" they need to feel their sadness not mask in it"

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a nurse that works at a Residential treatment center and it's for patients with eating disorders. The patients all got together and wanted to do something to celebrate the fact that they were in treatment, so they all got together and created hats out of printer paper and tape they each had the number of days they've been in treatment on the front of the hat. The number was very big and they each decorated it and colored it. They all also put a positive statement under the number, for ex. "beautiful and deserving" and "going strong." I thought the hats were wonderful, positive, and harmless. I felt that it was a way of them showing that they were proud of themselves for being in recovery and choosing to stay there. I was so delighted that they would take all of their negative thoughts and put it into something positive, because it's a day by day struggle with these patients to keep them motivated, nutritionally stable, and help with their confidence as well as underlying issues. The owner of my place of work/ patient's therapist/ my boss did not approve of the hats he told me to please take them away because they need to feel their sadness not mask in it. I really really need help in understanding what he meant by that statement. i really felt that what they did was positive and harmless and I just can't put my finger on why he got the total opposite feeling I just don't get it. Please help me understand.

Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.

Excuse me, but your boss is an idiot.:banghead:

I think the hat celebration is a great idea. Eating disorders are one of the most difficult "addictions" there is--we have to eat food, but when food becomes the enemy (or the flip side, the lover) everything gets out of control and our bodies pay the price. If you've ever been to an AA meeting you know that they CELEBRATE every single day of sobriety. They even give out little colored poker chips to signify 30 days, 60 days 90 days, 6 months, 9 months and year. And it is a BIG deal! I don't think the hats are any different. Sure they are thinking about their process, but I believe they should have a chance to REVEL in their progress. Even Weight Watchers does that. And it WORKS~!

Does you have a nursing supervisor? I think I'd take it up with her/him. And if that doesn't work,take it up with this guy's supervisor!

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Thank you for your response but I did want to clear something up. These particular patients don't have an addiction to food, they hate food. Most of them are anorexic.

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Thank you for your reply. I do have a nursing supervisor and the have gotten into little arguments, and the problem with taking it up with my boss' supervisor is that he has no supervisor. He owns the Residential treatment center, he is their therapist, and lastly my boss.

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.
Thank you for your response but I did want to clear something up. These particular patients don't have an addiction to food, they hate food. Most of them are anorexic.

You are right, they aren't addicted to food. They are instead "addicted" to purging and the relief of anxiety that provides. It's such a secretive addiction. That's what makes it so difficult to treat.

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.
the problem with taking it up with my boss' supervisor is that he has no supervisor. He owns the Residential treatment center, he is their therapist, and lastly my boss.

:banghead: Well, that sucks. Nothing you can do with an idiot with some power.

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