks to Kent Johns about feeling like she did not fit the ‘normal’ mold and the difficulties of getting a diagnosis, resulting in a lifetime of self-criticism and self-medicating.

Hear from those with lived experience of mental distress and discover pathways to recovery. An award-winning show that gets to the heart of things with the experienced and the expert.

Jo Malcolm-Black has worked with Children and young people in NZ and overseas and is currently the CEO of the Dingle Foundation, an organisation set up by Sir Graeme Dingle and his wife Jo Anne Wilkinson in 1995, helping young people build resilience through access to inspirational leaders and mentors to develop life skills and confidence. Wallace Stevenson and Pete Vikenvleugle are a couple of mates and mental health consumers who have worked together to publish and promote Pete’s book ‘How to Survive the New Abnormal’.

Rose joins us to talk about her lived experience with alcohol and gambling harm and shares her story of understanding her own trauma and how she manages it. Rose has turned her experience into a learning journey to help better understand Maori with lived experience. Rose is currently studying for a PhD.

Hear from those with lived experience of mental distress and discover pathways to recovery. An award-winning show that gets to the heart of things with the experienced and the expert.

Hear from those with lived experience of mental distress and discover pathways to recovery. An award-winning show that gets to the heart of things with the experienced and the expert.