Ask Amy: Extreme judgment might lead to radical acceptance
Dear Amy: I recently decided to move back in with my mom and younger sister for the remainder of the pandemic.
The problem is that I find myself thinking extremely unkind things about them, because both of them are overweight.
I find myself thinking almost obsessively about how gross I find their bodies and feeling angry about how they eat and their unhealthy lifestyle.
Maybe some of this comes from the fact that I've been nervous about my own weight — more so during the pandemic.
Do you have advice on how to be kinder and less judgmental?
How to get space from mean, prejudiced thought patterns? I don't want to be this way.
I have a therapist, but I actually think I've been too embarrassed to be honest about how ugly my internal monologue is, because I'm disgusted by it.
— Secret Mean Girl
Dear Mean Girl: I give you credit for admitting how your harsh judgment of others affects your own self-esteem.
If you come from a family where people compulsively eat their feelings (been there, eaten that), being back home triggers your own fears of disordered eating.
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