Definition: Sublimation, in the field of psychology, is the redirection of socially unacceptable impulses into acceptable ones.
In the context of eating disorders, one way I explain it is like this: Weight loss in anorexia may be sublimated anger or fear. A young woman could be angry at her parents for pressuring her about the way she looks, yet feel powerless to confront them about it. She might then begin to channel her anger into very aggressive weight loss. In general, weight loss is a highly acceptable activity in our society. It's only when the weight loss becomes extreme that people begin to question it.
Pronunciation: SUB-leh-MAY'-shun
Also Known As: redirection
Examples: Dr. Green wondered whether Corinne's determined community service was a form of sublimation of her aggression toward her older brother.
