MeOn Pro-Ana websites and their links to Anorexia and Anorexics: "Why do these websites exist?
It’s an obvious question to ask – why would anyone create such a disturbing website environment or torment themselves by viewing the contents? It’s actually quite understandable when you consider the psychological and physiological affects of the disorder they are struggling with. When the brain is starved for nourishment, judgment is impaired. The movement seems to make sense to these girls and women; they feel isolated and scared and most would acknowledge that they are ill; yet they can’t imagine their life without the eating disorder. To them, recovery means becoming fat and that simply is not an option. These sites provide them with a sense of community that is supportive, understanding and non-judgmental. They look to each other to validate their behaviours and feelings because despite knowing that they are sick, they are too scared to give up “Ana”. These women do not want to die; they want to be in control, and they use thinness as the visible means of this will power. Many of the women admit that they wouldn’t wish anorexia on their worst enemy and don’t wish to recruit new “members”, yet the eating disorder has become their identity and creates structure for their lives." http://nedic.ca/ana-mia-online-world-anorexia-bulimia Why Personify an Eating Disorder? The image of the eating disorder as its own person has an intuitive appeal for many people with eating disorders, perhaps because it fits the stream of thoughts that are such a big part of the experience of having an ED, because these thoughts can be described as the ED "talking." Similarly, many therapists find this image use because it provides a language for distinguishing ED "talk" from the survivor's own "voice."..... Personifying the ED as something separate creates space for the person to maneuver - to see possibilities for change by redefining their relationship with it, and adjusting their responses to it. In fact, they might recognize small ways they have already attempted to do so. Since one of the most insidious methods EDs employ is convincing people that the ED is their identity, separating the ED is a revolutionary step. It allows people to reembody their own identities." http://reclaiminganaandmia.blogspot.com/2012/06/why-personify-eating-disorder.html?m=1
Ashleyray12334
That makes sense, sort of...but still, an eating disorder is not a person, its a serious illness and it kills people and I suffer from anorexia. I never called my disorder Ana or acted like it was a friend...yes I can see how people treat eating disorders like an identity, because it can consume your entire life...still, it is just very odd and immature and unhealthy to nickname a serious illness, People do not give nicknames to cancer or other sicknesses...eating disorders are already treated like jokes....we do not need any stupid people naming them...it is not cute and its not helpfulMe
"‘Ana’ removes a sufferer’s power to change anything. By personalising their eating disorder, they can more easily blame it and use it to rationalise what they do, think and feel. Any responsibility, power or chance to change is removed from the person so that the eating disorder becomes something that’s being done to them – they have no control.Me
In short, Ana is a safety mechanism, keeping the sufferer in the false safety – the bubble – of their eating disorder. So the internal voice is allowed to become powerful, loud and controlling, able to override any clinician, family member or carer.
Interestingly, we clinicians sometimes encourage sufferers to see themselves as separate to their disorder. For instance, if they’re accusing themselves of being selfish or thoughtless towards others, we might counter this by pointing out that it is their anorexia that portrays these traits and that they themselves would be different without their disorder. " http://www.careukeatingdisorders.com/blog/personifying-your-eating-disorder-meeting-ana-head-on/Her
I still do not understand it. Anorexia Nervosa ( I just cannot call it Ana without feeling silly) is one of the most deadly psychiatric disorders...I am sorry, but I will never believe a person has experienced the true horror and pain of living with anorexia if they can simply speak of it as if it is a childhood friend or some person that makes them feel less alone...it is completely idiotic....most of the girls online referring to Anorexia Nervosa as Ana are people on diets....maybe a handful at most, have eating disorders...most do not Me
Many of the links/excerpts (in fact all but one) come from people who have studied these diseases. Who have, no offense, had more time and certainly done more research than you have on this illness, because it is a part of their jobs. Shows like Doctor Oz have featured young women who suffered from Anorexia, who have been diagnosed by actual doctors, who partook in "Pro-Ana" websites and movements. I do not mean to be rude in saying this, and I acknowledge that I am not a trained professional, but neither are you. Perhaps you should think on the fact that these things I have shown you came from sources who have examined those who suffer from Anorexia and have more access to reliable data than you. They do not deny that people who are Pro-Ana suffer from Anorexia, and they believe calling Anorexia "Ana" is not a sign of faking an illness. Once more, I do not intend to be rude in saying this but you are less experienced in these fields and you are in part denying the experiences of people who real doctors have concluded have truly suffered. Their methods of dealing with their Anorexia or Bulimia may not match yours but that does not make them any less real.HerThe fact of the matter is just because a person is Pro Ana and just because a person refers to their diet as Ana...does not make them anorexic....I find it hilarious how so many people fight over this disorder like little kids....by the way, tv show hosts are not experts on eating disorders...And neither am i...and I dont mean to be rude to you, but if you are going to defend people who trivialize and mock a serious illness like anorexia by acting like it is a diet and giving it a dumb little nickname, you can excuse yourself from my page..SO sick of pro ana defenders
Me
Never was I defending the Pro-Ana movement, and you are denying the actual evidence from actual experts that I have provided you with. You are denying the existence of a certain part of a mental illness, you are assuming that people do not suffer from an illness simply because you disagree with how they suffer. That "dumb nickname" as you call is used to personify their illness, to make it more manageable. I linked you to the source of the excerpt I found that explained this. Please stop with your assumption that Pro-Ana means it's a diet or that Ana is a mockery. Repeatedly I showed you explainations of both subjects. You have provided no sources defending your point of view, I have provided several. It is clear to me that your ideas are based only on personal feelings rather than accepting that others have different experiences. Your statements are damaging to people who suffer in this way, and, were roles reversed and someone was saying that, because of how you suffered, your experiences were not real, you would surely be upset. But that is not happening and you in fact are denying the existence of true suffering, because you think something which I have displayed several sources who have done research disagree with.
Ashleyray12334
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