In my graduation thesis, I focused on exploring pro-ana websites and their role in eating disorders. In the theoretical part, I listed different definitions of eating disorders, identified the causes of eating disorders, described the characteristics of anorexia nervosa, its treatment, presented self-help groups for eating disorders and described the occurrence of stigma and shame, often experienced by people with eating disorders. I further outlined what pro-ana websites are, what are their benefits and disadvantages, and highlighted the element of writing as therapy. I ended the theoretical part with describing a connection between pro-ana websites and social work. In the empirical part, I presented the findings I got by interviewing a non-probabaility accidental sample of twenty users of pro-ana websites on the social network Tumblr. The questions were related to their experience of using the pro-ana websites; their experience of the first use of the websites and their experience now, during the time of the research; the impact of pro-ana websites on thoughts, behaviours, relationships, treatment, their motivation for using pro-ana websites, the functions of pro-ana websites etc. I realized how important a sense of community and a sense of being understood are for people with eating disorders. I found out that the respondents are convinced that the professionals will judge them, that they will not understand them and will not take them seriously. Therefore, it is very important for professionals to provide people with eating disorders a safe space in which users will not feel judged, a space where they will feel accepted and heard. Most surveyed users are aware of the negative effects of pro-ana websites and use them only for their benefits. Professionals thus need to help pro-ana users find support other than the pro-ana community. This can be achieved by directing users to self-help groups for eating disorders, socializing with users who have already recovered from an eating disorder etc. In order to help pro-ana website users appropriately, professionals need to first understand what pro-ana websites really are, what their functions are and what information the people with eating disorders receive on these websites. Information about these can be obtained through the necessary ongoing training and education, as pro-ana websites and communities are constantly updated and modified. The results of the research are useful for me as well as for all professionals working in the field of eating disorders.
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