Does having an eating disorder and self harm stop you getting a job as a social worker?

Question

Does having an eating disorder and self harm stop you getting a job as a social worker?

Answer 1

Not if they don`t know about it.

If you have recovered from an eating disorder, and managed to stop Self Injury, that could be very helpful when it comes to helping others with similarr issues,as well as lessening the stigma of mental ill health within this "caring profession".

The majority of people who have eating disorders manage to hide their condition most of the time, so if you have`nt recovered it would depend on how severe and enduring your eating disorder is /was.

This is similar with self injury, as most self injurers go out of their way to hide their scars / other injuries.

Therefore, having these problems should`nt prevent someone from becoming a social worker, though it may or may not affect their work.

Answer 2

It won't 'stop' you as such,but what you're still going through would probably be too painful for you to relate to people's similar issues -and your symptoms  might worsen.

I would suggest psychotherapy first,till you're better and feel you are over the worst.

As suggested,your suffering would be an advantage in dealing with other people's similar issues,but ONLY if you can put it behind you.

Good luck!!!! x

Answer 3

I should think so. Put it this way, this is how they will see it. If you still have an eating disorder and especially if you self harm, then how can you sort other peoples problems out and help them when you cant even help or sort yourself out?

Answer 4

if you are still suffering them it probably will be abit of an issues, but if you are in recovery then i personally thing this would help a person in their jobs as a counsellor (if that's what you mean by social worker) because you can related to feelings and help people by using how you personally overcame stuff.

i think this is slightly different situtation, but if you think about it maybe its not actaully that different, but my brother has psychosis a mental illness , hear vioces, hillhulsinations etc, who has socail workers working with him, one of them also has the illness but has learnt to cope with it and is helping people to deal with theirs, the person is a social worker, yet they have psychosis, therefore, maybe it won't stop you

Answer 5

Depending on how well your potential employer thinks you could cope with the work load. It could be an advantage, as you will have experience that many other people don't have. Doing a care based job could also help you.

If those things don't affect you daily when you are working then it shouldn't matter to your employer.

If you could over come these problems somehow, you could even become a very valuable member of staff because of it, as the people you would be working with, providing you told them, could maybe relate to you much more.