126. Lying, Deception, and Eating Disorders with Tom Wooldridge, PsyD, ABPP, FIPA, CEDS-S

Understanding Disordered Eating

Last Episode in April! See you in May!

From an early age, we’re taught that lying is bad. But, is it?

What drives someone to lie? Is all lying inherently bad? How does lying intersect with our internal struggles and vulnerabilities? These are just a few questions I had before my conversation with Tom.

There are a lot of reasons as to why someone may lie. But here's the thing - lying isn't a black-and-white issue, especially when it comes to individuals grappling with eating disorders. There's a profound connection between lying, shame, and vulnerability in this context.

Tom Wooldridge, PsyD, ABPP, CEDS-S is Chair in the Department of Psychology at Golden Gate University as well as a psychoanalyst and board-certified, licensed psychologist. He has published journal articles and book chapters on topics such as eating disorders, masculinity, technology, and psychoanalytic treatment. He has written 3 books including, Understanding Anorexia Nervosa in Males (2016), Psychoanalytic Treatment of Eating Disorders: When Words Fail and Bodies Speak (2018), and Eating Disorders (New Introductions to Contemporary Psychoanalysis) (2022).

Tweetable Quotes

“How do we understand someone's relationship with the truth in a much more complex way as opposed to just saying ‘Well that's just someone's eating disorder.’” - Rachelle Heinemann

"Often people have a kind of outward presentation of indifference or commitment to whatever behavior they're engaged in. But maybe, just maybe there's ambivalence in there." - Tom Wooldridge

"You could say, well, there is a 0.5% chance that you'll die of the coronavirus. Well, that's just gonna make a kid anxious. What they need to hear is, no honey, it's gonna be okay." - Tom Wooldridge

"I don't rule out that [confrontation] could never be productive. But for most patients, most of the time, they're lying for reasons." - Tom Wooldridge

"Most of the time I would hope to get to a place where we could speak about the deception, but usually only after quite a bit of groundwork has been laid." - Tom Wooldridge

Resources

Grab the replay of my Basics of Assessment and Early Treatment of Eating Disorder Webinar

Grab my Journal Prompts here!

Connect with Tom here - www.tomwooldridge.com

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You can connect with me on Instagram @rachelleheinemann, through my website www.rachelleheinemann.com, or email me directly at [e-mail]

***We're taking a short 2 week break! See you in May!***