What happens when the search for answers becomes a dangerous obsession? 

Georgie sits down with journalist and author Hannah McElhinney to discuss her book Wormhole, the true story of her cousin Lauren.

Lauren spent much of her life battling debilitating symptoms and collecting diagnoses including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and POTS, while struggling to find meaningful answers from the healthcare system.

As her trust in traditional medicine eroded, she was drawn deeper into online communities promoting controversial and unproven treatments - including coffee enemas, bleach protocols, ozone therapy and hyperthermia treatment. 

At just 37 years old, Lauren travelled alone to Malaysia for an alternative treatment she hoped would finally make her well. She never came home. 

Hannah shares the heartbreaking story behind Lauren’s death, and the broader questions her story raises about health anxiety and the booming wellness industry. 

The conversation also explores Hannah’s own experiences with IBS, OCD and health anxiety, and how her personal journey informed her understanding of Lauren’s search for answers. 

This episode contains discussions of health conditions and unproven treatments, please see your doctor for medical advice.

This episode covers: 
The true story behind Wormhole 
Lauren’s decades-long battle with chronic illness 
Why chronic illness can leave people vulnerable to misinformation 
The rise of alternative medicine and wellness culture 
The online communities that fuel medical distrust 
The dangers of unregulated treatments and medical tourism 
Chronic Lyme disease and the controversy surrounding the diagnosis 
The intersection of health anxiety, OCD and chronic symptoms 
Women’s experiences of being dismissed within healthcare systems 
The fine line between hope, desperation and exploitation 
How Hannah’s own health journey shaped her understanding of Lauren’s story 
What Lauren’s life can teach us about trust, wellness and living fully 

Wormhole by Hannah McElhinney is available now. 

Read more on Marie Claire: The 'treatment' that went horribly wrong in Malaysia, and the wellness world behind it

Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram

🎧 Listen to You’re Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts orv Spotify 

👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips.  

Credits:  

Host Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt 

Edited by Charlie Potter 

Supervising Producer Leah Porges 

Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain 

Learn More: You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media. 

What happens when the search for answers becomes a dangerous obsession?&nbsp;
Georgie sits down with journalist and author Hannah McElhinney to discuss her book Wormhole, the true story of her cousin Lauren.
Lauren spent much of her life battling debilitating symptoms and collecting diagnoses including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and POTS, while struggling to find meaningful answers from the healthcare system.
As her trust in traditional medicine eroded, she was drawn deeper into online communities promoting controversial and unproven treatments - including coffee enemas, bleach protocols, ozone therapy and hyperthermia treatment.&nbsp;
At just 37 years old, Lauren travelled alone to Malaysia for an alternative treatment she hoped would finally make her well. She never came home.&nbsp;
Hannah shares the heartbreaking story behind Lauren&rsquo;s death, and the broader questions her story raises about health anxiety and the booming wellness industry.&nbsp;
The conversation also explores Hannah&rsquo;s own experiences with IBS,&nbsp;OCD&nbsp;and health anxiety, and how her personal journey informed her understanding of Lauren&rsquo;s search for answers.&nbsp;
This episode contains discussions of health conditions and unproven treatments, please see your doctor for medical advice.
This episode covers:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">The true story behind&nbsp;Wormhole&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Lauren&rsquo;s decades-long battle with chronic illness&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Why chronic illness can leave people vulnerable to misinformation&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">The rise of alternative medicine and wellness culture&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">The online communities that fuel medical distrust&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">The dangers of unregulated treatments and medical tourism&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1">Chronic Lyme disease and the controversy surrounding the diagnosis&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1">The intersection of health anxiety,&nbsp;OCD&nbsp;and chronic symptoms&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="9" data-aria-level="1">Women&rsquo;s experiences of being dismissed within healthcare systems&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="10" data-aria-level="1">The fine line between hope,&nbsp;desperation&nbsp;and exploitation&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="11" data-aria-level="1">How Hannah&rsquo;s own health journey shaped her understanding of Lauren&rsquo;s story&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="12" data-aria-level="1">What Lauren&rsquo;s life can teach us about trust, wellness and living fully&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Wormhole&nbsp;by Hannah McElhinney is available now.&nbsp;
Read more on Marie Claire: <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com.au/life/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this-podcast/hannah-mcelhinney-wellness-culture-wormhole/">The 'treatment' that went horribly wrong in Malaysia, and the wellness world behind it</a>
Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marieclaireau">Instagram</a>
🎧 Listen&nbsp;to&nbsp;You&rsquo;re&nbsp;Gonna&nbsp;Want to Hear This&nbsp;and follow&nbsp;us&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864">Apple Podcasts</a> orv&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vsxq2nZIMJLnywOXfuxqZ?si=bb7ec5eac4184752">Spotify</a>&nbsp;
👀 Watch&nbsp;and subscribe to&nbsp;You're&nbsp;Gonna&nbsp;Want to Hear This&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/marieclaire">YouTube</a>&nbsp;📺&nbsp;for full episodes and clips.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Host&nbsp;Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt&nbsp;
Edited by&nbsp;Charlie Potter&nbsp;
Supervising Producer Leah Porges&nbsp;
Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain&nbsp;
Learn More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marieclaire.com.au/life/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this-podcast/">You're Gonna Want to Hear This</a>&nbsp;is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.&nbsp;

Who’s on your celebrity fantasy dinner party list? Marie Claire have got access to the biggest celebrities and fascinating favourite people you love.  With unique pairings, the type of conversations where fun and frankness is always in style. Trust us…you’re gonna want to hear this! 

Who&rsquo;s on your celebrity fantasy dinner party list? Marie Claire have got access to the biggest celebrities and fascinating favourite people you love. &nbsp;With unique pairings, the type of conversations where fun and frankness is always in style. Trust us&hellip;you&rsquo;re gonna want to hear this!&nbsp;

You’re Gonna Want To Hear This

Writer Hannah McElhinney joins Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt to talk about her debut book Wormhole - the true story of her cousin Lauren, who died in Malaysia after seeking alternative medical treatment for a chronic illness. 

Health Anxiety, Chronic Illness and Online Misinformation Cost One Woman Her Life 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/577f738b-0867-478c-9457-b46c006024c3/transcript