Motivation for Recovery Panel with Malise, Mark, Katrina and Elliot

Introducing our incredible and inspiring Motivation for Recovery Panel.

It’s so important to us that our Conferences are a space for sharing lived experience stories, hope for recovery, and a chance to connect with those who’ve walked (and many still walking) the path of recovery from BDD.

In this talk, we’ll hear a range of perspectives from Mark, Katrina, Elliot & Malise on what their recovery journey’s have looked like so far, where they’ve found support and healing, and what helps them stay in that journey of recovery in the here and now.

About our speakers:

Malise Honey is a support worker, author of The System Couldn’t Break Me, and an active and dedicated BDD advocate. When inpatient hospital settings failed her, Malise got a place on the BDD Foundation’s Overcoming BDD programme which proved to be the turning point in her recovery and helped her rebuild her life. Passionate about giving back, Malise volunteers on the BDDF e-helpline, has shared her journey on the Beating BDD podcast and has also taken on four major physical challenges, including a full marathon to raise money for the BDDF, she defied the very limitations BDD once set and to prove that recovery has no bounds, she will be speaking at the BDDF 2026 conference to empower others and to share how lived experience can transform trauma into purpose and hope for others.

Mark Brown: I have lived with Body Dysmorphic Disorder since my teenage years, with my BDD primarily focused around my nose. It developed following some traumatic experiences of bullying and went on to have a significant impact on my life. Throughout my twenties, I tried to overcome BDD but struggled to find a way forward. Things began to change in my thirties when I made a full commitment to recovery. I pushed to find the right help and was fortunate to find an excellent therapist. At the same time, I received support from the BDD Foundation, which helped me better understand BDD and what recovery could look like. These days, I would say I have recovered, although I continue to work at maintaining that recovery and making sure BDD doesn’t begin to take over again. More than anything, I try to make the most of my life and make life as good as I can for the people around me too.

Elliot Ditton is a theatre maker, designer, and performer who creates work based on his lived experiences. After receiving vital support from the Foundation during their own recovery, they are deeply honored to join this panel on BDD motivation. Elliot’s current creative project explores his experience of living with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, focusing on a central message: that HOPE can still be found in HOPEless. Through their art, they aim to foster understanding, start conversations, and reduce stigma and ‘HOPEfully’ inspire others on their healing journeys.

Katrina King became involved with the BDD Foundation through its support groups, which marked the beginning of her journey within the recovery community. After taking part in the Overcoming BDD Programme as a participant, she went on to become a co-facilitator and will soon begin her third round supporting the programme. Through her own lived experience and consistent ERP, Katrina will share how she has slowly built the courage to become more visible. She will speak about the BDD Foundation’s role in her recovery, as well as improvised comedy and freestyle rap. Katrina has learned to embrace new challenges while relating to her BDD as a safety mechanism that also became a source of suffering.