So, honestly, as a self-injurer for 10+ years, the Pro-SI website is the lesser of two evils.

Besides, what normal 11 year old relates to wanting to tear or cut your skin apart? I can't name 1. I can, however, think of plenty of 11 year old girls who can relate to wanting to be thin.

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In a city made of steel
The concrete rage is all we feel

now those places have been completely turned around into breeding grounds for wannarexics/crash dieters. a lot of people with eating disorders don't feel comfortable in those places anymore, since most people who post on those sites are ignorant to eating disorders because they don't have one themselves, they are 'ana' which is entirely different from anorexic by the way, therefore they don't see the damage they are causing when they tell others with actual eating disorders, to 'think thin' and encourage them in their eating disordered behaviours. most people with real ed's can generally see how disgusting such people are for making a mockery out of a serious mental illness, but sadly there are a few eating disordered people out there who get sucked into the idea that eating disorders are a lifestyle rather than a life threatening disease, which goes along with the denial aspect of ed's, and only makes matters worse for them.

personally, i think support groups for eating disorders and pro-active ed groups are a great idea, but pro-ana sites are incredibly dangerous. not only for those who are genuinely suffering from an ed, but also for impressionable teenagers and society in general --- in my opinion, pro (for)-ana sites help circulate the common idea that eating disorders are a fad, phase, crash diet or lifestyle by allowing non-eating disordered individuals join and then supporting them in their mission to try to either develop an ed, or use an ed as a quick way to lose weight. this then leads to the misconception that this is what an eating disorder is, when it couldn't be further from the truth. you can't catch or develop an eating disorder by copying those behaviours, and eating disorders aren't a diet/quick way to lose weight.

it's just dangerous all round really. nobody would wish to have cancer so they could drop a few pounds, so why an eating disorder? if such people invaded cancer-support forums in the hope of learning to imitate the life of a cancer sufferer in order to lose weight or get attention, we would all be sat here feeling absolutely appauled.

Post edited at 1:05 am on Feb. 23, 2008 by jda

In my mind, I liken it to a sociopaths anonymous club or that society that promotes consensual relationships between adults and children.  Personally embracing your psychological abnormalities is interesting enough to me, but forming societies around them electrifies my mind.

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Sic Semper Moderators

Theres really nothing we can do right now, from my understanding. They are protected by the first amendment. These websites are why some parents monitor their child's net access. You can find a lot of sick stuff on the internet if you look hard enough...