"Inside Look and Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia Online Eating Disorder World:" A reader's Response. Can you offer her eating disorder recovery encouragement and help her get free of pro-ana sites?
"Hi Joanna,
"Sorry, I can't put my comment under the actual article as I'm on my BlackBerry. I don't use my computer for the internet, and the link doesn't come up on my phone. You can use it if you think you'd like to. I'm not sure it's exactly what you were looking for. I just saw pro-ana and wanted to respond as it's so relevant to me at this point.
"I wanted to say that it's a love-hate relationship with pro-ana for me, but it is quite addictive when you've just put on all your weight again. There are triggers everywhere tho, last time I lost weight, I used Karen Carpenter as my ana god. It worked!!!
"But I got so sick and unhappier than I usually am, so I decided to try recovery again.
"There are also triggers to those vulnerable in anti-ana blogs, as they usually have before photos when they were ana up even tho they're in recovery.
"For me, I've nothing left in my life besides the ed, which is a main reason I relapsed. I isolated for so many years and did nothing else but ED. I made sure there would never be a way out on purpose. Now, I'm paying the price dearly.
"I even lost all my teeth and have false ones now, but still, that doesn't even stop me. So, I'm not sure when I'll stop looking at the infuriating to me pro-ana for inspiration. Although I find myself so angry with the rubbish they talk.
"Keep doing your good work. Sometimes, it's too late, though, after 25 years or so of an ED."
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Written by Joanna Poppink, MFT. Joanna is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in eating disorder recovery, stress, PTSD, and adult development.
She is licensed in CA, AZ, OR and FL. Author of the Book: Healing Your Hungry Heart: Recovering from Your Eating Disorder
Appointments are virtual.
For a free telephone consultation, e-mail her at
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