Debasement and Self-Criticism: The Trap

If you have an eating disorder, you often feel insecure and question your value as a person. You are certain that the criticism you give yourself is an echo of the criticism you believe is aimed at you from others. No amount of reassurance will alter your position. Reassurance, you believe, comes from people who mean well, are trying to soothe you, don't understand the reality of your worthlessness or are trying to exploit you by making you believe you are better than you know you are.

Sexual Victimization, Trauma, & Resilience to Disordered EatingSexual Victimization, Trauma, & Resilience to Disordered Eating

Age, looks, or smiling faces are not indications of freedom from dangerous sexual liaisons, just as appearance is not reliable evidence indicating the presence or absence of an eating disorder.

An eating disorder can thrust a woman into dangerous sexual experiences. She may not know she is walking into danger. She may not recognize the danger while it is actually happening to her because she is in a dissociative state or deep in an unrealistic fantasy.

"Sleep that knits the raveled sleeve of care." William Shakespeare

Body signals often are misinterpreted by a person with an eating disorder. You may have a tendency to avoid sleep when you are tired. When feelings of tiredness transform into food cravings rather than getting needed rest trouble is brewing.

Suppose you see or know or suspect that an employee has an eating disorder. What should you do? Here's a guest article by Joy Nollenberg, director of The Joy Project addressing this issue. She wants readers to know that legal issues abound in this realm and that her words are not legal advice. In other words, check out your legal position before embarking on a workplace confrontation.

There may be times when someone in the workplace appears to be very ill with an eating disorder. This can be a difficult situation with many potential pitfalls. It's important to keep these points in mind.