To think we are becoming a country of hypochondriacs?

Would you prefer the woman in the article to be unemployed and claiming benefits? Or would you prefer her to manage her condition whilst holding down a job, at no detriment to anyone? Because I know which I’d rather. Good for her, and for all the disabled people struggling to find ways to work despite their condition ( and for those who can’t, I’m very happy to pay into a system that supports them, because I want to live in a civilised society). Bad enough being disabled without all this mean spirited right wing Daily Mail crap to deal with.

Yes, I'm not buying that we're all so much sicker than any previous generation. Covid has convinced people that they should sit at home any time they're not 100%, which imo, is the opposite of helpful and makes you feel worse.

Chronic migraines are a recognised disability. I have a friend with them and they knock her out. And there is no cure.

I'm not aware of ever having the flu, so I say I've never had it, but presumably it manifests in a variety of ways, if at all.

Some people were hospitalised with covid, some people were asymptomatic. Isn't that similar to a flu virus?

Tell me you know nothing about chronic conditions without telling me.

If you have arthritis, that’s a chronic pain condition. It’s devastating. Working from home can make the difference between staying in work or not.

Yes there are a lot more moaners who need to get more resilient, but that doesn’t take away from the reality of actual chronic health conditions.

I mean I wonder why some people wouldn't discuss their mental health issues when people suggest mental health issues are just a way to get away with stuff.

Almost like some people look down on other people stealth conditions and think,
"I've never had X so therefore X isn't so bad..."

Chronic migraines.
Chronic pain.
Depression.

These are life limiting, and in some cases life ending.
I'd be fucking jubilant if I'd never experienced any of them instead of judging those who suffer daily..

I have a life limiting condition. There's one thing on her list that stops me dead in my tracks and that's a migraine. I deal with crap every day, take strong pain killers and get on with it. I get migraines maybe once a year and they are hideous.

We are.
Covid didn’t help, lack of GP appointments doesn’t help, and the increased lack on common sense doesn’t help either.

Add to that the sickness benefits and up goes the welfare bill.

Yes, I'm sure some people do. The thing I take issue with is the OP posting an article where a real woman is discussing her issues, when she has no idea whether she is genuine or not, and also her implying that a migraine is just a headache that you can push though. Really not fair to use a real person's health struggles to make a point.

Op just looks spiteful and ignorant.

It is true. It might not be true in this instance but it’s a massive problem. People saying they have the flu with a cold cracks me up, if you have the flu you’re in bed for multiple days.

How did you decide that this poster was definitely telling the truth, but all those other people are definitely lying? I'd love to have access to your magical remote lie detector test!

Maybe, but the OP has posted a link with a woman who suffers with terrible migraines, then said we all have headaches from time to time, and it's no big deal, implying that people (like the woman in the article, are at it).

Several of us have pointed out that migraines can cause serious symptoms like blackout, vomiting, vision loss, limb weakness - just for starters - and she has conveniently ignored all that.

Migraine is a neurological event that manifests in a similar way to a seizure. You get a prodrome, aura, event and postdrome, some skip the aura stage.

Migraine is a severe and debilitating condition that is more than just the pain stage.

I bet a fair few people claiming migraines aren’t like this PP with actual migraines.

a headache can be brutal - but not every headache is a migraine!

Having a poor diet will not help matters, no, but look at how many posters are in denial about the amount of rubbish food that they consume.

I think it's a reasonable point; which is coming to a head because of benefits and the number of people claiming them. I expect Labour to make it harder to obtain them, but also expect employers to show flexibility in managing medical issues.

Yes, but she doesn't know whether the woman in the article she posted just has a headache or has serious migraines, does she? She's just decided that the woman is at it.

I don't think it's a lack of resilience; I think it's a high level of constant stimulation and life today being extremely unhealthy. Road noise, for example, is shown to cause health issues, even if you think you block it out.

I'm autistic and can see the general population displaying more and more autism-like behaviours, like in the run up to a big meltdown.

I also think that we know too much about illnesses and their symptoms, now. We're told that half of us (now just under half of us) will get cancer - how is that helpful? It's manipulative and cruel.

Having chronic pain isn't the same as having aches and pains now and again, by the way. Maybe you could swap some of your resilience for empathy. 😅

nobody thinks they don't exist.

its just that PERHAPS not every time you get a headache you have a migraine ...

I agree that some people can over diagnose themselves, and that perhaps people in general are less resilient than in the past.

However I do think there is more stress in modern day living, as well as environmental and societal factors, which have led to an increase in genuine chronic illnesses.

As for the migraines - as some PPs have said, if you have a migraine it can be impossible to work. Mine affect the whole body, and cause neurological symptoms as well as a headache, sickness and flu like symptoms. I literally can barely walk to the bathroom let alone work.

I think the problem is that some people who've never had a migraine hear the word migraine and think "Oh that's just a headache, I get those sometimes, just take an aspirin and get on with it" which unfortunately is very far from the truth of having a migraine.

Your friend is staying at home when she's in pain? Wow, that's nuts!

There’s evidence around the impact of the pandemic, impact of lengthening NHS waiting lists, chronic poverty, lack of access to dental care, on the nation’s health. Physical and mental. Go and look it up OP. Then come back to us and tell us what you found. We aren’t here to do the work for you. 🙄

Yes, but the OP was knocking a woman with migraines and chronic pain, not someone who just had a simple cold!

Chronic pain is very different from occasional aches and pains when you have overdone it at the gym.

This type of thread is really not helpful because it just pushes the right wing media agenda that people with long term disabilities and/or health conditions are faking it...

I guess this simplistic type of view is easier to hold than addressing the real issue:

• crumbling NHS and social care services
• poor diets and lack of exercise
• long working hours which mean people have little time left to exercise or cook healthy meals
• high level of mental health issues after Covid, cost of living crisis and poor access to mental health services due to underfunding
• dinosaur employers who won't accept that WFH is a godsend for people with disabilities and help them stay in employment.

I guess it is much easier to just say that people are now 'snowflakes' than acknowledge and try to fix the root causes.