IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE: Okay, so I finished outlining and pre writing the upcoming chapters and with Spring Break coming up, the story is SURE to progress, but I've run into a bump, and I'd like all of your help and/or opinions. In an upcoming chapter, Hanna is going to say something about Spencer's experience. I assumed that she would be the perfect person, and I still think she is. In begining PLL episodes (You all probs remember them as the Hefty Hanna scenes) Allison taught Hanna how to make herself sick to lose wieght.
This is where I think the debate begins. I don't personally believe that Hanna had a real eating disorder. Sure, all of her actions were in line with what Bulimia is, but the mental aspect of it, I don't think was there. People who are sick, are mentally ill, and even though it definatley changed and affected Hanna, I don't think she was ill. She just kind of came out of it pretty quickley after Allison died, and somebody with the real mental illness wouldn't have been able to do that, probably even if they tried.
When Hanna speaks about Spencer's experiences, I think it's going to be more parallel with "I understand how and why this happened, and I was there with her, even though my case wasn't nearly what hers was."
I think I'm just trying to explain that there is a big difference between acting like a Bulimic, and having Bulimia. And my side of the debate is that: Hanna wasn't Bulimic, but Allison taught her how to act like a Bulimic (and was maybe, eventually, trying to steer her in that direction). One of the central themes I want to get across through this story is actually awareness of the differences between the very fake lifestyle that some people discribe, and actually having a problem.
I had received a couple of comments and messages that I thought I would try to help clear up. It's fine with me if you have a different opinion about the situation, or want to tell me something I didn't notice about those episodes to try to change my mind. That's cool with me. :)
The sole purpose of this little message was really just to clear this up and educate a few of my readers in a positive way. I know that, for a few of my other readers, I'm just preaching to the choir and that some of you guys *totally* understand what I'm saying and probably realized this a *long* time ago, for those people, I'm sorry. This isn't for you. It's just that while writing the chapter, I knew this was going to come up, and I thought it should be adressed.
Questions, comments, concerns? Message me! I've got my mind wide open! THANKS!