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?

Of course not.

But on a similar theme, I do think that there are some people who use their mental health as an excuse for bad behaviour, or reason for why they're unable to do something, to the point that it negatively impacts those who genuinely really do suffer from depression. Look at how many celebrities who suddenly have depression/anxiety when they've been caught out for something or other, having previously never spoken about it.

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.

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.

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.

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..

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'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?

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

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.

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.

I wish more people were hypochondriacs to be honest. The number of people who have learned nothing from covid and are going around spreading horrible viruses and flus and norovirus and god knows what else and on top of that want to be congratulated for being so brave and carrying on when they're ill, seemingly oblivious to the fact they're spreading their nasty germs everywhere and they are the exact reason they things spread.

Absolutely hit the nail on the head

Completely agree with you.

Most of us with real chronic pain and life long health conditions actually do work and try our hardest. I take my medication, wear joint supports and get on with it.

I believe a lot of it is laziness and attention seeking, people just don't want to work these days.

I don't think the woman in the BBC article did herself many favours with the sceptics by choosing a photo of herself apparently out for a jog in the woods to illustrate the story.

I'm not judging that either way — people with chronic conditions have good days too, and maybe she wanted to show herself looking positive for an appearance in the national media — but I suspect that "she doesn't look very ill too me" will have gone through a lot of people's minds.

I think this is true, but I’d also add that people act sooner, because they have no confidence that if they were to find themselves in an emergency that the emergency services would be available to them. E.g hours long waits in A &E or for an ambulance. I’d 100% take kids in “for a precaution” for that reason really, which is sad

But how people look has no bearing on how well they are, and it's ignorant to think otherwise (not aimed at you). I have debilitating chronic migraines, but of course, I can exercise on days when I'm not having one, and surely keeping ourselves as fit as we can within out limits is a good thing?

The woman int he article actually works, but for some reason the OP still has an issue with her working from home, which might be the only way she can keep working. So, I'm not entirely sure what the problem is!

Chronic pain and migraines are not aches and pains and a headache

YABVU and frankly goady as fuck

This is such a poor example, OP. The women works. She just WFH. So do I.
Big deal.

OP you've picked the wrong article for an example. I have chronic migraine and work part-time, I absolutely couldn't work full time at the moment but also getting the right medical support from the NHS is almost impossible. I had to pay to start a new medicine last year as my headache clinic wouldn't fund any of the new drugs available. I had six months off work sick before accessing this drug as I couldn't work. If more people with chronic conditions could access the right treatment then we would have more people in work.

I still get migraines but they are more treatable and easier to manage.

Yes there are also a lot of people who head to the doctors for illness like colds and sick bugs who should just stay home and deal with it themselves. But it's almost like some people have a learned helplessness in not being able to deal with general colds. They certainly shouldn't be bothering doctors to treat a lot of minor illness. I hardly ever see a doctor for anything other then my migraines.

I was talking to partner only last night .
Some people go to Docs for the least little thing
( him being one of them ) taking up appointments that could be used for more serious ailments .
Leave the Docs to be available for really ill people. He's had 2 or 3 xray or hospital referrals, because he's not happy with outcome.
Ridiculous! When poor people are waiting in corridors to be seen by doctors.
Thank you for letting get that out .
Sorry , rant over !!

Have you read Three Men in a Boat?

I think most of us suffer from aches and pains and headaches from time to time?

How to tell us you’ve never had a migraine without telling us you’ve never had a migraine.

I suffer horrendously with migraines. I get migraines, migraines with aura, vestibular migraines and gastric migraines. They can happen as often as 21 days a month. I have to take 4 preventative medications, plus 3 medications when they occur. On top of that I have Botox, on the NHS every 3 months and I pay for acupuncture every couple of weeks.

DS1 gets the odd occasional migraine, but he used to suffer quite badly as a child and a young teenager. When he came to join the army he was rejected because they don’t take people with frequent, recurrent migraines due to them being so debilitating and how they interfere with your life. Our GP helped in his appeal, which he was successful with.

Chronic pain is a very different to a “few aches and pains”. I’ve lived with multiple disabilities, which cause chronic pain, for almost 30yrs. I don’t sleep, I can’t eat because I’m so tired I feel sick, I’m isolated, I’m incredibly lonely especially at 3am when everyone else is snoring. I couldn’t play with my kids to the same extent that other parents could, i now can’t get on the floor and play with my grandson nor push his pram. Everything we do we have to think “ooh can Fairy do that?” We can’t just get up and go like most other people.

It’s incredibly insulting to lump your “aches and pains” in with people who live with chronic pain. I’d love to have a few aches and pains and crack on with it. I’d love to be able to work, even from home, but I can’t. Fortunately DH has a well paid job so we don’t need to worry about money for now.

It was said during Covid that our population was quite uniquely vulnerable due to the enormous amount of people with chronic conditions and disabilities. I don't know the cause but this was based on numbers of diagnosed, so not just people making it up because they feel stiff that morning.

Migraines are utter hell and yabvu to throw around the new Mumsnet buzzwords like 'resilience' about them. My friend who lives with chronic migraines is much more resilient than you or I considering each and every day is a lottery of agonising pain.

If she has severe chronic pain and migraines, that will be debilitating.
Also I must defend the Brits here, I've found both Europeans and Americans far more obsessed with getting constant medical care. An American friend was shocked that I didn't go to the doctor demanding antibiotics for a cough. And then there's the French...

The one that frustrates me is 'I've got anxiety' as if it's a medical diagnosis and verging on a disability. A convenient excuse to opt out of things they don't fancy doing.
This is not a pop at people who are actually ill, diagnosed and being treated, I think statements like this actually devalue their experiences.