ABSTRACT
It is too reductive to label all elements of pro-ana as either entirely bad or entirely helpful. This chapter takes a nuanced approach to this community, paying heed to both the acute danger present along with much-needed dimensions of support and friendship for those who are lacking in both. Common community elements include: extreme competition with members and strangers alike, relating to a personified version of anorexia as a friend or a goddess, ritualised behaviours, the harsh exclusion of perceived outsiders and ‘wannabes’, and expression of loneliness and pervasive low mood. Similarities can also be observed in pro-suicide and self-harm groups, with participants often identifying with all three of these philosophies. There is a wide spectrum here of activities and outcomes, making it very difficult to decide on a single approach to pro-ana and its members. This community is a vital source of friendship and empathy for generally lonely people, yet it also encourages the escalation of dangerous activities and radicalises members against anyone who might threaten their commitment to a life of starvation.
