The "pro-ana" movement -- WTF?

Mark -- that's what I took your original point to be, and it does make sense. But as far as a website being "a shared praxis, in the world" -- it's not entirely clear to me that the interaction on these websites is terrifically human, social, or wordly, and to a large extent, seems to me to consist of only a slight externalisation of the inner dialogue of the a.n. sufferer. That is, I might see the postings of my ana buddies as being no different from the urgings of the disorder, and my postings to them as not significantly different from my own self-abasement ('cause in the Interweb, there are no faces or voices other than those in yer own head). See also the tendency of these sites to "personalize" the disease as "Ana", a sort- of person.

I mean, you had to leave the house as a young punk, but these folks can cease to exist on their own!

(Cheers Tom - I just mailed you abt it, ignore!)

i'm torn here between defending or exploring my (self-absorbed, ie overcodedly expressed) hidden original point and NOT hijacking the thread from the main topic: i sort of feel i've done enough damage already

Oh and Mark sorry for getting over-sensitive there, it's just that it is like this:
INTERNET: *smacks sarahs raw nerves with a wet trout*
SARAH: ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHH blah blah blah blah blah (for a thousand years).
EVERYONE ELSE: blimey watch it *hides in a bunker*

(OK to refine my own point (which probably only I am interested in but I want to get my thinking straight) - communities turn toxic when those outside the community are assumed to lack not just understanding of those within it but even the ABILITY to understand those within it. So political communities become toxic when the assumption arises that "Conservatives" or "Liberals" just aren't even worth talking to about the issues because they can never understand, i.e. when the values of the community become The Story rather than one side of a story.)

hm sarah i haf heard that PLUM WINE is v good for raw nerves hem? D'YER GET MEH? :):):)

i'm glad we're cool again sarah, sorry for being thoughtless!! i am now leaving work so must shut down my computer...

See you later!!

Late response to Ellie -- according to the article I linked, professionals and others looking to get anoretics into recovery are now reworking their approaches to sufferers with an eye towards these pseudo-self help sites, to the point of adopting some of the language and occasionally engaging in direct dialogue. There are links at the end of the article.

Given the proximity of this to one about spelling not mattering, and her thread about bravely striking out as a freelancer we should be quite clear that we are all pro-Anna.

I love Sarah.

get in line, CWL!

i don't want to start demonising anyone, but this whole anti- fat/weight thing thats going on in the pro-ana "you fat bitch" etc - is that some kind of hyperbole that is just meant for each other, or are they really judging everybody else in the world for being healthy or fat?

it depends...i know people who do both.

this upsets me because i know too many people who take this too seriously, who read these sites and cry and stop eating. or who read these sites and are excited and exercise more because eating nothing isn't enough. Luckily I've never had serious issues myself but too many people do. Crippling your mind with constant thoughts of "perfecting" your body until it gives out on you...that's so sad. I honestly don't know how much of it is conscious and how much of it is compulsion due to illness but if it's a lifestyle choice it's destructive. And I still don't think it should be censored so I don't know what to say.

annorexia is good!

Stop showing your ignorance.

The fact of the matter is, anorexics fall under our constitution as people, therefore giving them the right to free speech. In simpler terms, not a single anorexic out there is going to care if you have a problem with it, because they are legally allowed to do what they are doing. Anyone can make a website about anything they want, and maybe in some cases that's a bad thing.
There are some bright sides. Anorexics have a tendancy to lie to those that want to help them. Going to one of these sites provides you with a true sample of what goes on in an anorexics head everytime he/she looks at themself. True, alot of the people that visit these sites are not diagnosed anorexics, but that can't be avoided.
As a diagnosed sufferer of Anorexia, I think these sites are not to be condemned. They offer a place to truely feel what one feels, with out getting beaten up and left bleeding in the hallway of your highschool for having a mental condition. I'm aware that the "tips/tricks" offered on these websites aren't the best things, but please realize that none of these individuals can honestly feel okay with themselves and safe. Everyone could use someone who understands perfectly.

What I always find really horrifying about anorexia is I've seen a couple of documentaries on TV that are about 'How families suffer' - eg what the family of an anorexic has to go through while the naughty girl kills herself. And then you're watching and feeling helplessly bitter at these families where no-one talks to each other, where they're so locked up and silent and cruel, but they don't even realise. I always wish I could scream in their faces 'talk to your fucking daughter, cuddle her, stop thinking about yourself ...' Maybe it's just coincidence and some anorexic girls don't come from families like this.

Actually, I guess what I wrote may be a 'slight' oversimplification of the problem. It's something that's so hard to talk about, but then, that's what I felt was so painful watching these documentaries, and reading things anorexics have written - everyone finds it so hard to talk about.

Contrast to this story: Eat 30% Less, Live 30% Longer...
http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/11/07/calories.aging/index.html