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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[–]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.