Quick Update
May. 16th, 2003 02:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quidditchgrrlMuch like ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fearthainn, when things in RL get tough, I have a tough time escaping its crushing load. I can't write, lose my creativity, and it's nearly impossible for me to relax until things are resolved to my satisfaction. Then I can let my hair back down and return to the land of banality until it happens again. I don't mind the whirlwind, so long as it dumps me back in Kansas when it's over.
Saw A Wednesday night, and she looked terrible. She was wearing a dress of W's - W is very tall and muscular, so A was swimming in this outfit - hair pulled up, and looking more tired than any 16 year old girl should. I've found out a couple more things about her background as well.
She has been to counseling in the past, but not recently, and never with her parents. I'm of the opinion that when something like this happens, especially with eating disorders, parents need to be involved in the counseling process. And I do not believe that it's the media who creates eating disorders in young people. It just doesn't fit the profile of most people with EOs - they are typically are (or are perceived as) highly driven, perfectionistic, self-confident overachievers. Not the typical girl who sits around reading magazines and wishing she looked like Britney Spears, constantly talking about clothes and dieting. Someone very influential is skewing the viewpoint of girls with EOs, not the media. Media needs a third party to make an impact on someone.
A's parents are both smallish people. A is tall and willowy. A is outgoing and has a bubbly personality. A's parents get quite upset with her when she makes a lot of commotion (and as any of you with teenagers can attest, they are for the most part ear-splitting); they think something is wrong when she can't settle down and be quiet. According to W, A's family keeps tons of junk food in their house, but they rarely eat any of it. This is something my mother used to do (and my younger sister does it now). It all goes back to having all of that control and willpower - 'see all of this junk food? Ha - we never eat it because we don't give in to temptation!' - which thin people are perceived to have and fat people appear to lack. (Sorry, you bring Twinkies into my house, and they'll never be seen again!) I've never seen A eat any kind of junk food in public, and she prides herself on making healthy food choices. I wonder what she eats during a binge...*looks sad*
I sat with A and her family at last year's Christmas potluck and I remember how A's mom picked through all the food and commented on the calories and fat content of each dish, then made a point of only eating a few things. It didn't strike me as unusual then, but it seems much more sinister now. Not to demonize her parents in any way (since they're obviously trying to do what they think works best), but I think they need to change their mindset about food before A has a shred of hope for recovery, and if they're not willing to make that committment, they can't ask the same of A.
I think it's easier to be mad at someone (and ignore the situation) when you don't have to look them in the eye everyday. A is not in a state to make the first move to come back home, and I'm sure her parents are upset, hurt and sorry they kicked her out, but someone needs to break the ice here. They've spoken about mundane things, like paying for insurance on A's car, but nothing else. Mom and Dad are invited over for prom pictures - I can't imagine they'd miss it - and I hope that they'll ask her to come home after that. I really hate to see her suffering over all of this.
In other news, I have officially cemented my moron status here at work. Calculated a 20% fee on a $1 million project as $20K instead of $200K.
*headdesk*
*headdesk*
*headdesk*
If you ever wondered why the GAO can't audit the government's expenditures, your question has been answered. Thank goodness someone pointed it out to me. Unfortunately, it was my boss (the nice one, but still).
*headdesk*
So, with that gaffe behind me, I've decided to follow in the footsteps of many a physical anthropology major and go back to school for my BA in zoology. I only need 6 classes, so it's doable in a short amount of time with a minimum of disruption. I know it's not the most economically feasible, and I know that I should look into grad school instead, but the sad fact is that no employer pays attention to anything but a piece of paper when it comes to courses. I'd like to put that organic chemistry/biochemistry/calculus/microbiology/molecular genetics to use, since I did sweat bullets over them.
[/long-windedness]
fearthainn, when things in RL get tough, I have a tough time escaping its crushing load. I can't write, lose my creativity, and it's nearly impossible for me to relax until things are resolved to my satisfaction. Then I can let my hair back down and return to the land of banality until it happens again. I don't mind the whirlwind, so long as it dumps me back in Kansas when it's over.Saw A Wednesday night, and she looked terrible. She was wearing a dress of W's - W is very tall and muscular, so A was swimming in this outfit - hair pulled up, and looking more tired than any 16 year old girl should. I've found out a couple more things about her background as well.
She has been to counseling in the past, but not recently, and never with her parents. I'm of the opinion that when something like this happens, especially with eating disorders, parents need to be involved in the counseling process. And I do not believe that it's the media who creates eating disorders in young people. It just doesn't fit the profile of most people with EOs - they are typically are (or are perceived as) highly driven, perfectionistic, self-confident overachievers. Not the typical girl who sits around reading magazines and wishing she looked like Britney Spears, constantly talking about clothes and dieting. Someone very influential is skewing the viewpoint of girls with EOs, not the media. Media needs a third party to make an impact on someone.
A's parents are both smallish people. A is tall and willowy. A is outgoing and has a bubbly personality. A's parents get quite upset with her when she makes a lot of commotion (and as any of you with teenagers can attest, they are for the most part ear-splitting); they think something is wrong when she can't settle down and be quiet. According to W, A's family keeps tons of junk food in their house, but they rarely eat any of it. This is something my mother used to do (and my younger sister does it now). It all goes back to having all of that control and willpower - 'see all of this junk food? Ha - we never eat it because we don't give in to temptation!' - which thin people are perceived to have and fat people appear to lack. (Sorry, you bring Twinkies into my house, and they'll never be seen again!) I've never seen A eat any kind of junk food in public, and she prides herself on making healthy food choices. I wonder what she eats during a binge...*looks sad*
I sat with A and her family at last year's Christmas potluck and I remember how A's mom picked through all the food and commented on the calories and fat content of each dish, then made a point of only eating a few things. It didn't strike me as unusual then, but it seems much more sinister now. Not to demonize her parents in any way (since they're obviously trying to do what they think works best), but I think they need to change their mindset about food before A has a shred of hope for recovery, and if they're not willing to make that committment, they can't ask the same of A.
I think it's easier to be mad at someone (and ignore the situation) when you don't have to look them in the eye everyday. A is not in a state to make the first move to come back home, and I'm sure her parents are upset, hurt and sorry they kicked her out, but someone needs to break the ice here. They've spoken about mundane things, like paying for insurance on A's car, but nothing else. Mom and Dad are invited over for prom pictures - I can't imagine they'd miss it - and I hope that they'll ask her to come home after that. I really hate to see her suffering over all of this.
In other news, I have officially cemented my moron status here at work. Calculated a 20% fee on a $1 million project as $20K instead of $200K.
*headdesk*
*headdesk*
*headdesk*
If you ever wondered why the GAO can't audit the government's expenditures, your question has been answered. Thank goodness someone pointed it out to me. Unfortunately, it was my boss (the nice one, but still).
*headdesk*
So, with that gaffe behind me, I've decided to follow in the footsteps of many a physical anthropology major and go back to school for my BA in zoology. I only need 6 classes, so it's doable in a short amount of time with a minimum of disruption. I know it's not the most economically feasible, and I know that I should look into grad school instead, but the sad fact is that no employer pays attention to anything but a piece of paper when it comes to courses. I'd like to put that organic chemistry/biochemistry/calculus/microbiology/molecular genetics to use, since I did sweat bullets over them.
[/long-windedness]
