To think we are becoming a country of hypochondriacs?

Yes they probably are connected. Your 'friend' who is always in pain, is in too much pain to leave the sofa and too much pain to go outside, even when it is sunny. Do you really believe that people choose to lead completely limited lives as a preference to living a full life. Do you think that TV and being inside is actually the thing she wants to do most in the world? You sound like you have led a healthy life and have no understanding or empathy for someone who doesn't have that luck. I am lucky, I am healthy. I also have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which is chronic in the fact that I will always have it and always have painful dislocations, but it does not have a massive impact on my every day life. I also have every sympathy for those who have long term conditions that affect every aspect of their life. Every one I know who claims to have a chronic condition, does, have a chronic condition and they have to make the best of it. Ignorance and mocking is not helpful. It is not a personal achievement to be healthy. It is genetics and luck. Yes lifestyle helps, but does not cause most chronic conditions.

@MistressoftheDarkSide
I fundamentally disagree with almost everything you have written.

Our society is infinitely 'kinder' than any era in our history. You don't need to look too far back in history to see how we literally did let the weak, disabled and poor die or be institutionalised in workhouses. I don't say this because I want to go back to those times but just to remind you that there is no inalienable entitlement to a welfare state that meets all your needs in a way you see fit. The welfare state exists due to public consent and if you lose the support of the people then it will inevitably be scaled back and eventually removed. This is how democracy works and why we are in such precarious times. Personally I would rather reform the system and most importantly be realistic about what we can afford to stop the whole system being dismantled and the vulnerable being in an even worse situation.

You may think money is some fictitious entity but the reality is that money allows us all to be something other than subsistence farmers trading goods and services. It is how we are able to even begin to have the concept of a welfare state where people are supported without being able to offer any goods or services in return.

You seen unable to believe that we might just not have the resources (and yes money) to be able to run the health system in the way you would like. More human oversight costs money. People aren't going to work for free. I think a sense of entitlement has grown where people genuinely cannot believe that we can't have every state service and benefit we want. They just can't accept it. They have to blame the government or mismanagement rather than accept that we aren't that rich of a country and we don't have enough people able and willing to pay into the system to pay for everything.

No words x but please accept a virtual hug and solidarity x

I used to be resilient but I guess I'm one of your snowflakes now, because I can't work. I coped for 3 years whilst my son had daily psychotic episodes
#######Trigger Warning##### (or are trigger warnings only for snowflakes?)
His self harm is horrific- e.g carving words, signs, symbols into his face, his body, his legs. Multiple overdoses. He is cared for "in the community" which means drugs and 2 appointments per annum.
Unfortunately, my resilience failed me last year and, like the snowflake I am, I have depression and anxiety myself. I found it impossible to leave my son in the care of his younger brother while I went to work. Unfortunately his 14 year old brother is a snowflake too- he had anxiety and depression too, requiring beta blockers and fluoxetine to get through his GCSEs. Unfortunately, I was widowed at 44 so there's no help at home. I did manage to carry on working through that. I wasn't a snowflake then.

Some people have worse immune systems than other and get sick more often. Simple as that. You come across as a bully or someone who is jealous that people with various illnesses work from home. Some chronic illnesses is like a full time work in itself, the least we can do is being accommodating to these people

1

My lifestyle choice to contribute to my health condition was birth 😂.

You'd be surprised how many people have said diet and exercise would help. Not sure how that would help my skeletal deformities, dural ectasia, non cancerous tumours developing on nerve endings or underdevelopment muscles behind my eyes all present since birth. Not sure how eating more fruit and veg would help.

And that’s totally fair. I’m glad you’ve found something that helps. I think a lot of posters were implying it’s just a bad headache and we should all be able to work through them though, and it’s just not the case!

You need to do your research on migraine and chronic pain before posting this

My ailments are boring so I don't share them. They annoy my husband no end to start with.

I have chronic migraine and do work through some off them. It totally depends on what symptoms I get with each one. Without any working preventative medication last year I was getting uncontrolled pain and vomiting along with numbness and pain down my right side. So was off sick.

With a preventative that works I don't get vomiting, I still get flashing lights (which only.last a short time) numbness and pain down my whole right side. But triptains mostly work for me and with painkillers as well I can often stay at work.
I couldn't do that without a preventative medication that works though and ive been through a lot even botox which stopped working. Now taking Atogepant which is the best thing I've ever taken.

I don't know anyone like that. Is your circle particularly bad for it for some reason?

I also think covid may play a part in a genuine upturn of physical healthiness

Imagine being increasingly fed up of hearing friends health concerns. 😐
I feel sympathetic and concerned when I hear about people I care about having an ailment, whether acute or chronic. Do you think you might have a bias towards hearing what you want hear, to affirm your own beliefs, is it just easier for you to blame them for their own ailments? Is it easier for you not to believe them? Very convenient for you to not actually task yourself to feel sympathy and question what is happening. Try doing your own thinking.

I think that a lot of people often run to the GPs too quickly and expect a magic wand to be waved, but won’t take responsibility for their own health.

My DB is quite severely overweight. He has problems with his back and knees. He’s always complaining that his GP won’t refer him to a specialist. I’ve told him that if he loses weight, his doctor might be prepared to refer him but his pain is probably from lugging round all that extra weight so he needs to do something about it.

It’s interesting that his first thought is “What medical condition am I suffering from?” rather than looking at how changes to his diet and lifestyle could solve his problems.

But why assume this as the default? You're now calling people you have never even met a faker. Why?

Yes 👏👏👏👏

If we want people in employment, we need to support them with suitable working environment instead of being bullies

Got to the point on MN where I sincerely hope some of these posters do fall ill. Might wake them up a bit.

Thank you!

Thankyou I really hope so my neurologist has said he's going to fastrack it for me. I hope you find something that works for you as I know how debilitating it is xx

Yeah, it was working for me for a while, but then it suddenly stopped being effective. So, back to the drawing board. I hope you have more luck with it, I know it can be a gamechanger for some!

If you work from home with chronic pain you can lay down when you need to or even lay down with your lap top. You cannot do this in an office. Migraines can be very debilitating and can present in various ways such a paralysis, unable to speak, unable to walk, vomiting, drooping face, hallucinations, etc. Imagine getting a migraine attack at work and not being able to lay down or get home. Migraine medicin doesn't work for all types of migraines. Some people cannot tolerate travel sickness medicin as it makes them even more nauseous. This women definitely have valid reasons to not work in an office. People who don't suffer from these issues just don't get the severity of it and tend to down play it

I'm waiting to go on ajovy have you tried or been offered this. I tried pizotifen didn't work, topiramate made me suicidal, sumatriptan is OK but it's hard because am only allowed 10 a month