The Laura Dowling Experience

🎧 Episode Description

Eating disorders are complex, layered, and often hidden in plain sight. In this episode, psychiatric nurse Laura Casey helps us understand the difference between disordered eating and a clinically diagnosed eating disorder - and why that distinction matters.

Drawing on years of frontline experience, Laura explores the psychological roots of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and ARFID. She explains how these illnesses are not about vanity, but instead are coping mechanisms linked to trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, grief, and the need for control. She also sheds light on the physical risks - from refeeding syndrome to bone density loss - and why early intervention dramatically improves the chances of full recovery.

Alongside clinical insight, this episode gives voice to the lived experience of those struggling in silence. It addresses stigma within healthcare, the pressure of social media, the rise in cases during COVID, and the heartbreaking reality that Ireland currently has only three public adult inpatient beds.

🔑 Key Points

1. When Food Becomes an Internal Battle

Eating disorders often involve a powerful internal voice that overrides rational thinking and drives secrecy, rigidity, and isolation.

2. ARFID and Neurodivergence

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder is increasingly recognised, particularly in neurodivergent individuals, and deserves equal seriousness and support.

3. The Role of Trauma and Anxiety

Experiences such as grief, bullying, family breakdown, or suppressed emotions can contribute to the development of disordered eating behaviours.

4. The Hidden Physical Toll

Malnourishment affects cognition, heart function, bone health, sleep, fertility, and digestion - and purging behaviours can cause serious internal damage.

5. Why Families Matter

Family dynamics can influence recovery - both positively and negatively - and family therapy can play a crucial role in long-term progress.

6. Relapse Is a Blip, Not a Failure

Recovery can include setbacks. Early warning signs and relapse prevention planning are key to sustaining progress.

7. Stigma Within Healthcare

Many people feel dismissed or reduced to their diagnosis when seeking treatment - highlighting the need for holistic, compassionate care.

📚 Mentioned in This Episode

DSM-5 - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

ICD Codes - International Classification of Diseases

Eating Disorders
Anorexia nervosa/Bulimia nervosa/Binge Eating Disorder/Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder - ARFID
https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/anorexia-nervosa/

Refeeding Syndrome

CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

DBT - Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Bodywhys - The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland
https://bodywhys.ie/
+353 01 210 7906

Samaritans Ireland
[email protected]
Freephone: 116 123

Pieta House
Freephone: 1800 247 247
0818 111 126

HSE Eating Disorder Teams (Public Health)
1800 111 888
(Referral must be made through GP)

Lois Bridges (Private/Self pay/HSE funding)
[email protected]
www.loisbridges.ie
+353 87 653 9747

CARED Ireland
(Caring About Recovery from an Eating Disorder)
[email protected]

Supporting Families
[email protected]

Family Therapist
Lana Galkovskaja
[email protected]

⏱️ Timestamps

03:00 – Disordered Eating vs Eating Disorders
07:00 – ARFID and Sensory Restriction
13:00 – Trauma, Perfectionism and Control
18:30 – Medical Risks and Refeeding
24:00 – Specialist Therapies and Medication
29:30 – The Gap in Irish Services
34:00 – What Parents and Friends Can Do
40:00 – Relapse Prevention and WRAP Planning
46:00 – Hope at Any Stage of Life
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

Liz Dwyer joins the podcast to discuss what life looks like when separation doesn’t bring closure. Still legally married six years on, she reflects on the gaps in Ireland’s divorce process and the contradictions of being asked to co-parent calmly while fighting legal battles behind the scenes.

Beyond the courtroom, Liz talks about the coping tools that kept her going, from the books that helped her make sense of what she was living through to the unexpected fun of dating again.

Liz also speaks about later marriage and family-building in Ireland, and her work on the Future Fertility Show, which focuses on education, access, and support around fertility and reproductive health.

