The evolution of Internet illness deception, particularly on sites like TikTok and Instagram, is inseparable from blossoming online subcultures that valorize disability. The problem is that some take it too far, glamorizing illness and making it seem interesting and desirable.

submitted by Chipit from quillette.com

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[–]SMCAB 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (6 children)

When I was a reddit fag, I used to read the fake illness subs. It's a group of people that should be drawn and quartered in the public square while I throw rocks at them and piss on their dismembered parts.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

When I was a reddit fag, I used to read the fake illness subs.

Those illnesses are not fake, some of the people on reddit claiming to have them are. I have one of the conditions mentioned in that article, but I can tell you this is not something someone with one of them is likely to brag about. I never bring up my illness in conversations, and actively hide the fact that I struggle with health problems. I neither want anyone treating me like an invalid nor their skepticism about my problems, which are the most common reactions. It is not a pleasant thought to think of yourself as limited, and I certainly don't want to have other people thinking this about me. Saidit is one of the few places I will bring it up because I am anonymous here, and even then rarely delve into specifics or let on how much of a struggle it is

[–]SMCAB 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I didn't mean that. Sorry, I see how I typed that. I totally understand they aren't fake.

The people who do the faking illnesses thing are severely mentally ill, and while I understand being angry at a stranger is unhealthy, if I ever ran into one of these people on a plane while they are magically better to go hiking in Colorado every weekend, I'd slap the shit out of them.

[–]grassfed 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

It's okay to have aids

[–]Chipit[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yuk. Nobody actually thinks that way.

[–]SMCAB 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah they do. I'll bet there are several people who would love to slap the shit out of you. I'd slap the shit out of you.

You've been around long enough to understand dark humor right? Since you're so fucking smart. Do you take everything literally, since you're so fucking smart? Why so serious?

[–]Musky 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

A prototypical IF subject is a woman in her 20s or 30s. Her “journey” might begin with a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a group of inherited disorders affecting connective tissue.

Figured my thing was going to get mentioned. There's a ton of suspicion on anyone claiming to have EDS, and nobody wants to treat you. There's not even a test for the hypermobile version so it can't be confirmed with a genetic test. There is diagnostic criteria. Like being hypermobile. I don't know how you can fake that.

She might present an unpleasant but manageable condition (inflammatory bowel disease, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

EDS has no treatment. Managing it calls for therapeutic meds that no doctor will give you because they don't believe you anyways. Besides that all you can do is try not to make it worse.

A remarkable number of tests, consultations, and medical and surgical treatments have been done to little or no avail

Gotta say, I'll try anything. No mainstream treatments are available however.

I try to see doctors when I have a flare up, otherwise there doesn't appear to be anything wrong, but I'm also in a poor state then to argue with my doctors, which is always required.

[–]Alphix 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease, aka Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, aka "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" gets so much denial and shit from medical professionals, and yet the worst cases are put on life support and even go into cardiac arrest permanently. But if you happen to have that disease and aren't at that end of the severity spectrum, man is it ever hard. You get told things like "well you COULD take a walk". Yes, I could. I also WANT TO, but then I'll suffer even deeper exhaustion for 3 weeks afterward, with a possibility of permanently making my case worse. But they don't get that.

The reddit sub about this illness complains continually, and with reason, about doctors not understanding anything about the condition. And when I mention natural products I've used to make myself better, I am told I'm "peddling snake oil". Sigh. Well, that's reddit I suppose.