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Work is really getting to me today :(
Today I ran "Body Celebration" group in which we discussed the patients timeline of their eating disorder as it related to specific incidences/comments regarding their body image.
One patient's mother would weigh her when she was 9 years old in front of mother's friends to show that the patient weighed more than Mom. Another patient's mother bought her a calorie counting book at 5 years old. 5. Years. Old. Another patient's father would tug at her "chubby tummy" when she was 8 years old. Most patients had some history of sexual abuse and basically were told it was because their bodies were disgusting and deserved bad things.
Normally I can do a pretty good job at setting my personal boundaries, but today I got teary-eyed listening to their stories.
Once again, parents fking up their children.
Re: Work is really getting to me today :(
That is so sad to hear. It's amazing you can handle it.
Hugs, Apples. You're helping them where their loved ones didn't. It's good you care, because they need it.
When my mom was a kid, my grandpa used to say things like "We better head out to the tent sale so we can buy Alice's school clothes".
It's my justification for my nightly glass of wine. Because otherwise I'd never sleep.
Aww, that's really tough to hear things like that, I hope they are able to mend and overcome those issues really soon. I want to hug all your patients!
I definitely couldn't handle it, I cry when I watch Intervention and that's not even hearing them face to face. They have had several ED's featured and they always have such shattering stories to hear.
You are so strong, apples, and such a wonderful person!
This. I have enormous respect for you and your job.
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**hugs** All of this! You are amazing!
Edit: I also do not understand how your job doesn't make you homicidal, especially hearing stories like that...I hope the afternoon is better for you.
LOL, well, see my above response to GLW. Wine is my form of relaxation at the end of the day. Otherwise I would be psychotic. I also have a really incredible clinical supervisor who makes sure we can set up some personal and professional boundaries. Wine + Good Supervision = Happy, Healthy Apples
It makes me sad that so many parents are like that, cause my dad sucked too when it came to my ED.
At one of the worse parts, I was taking in approx 5-250 calories a day (that I promptly exercised away). We had to do this assignment in health class where we wrote down everything we ate for a week. I told my parents about it, and my dad said "We better go out and buy a few more notebooks, one definitely won't be enough for you." ...he did not say this in a joking way. When I lost about 40 pounds over a summer, he asked me where my spare tire was, and pinched my waist. Suck.
You're an amazing person, and it says so much that these people confide in you and let their walls down. I know so much of that stuff has to be hard to hear, but I hope you realize you make a difference in someone's life every day.
:::Hugs:::
Thank you for helping these people. It must be tough.
-- Thoughts become things, choose the good ones! --
I'm sorry to hear that about your dad. I think at some point we realize our parents are far from perfect and don't have to be a part of the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves anymore