Key Points

Honest discussion about cosmetic and pelvic health treatments — what works and what doesn’t
Why pelvic floor strength matters more than cosmetic procedures
How Ireland’s divorce system is slow, opaque, and outdated
The emotional and financial toll of being stuck in long-term legal limbo
Lack of transparency and consistency in family court decisions
Being forced to co-parent while legally positioned as adversaries
Total absence of structured support for people going through divorce
Comparison with faster, more straightforward divorce systems abroad
Dating after separation as an unexpected source of healing and perspective
The need for real support networks around divorce, fertility, and family change

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

Broken Open – Elizabeth Lesser
A reflective book about how major life upheavals such as divorce, loss, or illness can break familiar structures and open the door to growth, meaning, and change. It explores resilience, identity, and rebuilding after rupture.

Future Fertility Show
A fertility-focused event covering education, clinics, talks, and support services.
📍 Location: RDS, Dublin
📅 Dates: March 21–22
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.futurefertilityshow.com/

Future Beauty Show
A medical-led beauty and health event focused on hormones, wellbeing, and evidence-based education.
📍 Location: RDS, Dublin
📅 Dates: March 21–22
🎟️ Tickets: https://futurebeautyshow.com/

Future Men’s Health Show
An event dedicated to men’s health, hormones, longevity, and wellbeing, developed in response to growing demand for accessible expert-led information.
📍 Location: RDS, Dublin
📅 Dates: March 21–22
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.futuremenshealth.com/

⏱️ Timestamps

03:10 – Trying beauty treatments to give honest advice
06:05 – Why divorce in Ireland is so difficult
14:10 – Court delays and legal limbo
17:45 – Co-parenting pressures
26:30 – Psychological toll of uncertainty
31:10 – Lack of support structures
36:45 – Books and coping tools
45:50 – Dating after separation
50:40 – Future Fertility Show
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

This conversation brings together Eimear McCrann, Director EY Entrepreneur Of The Year and Anne Heraty, EOY Judge and Founder CPL Resourced, to unpack the realities of entrepreneurship from two deeply experienced perspectives – one from building and leading a business over decades, and the other from supporting hundreds of founders through every stage of growth.

Anne reflects on the long arc of her entrepreneurial journey, from early beginnings to international expansion, public markets, and ultimately stepping back from the business she built. She shares honest insights into resilience, leadership under scrutiny, and the personal trade-offs that come with responsibility.

Eimear shares what she has learned from working at the heart of the Entrepreneur of the Year programme, including why women often hesitate to put themselves forward despite strong businesses. Together, they explore how community, shared learning, and trusted relationships can make entrepreneurship more sustainable – especially during periods of uncertainty and change.

🔑 Key Points

Leadership Requires Comfort With Uncertainty
Entrepreneurs must make decisions without full information, learning to respond rather than react when things change.

Building Through Cycles of Change
Businesses move through booms, crashes, and reinvention, requiring resilience and adaptability at every stage.

Confidence Gaps Still Affect Female Founders
Women tend to underestimate their readiness, particularly when recognition or visibility is involved.

Peer Networks Accelerate Better Decisions
Access to founders with lived experience helps entrepreneurs navigate challenges more effectively.

Letting Go Is a Leadership Skill
Stepping back from a business requires trust, planning, and an identity shift, not just financial readiness.

Entrepreneurship Is Ultimately About People
Teams, trust, and shared values shape sustainable businesses.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

CPL
Founded by Anne Heraty in 1990, CPL grew from a small recruitment firm into a large international recruitment and outsourcing group employing thousands of people across multiple countries.

EY Entrepreneur of the Year
Ireland’s flagship entrepreneurship programme supporting founders through a year-long process focused on community, learning, and long-term impact.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and Focus on Female Entrepreneurship
03:10 – What the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Programme Really Is
06:20 – Anne Heraty’s Early Business Beginnings
10:15 – Scaling, Market Crashes, and Reinvention
15:30 – Confidence, Timing, and Women Putting Themselves Forward
20:10 – The Value of Entrepreneurial Community
24:40 – Expanding Into New Markets and Cultural Differences
29:30 – Leadership, Uncertainty, and Decision-Making
33:45 – Letting Go of a Business and Life After Exit
38:10 – Advice for Young People and Building Relationships
42:30 – Reflections on Meaning, Legacy, and Impact
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode, Laura sits down with Síle Seoige to talk about a period in her early thirties when everything changed at once. Síle speaks about being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, the impact that had on her work and personal life, and how it forced her to stop and reassess in a way she hadn’t before.

