Have you ever been in and out of hospital so many times that everyone around you quietly stopped believing you'd ever get better, so you started to believe it too? This episode is for you."
This week on the Full of Beans Podcast, I'm joined by Hannah Whitfield, a creative activist, writer, speaker, performer and founder of Legally Detained - a lived-experience-led creative platform transforming survival into power through art, activism and unapologetic storytelling. Her work explores neurodivergence, trauma, mental health systems, eating disorder recovery, inclusion and the power of creative expression.
Through speaking, writing, performance, consultancy and her podcast No Longer Legally Detained, Hannah challenges systems that ask people to become smaller to survive, and instead creates work that says: we were never broken - we were surviving worlds that were never built with us in mind.
In this episode, we explore:
Where Legally Detained came from
Hannah's experience of psychiatric admissions
Being placed on a ward that didn't believe her eating disorder was "real"
Becoming a "revolving door patient" across CAMHS, adult services, and secure care
The problem with BMI criteria as a gatekeeper for treatment
Where restrictive practice crosses the line from safety into cruelty
The rock-bottom moment that changed everything
How an ADHD diagnosis helped Hannah understand her own patterns for the first time
Reframing recovery: it's not a "utopia," it's learning to ride the wave
Why purpose and belonging, not just words, are what help people recover
⚠️ Content Note: This episode contains discussions of eating disorder treatment, inpatient care, and iatrogenic harm. Please take care of yourself while listening.
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