Me
On 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 helpful
Me
"‘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.
Her
The 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.