Paying off-emotional-debt-2
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Transcript of Paying off-emotional-debt-2
This session will be covering:• What exactly is an eating disorder?
• My personal struggle with eating disorders and how they’ve affected my life and career in tech.
• How your company can approach and help an employee potentially suffering from an eating disorder.
What is an eating disorder?
An eating disorder is an unhealthy relationship with food and weight that interferes with many areas of a person’s life.
One’s thoughts become preoccupied with food, weight or exercise.
A person who struggles with an eating disorder can have unrealistic self-critical thoughts about body image, and his or her eating habits may begin to disrupt normal body functions and affect daily activities.
(source: ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)
Anorexia Nervosa
A person with anorexia may have an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. Someone with anorexia may practice unhealthy behaviors such as: restricting calories, only eating specific foods or skipping meals frequently.
(source: ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)
Bulimia Nervosa
A person with bulimia may also be intensely afraid of becoming fat or gaining weight. Someone with bulimia may eat large amounts of food in a short period of time (binge) and then eliminate the food and calories (purge). One may induce vomiting, exercise excessively, or use laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills to purge weight or calories.
(source: ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)
Binge Eating Disorder
This disorder involves eating very large amounts of food rapidly (to the point of feeling sick or uncomfortable). These episodes of bingeing occur frequently. When binge eating, a person feels like they cannot stop eating or control what or how much is eaten.
(source: ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)
Eating Disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS)
EDNOS is a feeding or eating disorder that causes significant distress or impairment, but does not meet the criteria for another feeding or eating disorder.
(source: ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)
20 million women 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life.
1 in 10 people with eating disorders receive treatment.
(source: Characteristics and Treatment of Patients with Chronic Eating Disorders, by Dr. Greta
Noordenbox, International Journal of Eating Disorders, Volume 10)
Eating disorders are not limited to age, race or gender.
Anyone can develop an eating disorder at any time,
though they are more commonly developed at a young age.
Men are less likely to seek treatment because of the perception that eating disorders are “women’s diseases”
Mental health issues related to ED’s:• Depression
• Alcoholism
• Drug abuse
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
The mortality rate associated with anorexia is 12 times higher than the death rate associated with all other causes of death for females ages 15-24 yrs.
Effects eating disorders take on the body
Anorexia
• Monthly menstruation stops• Breathing, pulse and blood pressure rates drop
• Anemia• Loss of bone mineral density• Irregular heart rhythms/ heart failure
Bulimia
• Monthly menstruation stops• Mild anemia• Extreme heartburn• Electrolyte imbalance that can lead to cardiac arrest
• Ruptured stomach• Erosion of teeth enamel• Kidney and Liver damage• Internal bleeding• Gallbladder eruption
But there is treatment• Individual psychotherapy
• Group therapy
• Medication (to relieve paralyzing depression and anxiety)
• Nutritional counseling
• Hospitalization (for weight gain, suicide watch or stabilization of healthy eating habits)
I hid my bulimia from everyone. Eating was really the only thing I could do to be happy for even 5 minutes.
DISCLAIMER: This is not legal advice. I am not a lawyer and you should always seek legal council and get in touch with your human resources department before speaking with an employee on this topic.
Avoid making assumptions.
Rapid weight gain or loss doesn’t necessarily mean that person has an eating disorder.
People who are suffering from eating disorders can often preform their job duties normally on a day to day basis.
But some cannot.
An eating disorder can severely alter a person’s behavior and mentality making it difficult for them focus on job tasks.
This will ultimately interfere with the productivity of that individual, your team and your projects.
If you have concerns with the health of an employee or teammate, address your concerns with HR or senior management.
How will you know?• The employee will outright tell you
• Outward Symptoms
• Colleagues become concerned and inform management
Anytime a manager or team leader knows about confidential health information it puts the company at risk of future accusations of discrimination or unfair termination due to the person’s health concerns.
Additionally if something unfortunate should occur as a direct result of that person’s illness and no action was taken, the manager or employer could be accused of negligence.
If your company does not have an HR representative this meeting should be with the most senior manager
Address observations We suspect you’re anorexic because you’re way too skinny
You appear to have lost a significant amount of weight recently. Are you doing okay?
Follow up your concerns with helpful resources and options. Remind them of the health benefits your company’s health plan offers.
Provide information about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) if they would like to enter treatment.
Acquaint yourself with company health benefits.
What kind of medical and mental health benefits do you provide?
If the person has explicitly denied the presence of an eating disorder, simply say you wish to help them seek a physician or clinic to help them with their health concerns.
Once a team member has disclosed having and eating disorder, The Americans with Disabilities Act protects that person from discrimination based on the disease.
Such accommodations include:• Flexible leave time for doctor’s appointments
• Flexible scheduling to accommodate for medication
• Make job performance expectations clear and meet regularly with a supervisor or manager for feedback
ADA law also allows for individuals to take up to 90 days off work to seek treatment.
These 90 days do not need to be consecutive.