Long Covid Obsession

[ToTheFinlandStation]

A family member has convinced herself she has long covid. The tests she's had indicate nothing wrong. She says this is because it's long covid and no one understands. She has refused other tests. She says she has refused them because there's no point as they're very stressful and she knows she has long covid anyway.

She constantly talks about long covid, about what people in the online long covid support groups say, about possible treatments for it. She posts long covid memes on social media and updates her social media status with in depth reports about her long covid symptoms, about drugs and studies, very detailed, technical medical papers.

I feel like I have lost her. I also think there is something cultish about these long covid groups she is part of, like they're all feeding off each other. It puts me in mind of other people I know who disappeared down conspiracy theory rabbit holes during covid.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? And if you have, did you get the person back? If you did, how?

If you assumed she was telling the truth, would her behaviour make more sense?

I agree with the poster who said it’s the phrase long covid that is the issue.

I had the flu when I was 19, it triggered fibromyalgia it is a horrible long term condition that causes me a lot of the symptoms people with long covid have. People understand I have a disability and that it was caused by flu. If I called it long flu they would laugh at me.

I think the problem with the phrase long covid is that it sounds like having the symptoms of a respiratory infection for several years/forever which is ridiculous

If people said I have fibromyalgia/CFS/ME/COPD/heart disease triggered by Covid then others would have a better understanding and more sympathy.

x.com/atranscendedman/status/1837852882143772789?s=46&t=G9BWOZlYGPa1_pR7aKkbHQ

Post viral illness is very real, and it does seem that people who’ve had a round and recovered are more likely to have it after another illness. It didn’t get much support before covid and I’d hoped that long covid would change that, but in the longterm it hasn’t.

From what I remember precovid, the best ways to treat it were lots of rest (mental and physical), light exercise like yoga and swimming, light weights can be great too. Really good nutrition which is SO HARD for someone exhausted - of course UPFs are easier when you’re ill. Time and patience. I always think of children being sent to the sea to recover in Enid Blyton books.

Some people respond well to things like supplements and acupuncture too. When I had it, young adult books or rewatching old TV shows were nice ways to pass the time.

I think your attitude is a bit unreasonable and so is hers so you’re bouncing off each other. I liked the prev poster recommending acknowledging and moving on.