Theses
With one exam over and the next one a week away I can allow myself a little time to post, though few people I was sharing LJ with in my heyday of it's use (06-07) are still here it seems. I wonder how many people have been lured away by Facebook.
One thing that brought me back here was research for a thesis topic I was considering which was naturopathic approaches to anorexia and/or bulimia.
It turns out the largest live journal community is a pro-anorexia site which you have to be vetted to join. I am pretty interested with the development and maintenance of eating disorders though never having suffered from one myself I had to stretch truths a little when joining it. I first heard about pro-anorexia from (where else?) a BBC Radio 4 documentary deploring the existence of such sites; they offer tips on evading mealtimes, celebrate the figures of Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton and actually encourage people to be dangerously unhealthy.
Since being accepted to pro-anorexia on the pretext of finding out what it is that is underlying these conditions and how best to communicate and help people I found a huge community of hurt, sad, ill people helping each other and the only help they were wanting was post-binge support and reassurance that 40kgs isn't fat for a 20 year old. I posted a few helpful things that were likely ignored and tried to be cheery but every minute or two there is another updated post from someone sad about life, angry with themselves or mentioning how much exercise they did today.
Shortly after joining my thesis supervisor said the topic was too broad, too psychological (not naturopathic enough) and there was too little research about the topic. Instead I'm doing the far more researched and slightly less exciting Role of Echinacea purpurea in the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. I'm a third of the way through my thesis now, due September.
I still visit the pro-anorexia site sometimes, but it's so saddening, all this wasted energy and youth. It's a rare case where naturopathy can't really do a lot it seems. We can prescribe zinc to improve appetite, give calorie-free bitter drop-dose herbs for the same purpose and of course help with counseling but thee people don't want to be healthy. The body's idea of homeostasis is gone, vitality is too low. I'm surprised how many people I know either have or have had eating disorders. Similar themes seem to be at the cause and maintenance of them and there is very little a friend can do it seems.
Didn't really mean this post to be about this. Here's my Live Journal Dungeon:
I died in the Dungeon of Andy Yayus
I was killed in a dusty passage by Mysterbey the troll, whilst carrying...
the Armour of Bare Feeted, the Sword of Pbs Fm, the Wand of Playing Gigs, the Wand of Bjork, the Shield of Hugs, the Dagger of Alchea, the Axe of Amor Fati, the Sword of Aussiejanee, the Crown of Laceratedlemon, the Crown of Cnwb, a Figurine of Xnadex, the Armour of Thelatedave and 201 gold pieces.
Score: 200
Explore the Dungeon of Andy Yayus and try to beat this score,
or enter your username to generate and explore your own dungeon...
One thing that brought me back here was research for a thesis topic I was considering which was naturopathic approaches to anorexia and/or bulimia.
It turns out the largest live journal community is a pro-anorexia site which you have to be vetted to join. I am pretty interested with the development and maintenance of eating disorders though never having suffered from one myself I had to stretch truths a little when joining it. I first heard about pro-anorexia from (where else?) a BBC Radio 4 documentary deploring the existence of such sites; they offer tips on evading mealtimes, celebrate the figures of Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton and actually encourage people to be dangerously unhealthy.
Since being accepted to pro-anorexia on the pretext of finding out what it is that is underlying these conditions and how best to communicate and help people I found a huge community of hurt, sad, ill people helping each other and the only help they were wanting was post-binge support and reassurance that 40kgs isn't fat for a 20 year old. I posted a few helpful things that were likely ignored and tried to be cheery but every minute or two there is another updated post from someone sad about life, angry with themselves or mentioning how much exercise they did today.
Shortly after joining my thesis supervisor said the topic was too broad, too psychological (not naturopathic enough) and there was too little research about the topic. Instead I'm doing the far more researched and slightly less exciting Role of Echinacea purpurea in the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. I'm a third of the way through my thesis now, due September.
I still visit the pro-anorexia site sometimes, but it's so saddening, all this wasted energy and youth. It's a rare case where naturopathy can't really do a lot it seems. We can prescribe zinc to improve appetite, give calorie-free bitter drop-dose herbs for the same purpose and of course help with counseling but thee people don't want to be healthy. The body's idea of homeostasis is gone, vitality is too low. I'm surprised how many people I know either have or have had eating disorders. Similar themes seem to be at the cause and maintenance of them and there is very little a friend can do it seems.
Didn't really mean this post to be about this. Here's my Live Journal Dungeon:
I died in the Dungeon of Andy Yayus
I was killed in a dusty passage by Mysterbey the troll, whilst carrying...
the Armour of Bare Feeted, the Sword of Pbs Fm, the Wand of Playing Gigs, the Wand of Bjork, the Shield of Hugs, the Dagger of Alchea, the Axe of Amor Fati, the Sword of Aussiejanee, the Crown of Laceratedlemon, the Crown of Cnwb, a Figurine of Xnadex, the Armour of Thelatedave and 201 gold pieces.
Score: 200
Explore the Dungeon of Andy Yayus and try to beat this score,
or enter your username to generate and explore your own dungeon...