She talks about anxiety from the inside, not recognising it at the time, only later, and how listening to other people’s stories during the making of her documentaries made her re-examine her own experiences. The conversation also moves through parenting, work, and the practical decisions Síle has made around boundaries, time away from home, and what she will and won’t say yes to now.

The discussion is closely tied to Síle’s new documentary series Séalaí le Síle, filmed over several months and exploring three major themes: parenting, anxiety, and bullying. The series airs on TG4 on Wednesday nights, beginning on Wednesday 11 February, with each episode focusing on one topic. Drawing on conversations with families, experts, and people sharing their own lived experiences in Ireland and abroad, Síle describes the project as an attempt to better understand why so many people are struggling in the world as it is now.

🔑 Key Points

A year that changed everything
Síle speaks about a period when illness, work, and personal life collided, forcing her to stop and take stock in a way she hadn’t before.

Living with anxiety without naming it
She describes experiencing anxiety for years without recognising it at the time, only understanding it later through hindsight and listening to others.

Illness as a line in the sand
A thyroid cancer diagnosis brought clarity about what mattered, what didn’t, and what could no longer be ignored.

Parenting in a pressured system
The conversation looks at how modern parenting is shaped by time, money, childcare, and expectation.

Learning to set boundaries
Síle talks about becoming more boundaried around work, travel, and time away from home, and why saying no has become necessary.

Listening to other people’s experiences
Making the documentaries prompted Síle to reconsider parts of her own life she hadn’t fully examined before.

Bullying beyond childhood
Bullying is discussed as something that affects adults too, particularly in workplaces and public-facing roles.

Questioning what we call ‘normal’
The episode repeatedly returns to the idea that many struggles make sense when placed in the context of modern life.

⏱️ Timestamps

04:20 – The documentaries and why these topics mattered
06:30 – Parenting, pressure, and guilt
08:10 – Parenting today and the pressure parents are under
17:00 – Anxiety and missing language
25:10 – Illness, shock, and being forced to stop
37:20 – Parenting decisions and limits
44:00 – Media exposure and public life
52:10 – Identity and reflection
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode, Laura explores why dating so often feels exhausting, confusing, or discouraging, particularly when one person is ready for commitment and the other is not in the same place.

Drawing on insight from Mairead the Matchmaker, the conversation looks at how timing, life stage, and emotional readiness shape modern relationships. It reflects on patterns that come up again and again, including men waiting until life feels secure before committing, women staying open to connection despite setbacks, and how early communication often sets the tone for what follows.

Rather than offering quick fixes, this episode focuses on clarity and self understanding, recognising when a situation is not aligned with what you want, and trusting that dating should not require you to minimise yourself. It is a thoughtful, grounded conversation for anyone navigating modern dating with honesty and intention.

🔑 Key Points

Readiness matters more than chemistry
Strong attraction does not lead anywhere if two people are not emotionally or practically ready at the same time.

Men and women often date differently
Men often wait until life feels stable before committing, while women tend to stay open to connection.

Communication sets the tone early
How someone communicates at the beginning usually reflects how they will communicate long term.

Dating is a numbers game, without being unkind
Meeting the right person requires consistency while still treating people with respect.

Not every relationship should last
Staying in something unhealthy can be more damaging than leaving.

The right relationship allows you to be yourself
A healthy partnership feels supportive rather than constraining.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and why dating feels difficult
03:30 – Why people are marrying later in Ireland
08:00 – Readiness and timing
12:00 – When one person is ready and the other is not
16:00 – Using dating apps properly
19:30 – Communication patterns and early red flags
26:00 – Dating as a numbers game
33:30 – Confidence built through action
39:30 – How the wrong relationship affects wellbeing
43:00 – Five questions to assess a relationship
49:30 – Knowing when to walk away
56:00 – Staying open without burnout
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.