The Eating Disorder Voice // Sex Therapy

The Eating Disorder Voice?

The Eating Disorder voice verbally abuses people with Anorexia. They can become extremely nervous when they do not know their exact weight. Anorexia gives its victims the illusion of control, but clearly it is the disease that actually takes control of them. When I asked a client to describe her relationship with her eating disorder I posed the question “Is your eating disorder your friend or your enemy? She paused and said thoughtfully? “It’s kind of like a backstabbing friend”. This “backstabbing friend” is what is referred to in the field as the Eating Disorder voice...

THE EATING DISORDER VOICE SAYS THINGS LIKE:

Look at the girl she is skinnier and therefore better than you.
You ate that piece of pizza and now you gained ten pounds.
If you eat lunch then your friends will think you are a fat pig.
Guys won’t like you unless you are skinny.
You are a quitter if you recover.
If you eat that you are a failure.
Do not listen to your parents, therapists, and doctor. They are just trying to make you fat!
Just lose a few more pounds and everything will be better.
Do not eat that.
You should not have eaten that.
You have no self-control.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"Alex" Caroline Robboy,

“Alex” Caroline Robboy, CAS, MSW, ACSW, AAMFT, CSTS, LCSW is the founder and executive director of the Center for Growth Inc / Sex Therapy in Philadelphia, a counseling organization that has an office in Ocean City, New Jersey, Richmond Virginia, Alphretta Georgia and 2 offices in Center City, Philadelphia PA. In her space time she launched the directory sextherapy.com as a resource tool for professionals dedicated to improving peoples sexual health. Alex has 25+ years of clinical experience working with adults and children. Specifically, she works with people struggling with compulsion problems, personality disorders, neurodiversity (dyslexia, tourettes, sensory issues, adhd, and high functioning autism) anxiety, depression, postpartum depression, shame, trauma, low self-esteem, grief, relationship issues, sexual function & dysfunction, blended families and parenting concerns. Currently, she provides individual, couples, family therapy and group therapy. Lastly, she offers supervision to both staff and therapists outside of this agency seeking their LCSW or AASECT Certification in sex therapy. Lastly, thru the Philadelphia International Women’s Project, she led a two year sex therapy group for West African women who experienced Female Genital Cutting as well as a sex therapy group for Sudanese women who experienced Female Genital Cutting.

Ms. Robboy earned three graduate degrees at the University of Pennsylvania; Masters in Social Work, Post-Masters in Certificate Marriage and Family Therapy with a Specialization in Sex Therapy and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Human Sexuality Education (otherwise known as ABD) as well as a Certificate in Home and School Social Work. Additionally, Ms. Robboy is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor of Sex Therapy and an ABS Certified Sexologist. Lastly, she is a Certified Imago Therapist. She is currently pursuing certification in CBIT.

The Eating Disorder Voice