Butterfly: Let's Talk Butterfly Foundation

There can be shame, guilt and fear attached to a struggle with one’s body or eating, not to mention confusion about whether you, or your loved one, may have a diagnosable or treatable problem. These are just some of the reasons why too many people don’t ask for help. It’s a pity, because talking to a professional can be life-changing. That’s why the Australian Government provides funding to the Butterfly National Helpline, a free and discreet information and support service available to anyone, anywhere in Australia. It's a safe space to connect with a trained counsellor; all you need is the courage to take that first step.
“You need somebody who understands how complex and multifaceted eating and body image-related struggles can be,” says Ayesha Khan, the Helpline’s Clinical Operations Lead. “Everyone is welcome to contact us with their questions or concerns. Typically, people experiencing an issue with their eating behaviours reach out, but it could also be their family members or friends. Many health professionals contact us too.
”We asked Ayesha to walk us through how to use the Helpline, what it can and cannot do, what help-seekers can expect when they connect, and her insider’s view of the service.
Tune in to our latest episode to discover how the Butterfly National Helpline can support you, your loved one, or your client.
Contact the Butterfly National Helpline
If you are in crisis contact Triple Zero
If you are in crisis, contact Lifeline
If you are a young person in crisis, contact Kids Helpline
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Carolyn Costin is one of the most well-known names in eating disorder recovery treatment. Her book, Eight Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder, is a pioneering work that was published more than a decade ago and is still regarded as a central text in the field.
Some people think of eating disorders in terms of addiction, with programs to actively get drugs, alcohol, and other addictions out of one’s life. The problem is you can’t do that with food: “You have to learn how to deal with it”, says Carolyn. “It's very different.”
Her eight keys provide insights and steps for facing the daunting task of recovery. From her own lived experience, and extensive work in the field, Carolyn clarifies the overarching topics for us to work through and come to the other side of this illness.
In fact, she's had a hand in numerous initiatives to progress full recovery throughout her career. She developed the first residential treatment centre in the United States that has been replicated in other countries, including Australia. She’s also training recovery coaches to address the very real gaps in care. Carolyn is perennially interesting, and her message of hope is always enlightening.
Read the 8 keys to recovery from an eating disorder
Learn more about Wandi Nerida residential treatment
Learn more about Carolyn Costin
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Going through fertility treatment can be a nerve-wracking and sometimes demoralising experience. When it’s coupled with a past or current eating disorder, the whole process can be even more complicated.
Why? “Fertility difficulties and going through fertility treatment can increase the risk of an eating disorder, but also, eating disorders can impact fertility,” says National Eating Disorder Collaboration National Manager, Dr. Sarah Trobe.
The NEDC has a new program to help educate health professionals about these issues. It’s important because the intersection between those seeking fertility treatment and those with eating disorders is surprisingly high. Not enough health practitioners are yet aware of this.
“Up to 16% of those seeking fertility care are also experiencing a current eating disorder, which is much higher than the general population,” says Dr. Trobe. "And around 25% have a past lived experience.”
Listen to Dr. Trobe share up-to-the-minute learnings from NEDC’s work in this space and how health care professionals can identify risks and respond appropriately when needed. Importantly, Dr. Trobe also offers insights and tips for self-care around eating and body image for people in treatment, as well as for those thinking about starting the process.
Read Pregnancy: A Guide for Assessment and Referral
Access core skills training for fertility care and eating disorders 
Find out more about NEDC
Find out more about Dr Sarah Trobe
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A staggering ninety-five percent of young Australians aged between 12 and 18 are experiencing some level of body image concern, and more than half are unhappy with how their body looks. That’s according to Butterfly’s second Body Kind Youth Survey.
With body dissatisfaction playing a significant role in the development of eating disorders, it’s not surprising that this data makes sense in relation to Butterfly’s latest Paying the Price Report, which shows 27% of individuals with an eating disorder are aged 19 or younger.
It's quite clear there’s a problem, but what can we do? How can parents and caregivers reduce risk and support the individual young people they love?
In this episode of Let’s Talk, we invited our audience to submit their direct questions. Then we asked Helen Bird, Butterfly’s Education Manager and Lead on the Survey, to respond.
While acknowledging that it’s not always easy talking to teens, Helen delivered.
“We live in a society where body size matters,” she says. “And people are picking up very strong messages from a young age. It’s in the media, in books, in the toys that they're playing with.”
The trick is to focus on health-promoting behaviours, that is, ensuring that our teens are eating nutritious food, they’re moving regularly, they're getting enough sleep, they're practising self-care strategies, and that they have positive coping mechanisms. These are the things that contribute to our teens’ health and happiness; it's not necessarily about their shape and weight.
And if you are noticing signs of a problem? “Lean in with compassion and curiosity,” says Helen. “Talk about the things that you've noticed, but in terms of your young person’s feelings and moods. Again, try not to focus on weight or eating behaviours because that’s quite likely to be met with resistance.”
Tune in for more of Helen’s wise and empowering tips, even if you might have body image issues yourself. Working to heal your own relationship with your body is not only good for you but also for the people around you, including your teens.
Find out more about Butterfly's Body Kind Youth Survey Findings
Find out more about Butterfly's Body Kind Families
Find out more Butterfly's Education and Prevention Services
Find out more about our Paying the Price Report
Contact our Helpline
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The concept of including peers in your treatment team, that is people who have recovered from a similar health experience to yours, is not new in healthcare.
Alcoholics Anonymous, for example, has successfully engaged the support of recovered people—called sponsors—since the 1930s.
However, until recently, the model of care has remained quite uncommon. The good news it's experiencing a much welcomed revival, with peer support widely being seen as vital to an eating disorder recovery team.
“Peer work is a new space compared to clinical support, but it is incredibly powerful,” says Reece Georgas, a peer worker in Butterfly’s new Next Steps program that offers support to people discharging from hospital care. “I think it's a game changer.”
Reece turned years of difficult mental health challenges and an eating disorder into something of value for others on a path he knows well.
“Out of all the hospitals I've been in, the one where the therapist had a lived experience and where the groups were peer led – this is what I found to be most beneficial.”
Listen to Reece’s honest description of his own experience and how peer workers are skilled to use their mental health story intentionally to support others safely.
Find out more about Butterfly's Next Steps Program
Find out more about Butterfly's Peer-led Recovery Support Group
Find out more about Butterfly's Peer-led Program for Carers
Read our Peer Workforce Guidelines
 
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Improvements in quality of life and reduced healthcare costs are just some of the benefits uncovered in a Monash University study of Australia’s only residential treatment program for people struggling with eating disorders.
Wandi Nerida, based on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, provides a unique model of holistic, person-centred, inpatient care. As the rate of eating disorders continues to rise, so does the need for improved treatment approaches.
“We're trying to step away from that more clinical hospital feel, where everything's super sterile,” says Dr Carly Roukos, Want Nerida’s Clinical Lead. “As much as possible, we try to have it feel less like a hospital and much more like a home.”
In this episode of Let’s Talk, Dr. Roukos shares how the pioneering model of care at Wandi Nerida was first developed, and what life’s like for participants who receive treatment there.
Dr Roukos has been with the centre from its inception in 2020 and has played an important role in developing the successful clinical program.
“The transition from treatment to home can be really difficult,” she says. “So, we provide opportunities to practice real-life things in real-life settings to help with that transition.”
This piece is key post discharge from hospital: How do we maintain our health and recovery in regular life? Dr Roukos addresses this issue and more.
Find out more about Wandi Nerida
Enquire about placement at Wandi Nerida
Meet the team at Wandi Nerida
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