I actually think the addiction to negativity and to that inner critic, it's a desire for safety,

for almost like immunity or invulnerability from external forces.

Because I just found that if you keep criticizing yourself, if you keep being mean to yourself,

then all the other external hurts, they don't pierce you as much.

Hello and welcome to this Sunday's big interview for the Irish Man abroad with Ivan Lynch,

the author of a searing new memoir entitled The Opposite of Butterfly

Hunting, The Tragedy and the Glory of Growing Up.

This is an unbelievable read and a tough one at the best of times.

She is, of course, the actress and activist and podcaster, who talks about the bravery that it takes

to embrace ourselves and the things we want and how to navigate this constant battle in our

minds between perfection and creative freedom. It's incredibly written. It's an amazing book. And Ivana has of course been

viewed for a long time as a role model for people recovering from anorexia. And the story of

her casting as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films kind of grew to this mythic level, became this fairy tale of how

it saved her. Of course, there was a lot more to it than that. And this idea of recovery being a

linear thing is something that she wanted to address. And as I discuss here, it's an opportunity

for her to set the story straight and take

back ownership of what is her life and how complicated it can be and continues to be. I really

adored it and I think there's an awful lot in this conversation in the book for parents of

kids going through a tough time. Jigsaw.e are my chosen charity partner for that very reason.

They're an incredible youth mental health charity in Ireland

who work throughout communities to help equip young people with the mental health skills

they'll need to survive in life.

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