To think we are becoming a country of hypochondriacs?

[YellowTulips25]

Firstly, let me preface this by saying that I entirely sympathise with people who have to live with serious long-term medical conditions. I don't wish to downplay illness or disabilities - visible or hidden - at all.

However, does anyone else feel like we're rapidly becoming a country of hypochondriacs, where an increasing number of people let seemingly minor health issues dominate their life?

For example, an article on the BBC this week features a woman who talks about having 'chronic pain, migraines and travel sickness' as reasons why it's impossible for her to work in an office. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp9x0819417o

I think most of us suffer from aches and pains and headaches from time to time? What'd happen if we all started using this excuse?

And I know plenty of friends who always seem to have some ailment or other troubling them, whether it's being in pain, being tired, having a cough or cold, etc etc. It seems almost as if constantly being ill is part of their personality, a badge of honour?

I know I'll probably get flamed for this, but surely I can't be the only one to feel like rolling my eyes at some people's lack of resilience?

Nobody is getting pip without strong medical evidence the fraud rate is 0.4 % so practically non existence so please tell us how people are manipulating the system. Lots of posters on here have used the word snowflake, hypochondriac and faking it. Have you ever thought the reason so many people are struggling with their health is because the nhs is failing them. But of course it's easier to blame the vulnerable person then look at the true cause of the issue. I work part time and am only able to do so due to having a boss who is understanding of disability and flexible if he wasn't like a lot on this thread then I'd be another person who couldn't work. So maybe if people's attitudes changed towards disabled people and instead of slagging them off try to understand there needs then more would be able to work with help.

YANBU. At all, this is a serious problem, especially when you have a crumbling NHS and GPs under extreme pressure. And a benefits system which rewards 'sickness' as opposed to unemployment.

More than 3 million on "sickness benefit "...when the availability of wfh jobs is higher than ever .
1 year on benefits max am sure people would step up and be productive ..

Yes, people will miraculously suddenly stop being sick because they have no money. Sure.

No money would definitely help my bipolar disorder.

Posts like this really make me feel like shit about myself. But I expect that is what you were hoping for OP.

And how many of them 3 million are stuck on nhs waiting lists getting worse

I agree with the poster who talked about preventative- I've long held the viewpoint that for quite minimal cost relative to further costs down the line- the gvt could set up preventative clinics in town where once a year you made an appointment and got a 'full ' blood and urine check, blood pressure check and a chest x Ray, free of charge - this does not need staffing by doctors but by trained up phlebotomists, nursing assistants and obviously a radiographer. Any follow ups done via GP./GP assistant.

There are many things if picked up early would have better outcomes.

🤣🤣🤣I

f you ever become disabled, you'll soon find out about these "rewards". Or do you think illness and disability only happens to those less deserving that you?

Oh yes.
Cause poverty would alleviate all the illness symptoms.. not make them worse at all.

I hope to god people that hold this opinion fall fowl of an illness.. because nothing will change your tunes faster than experiencing the life of those you look down on..

What exactly are we talking about here in terms of friends, their ages, your relationship? Because casual friends who don't know me that well would probablu not even know I have this disability or that gives me grief. People I see regularly might have an idea but I'd keep it light - eg if they see I am moving strangely or if I'm embarassed because I am struggling to carry something and I'd just say somethign like, "oh, I have a bit of a dodgy shoulder but I'll be fine tomorrow|."

But my close friends do know becuase they're the ones who I feel comfortable complaining that it's bloody painful this week and it's making normal tasks 1million times harder than usual.

I have lots of tests and to be fair when you start looking you just find more issues. Over testing isn't always a good thing

I agree about over testing. You have a bad cold your blood pressure may register as too high.
Preventative testing targets those most at risk. So targeting those who are older, or already have risk factors makes sense. Testing healthy 25 year olds makes no sense at all.

Be kind to yourself Raven. Some people have their heads so far up their backsides, they sit on their shoulders. ❤️❤️

You are worth far, far more than posters like that. I pity them in a way for being so full of bitterness and so lacking in empathy.

Society is organised to protect the vulnerable but this is where the problem arises. The system is currently organised is a way that assumes that the vulnerable are a relatively small minority and that the non vulnerable majority can contribute enough to provide the additional support and resources that the vulnerable need. There unfortunately is a sub-section of people though that see this and want to exploit it. The reality is for many people it is easier to be seen a vulnerable because of the extra benefits and allowances you get by doing this. It is sadly human nature and anecdotal evidence on this thread, countless other threads and experiences in my own life have proven this to be true.

So we end up in a situation where society becomes suspicious of everyone. Resentment grows and doubts fester. The most vulnerable end up losing out as resources are overstretched and there is a growing desire to restrict spending in this area as many taxpayers feel they are being taken for a ride. It is sad but it is what will happen when society's kindness and compassion is taken for weakness. There will always be those who seek to exploit this for personal gain.

I don’t think many people are faking illness, but more likely have a genuinely skewed perception of how ill they are - particularly with mental health “conditions” such as depression and anxiety and, most of all, stress.

Of course it’s impossible to judge and so doctors and employers err on the side of caution. Is someone in a really bad place through job stress, or do they find the job frustrating and don’t like being reprimanded? I know the latter person - was given a warning for calling in sick at Christmas so promptly went off with stress - signed off long-term by doctor.

But it's always the people on the bottom of the rung that people target and accuse of exploiting the system, isn't it? There's not post after post on here about the likes of Michelle Mone exploiting the system, but tons of benefits bashing goes on unchecked.

COVID happened and unfortunately it's left a lot of formerly well people damaged. It's something like 2m people!

The reported 0.4% rate of fraud has been calculated and verified how? It's almost impossible to prove that a PIP claim is fraudulent and infinitely harder than something like housing or child benefit. The government actually has no idea how many people are claiming PIP at higher levels than they should be or how many people are claiming PIP that shouldn't be eligible at all. I hate the fact that this statistic is banded around as if it's definitive proof that fraudulent claims aren't being made.

Quite agree with @Bumpitybumper . One person off sick - everyone’s sympathetic. Six people off sick and those left are not very sympathetic at all.

Every snowflake is different

Do you have any idea how much medical evidence you need to get pip