AIBU to wonder whether some disability content rewards staying visibly unwell?

If they have FND they won't have the option of not being symptomatic. It's a nasty thing with no cure.

Are you really suggesting anyone would keep their symptoms of FND just to have a fancy wheelchair? Are you actually a human with any feelings at all?

I feel sure ALL of these women would never look at social media ever again if it meant they could enjoy good health.

Do you understand what chronic illness means?

Why do you think that "generating content" is preferable to being healthy, OP?

Or if you don't, why are you assuming that this is a common preference? I can't think of many people that it would even occur to me they would enjoy "generating content" so much they'd trade their health for it.

They're so lucky having FND. Everyone wishes they could be a wheelchair user and have chronic illness

Yeah, it’s amazing having FND and being a wheelchair user who can’t walk.

for avoidance of doubt:

FND is the diagnosis given when someone has

functional (ie the symptoms affect their functioning)
Neurological (the symptoms are neurological eg fitting, seizures, tremor, etc)
Disorder

when other diagnoses are ruled out.

many people who also have other diagnoses (eg stroke, fractures, major trauma such as limb amputation etc) have an FND diagnosis as the accident/stroke/whateber affected their nervous system.

for example I was in an accident which shredded my right foot. Many broken bones, soft tissue damage, cut nerves etc. my diagnoses subsequent to this are peripheral neuropathy (the nerves in my foot do not work) and FND (I don’t have motor control of my foot so I can’t make it move).

most people with FND have fucking no chance of getting rid of their symptoms.

Putting FND and your tik tok evidence aside.

There is a concept call learned helplessness. This can be part of a co dependent situation with another person.

I have two diagnosis that are not disabilities I do not need adjustments. For one of them I was part of a FB group and the admin and main poster, who also posted elsewhere ‘lived her diagnosis’ in that it became a dominant part of her identity. I’m not sure if that’s what you mean? Just to be clear the diagnosis would not qualify for any benefits as it was a question of managing it.

Why is tik tok feeding you these videos? Are they of any interest to you?

God forbid someone should be open about their conditions and the lived experience of them. Let's go back to the days when non-visible disabilities were a shameful secret.

Would people do fake stuff to get views?

Have you ever seen the reality tv industry? There is no shortage of people who will do anything to get views.

Or they are simply raising awareness and trying to make the best of a very shitty situation.

How dare they wobble on social media.

I didn’t say that being open was a problem. But when that is ALL a person is about then it’s become unhealthy IMO. I was grateful to have shared experiences in that FB group and I learned a lot from people who had lived with the diagnosis longer than myself - but it did become clear that it was all about the group admin person and attention to their plight.

FND is basically a mental health disorder that triggers physical problems. A close friend of mine has started having help dealing with his mental health, and his FND has improved so much. Which is great. 👍

It isnt a mental health disorder.

Do you have comprehension issues? I daresay there are people who fake all sorts of things but that is not what the OP is about. Perhaps you could read it again.

The OP is suggesting that people posting videos need their symptoms in order to keep posting. That is inhuman.

Accusing disabled people of faking their symptoms is pretty low.

So they should just sit at home skint and bored?

You see a video of a few minutes of their day. You know nothing about what else they have going on.

I have FND, I'm talking about it right now, however I'm also a Mum, Im also doing a degree, Im also learning a language etc, a small snapshot doesn't mean that all someone is.

I daresay the small snapshot of your ignorance on this subject doesnt mean you're ignorant about everything (I hope)

YABVU you are just seeing a small snapshot of their lives.
There is a content creator where I live who posts about her FND. Offline, she is out and about just getting on with her life.

Or maybe they are making the best of the hand they were dealt and raising awareness at the same time?

Do you maybe have some issues left over from your own experience of poor health? Maybe you felt like you had to put on a 'brave face' and it's now difficult to watch other people refusing to hide their struggles for other people's comfort?

All I've seen of you is posting on MN about your views on disabled people.

Should I assume this is all you're "about"?

Honestly there’s very little information and medical support available for FND.

compared to stuff like MS or Parkinson’s where there’s a big charity and lots of research and coffee mornings for people with MS/parkinsons etc.

a common theme for people with FND is that they are diagnosed and given the link to this website

https://neurosymptoms.org/en/

and that’s it.

there’s a charity trying to get some peer support groups set up both online and in person so if anyone is looking for support these people are good:

https://www.fndaction.org.uk/

if people are posting stuff on TikTok and via that helping others with the diagnosis honestly that’s good, because there’s very little medical help out there and talking about it with others is about the only way to try to find things that help.

I post mostly about football on social media. That is not all I am as a person. Same with someone who is essentially a disability blogger.

I am also extremely circumspect about my own disabilities precisely because of attitudes like yours.