“‘What are you doing to take care of yourself?’ is one of the most often asked questions in recovery. Self neglect is one of the common causes of relapse, and it is true that children whose parents neglected them have difficulty taking good care of themselves.
“This part of your recovery plan looks at those areas of your life that have gone beyond neglect of yourself and become compulsive deprivation or even compulsive self-harm. First you need to identify forms of compulsive deprivation or self-harm that existed in the relationship(s) that you worry about.” – Patrick J. Carnes, Ph.D. in The Betrayal Bond
Compulsive deprivation and self-harm comes in many forms. Anorexia, sexual anorexia, compulsive saving or hoarding. compulsive cleaning, cutting or hurting self, hair pulling or skin picking, body piercing or excessive tattoos, compulsive exercising, compulsive debting or compulsive saving, compulsive working are all example of depriving and hurting oneself.