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“It Gets Romanticized”: 50 Medical Issues That Are Far Worse Than People Think
As you age, you realize that health is probably the most important thing in life. Hence the memes about discovering marathons, juice cleanses, and chia seeds once you hit 30.
In reality, people tend to start worrying about their health once something is really wrong. According to a recent survey by Aflac, one in four Americans skip regular checkups and wellness appointments because they feel well at that moment.
However, there are many symptoms or conditions we tend to overlook as harmless. It turns out that many of them can have detrimental effects to our health, as became evident after people started sharing things in the thread of "What is a medical condition that is more serious than people realize?"
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Depression. May not be the medical but mental side more really. It’s also a silent k**ler. Check in on people once in a while it might actually save a life.
_oooOooo_:
And honestly, it's so serious bc people have no idea what it actually is. They think its laying in bed all day crying. But it's so much more insidious than that. It's chronic fatigue, no interest in the regular things, it's irritability, it's pain, it's isolation, which can lead to major issues like sadness, loneliness, hopelessness and s*****e. It really is a silent, easily masked k**ler that more people need to know about. Being disinterested in everything isn't normal. But its fixable if you know!
Ellinor 6 months ago (edited)
And when people learn about some side of depression like not brushing your teeth or showering for months, not changing your clothes or having a bedroom in a state of pure filth, they act all disgusted and say that "but how did you let yourself go that bad?". Well I don't know Janet, probably Depression !
Ahnjunwan 6 months ago
And that is what real depression looks like. Not like some people who claim to be depressive when they are in fact just enjoy to victimize themselves and use it as an excuse for being lazy and not having the slightest bit of discipline. Those people make it much worse for people who are really depressive. The next problem is see, in the US as far as i am aware at least, Doctors giving prescriptions for antidepressants way to quick. They cant be arsed to find out if the person is really depressive or just sad because their lavender in the garden died. Nevermind, everbody is making money with it, so good for the doctor, good for the pharmacies....except the patient.
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Noyfb noyfb 6 months ago (edited)
And DO NOT EVER refer to depression meds as “happy pills.” They don’t make the person happy. They reduce the chances the depressed person will c-o-mm-i.t … s—u:i:cEYE//de.
Ace 6 months ago
Not _just_ that. they can help to rebalance brain chemicals to a point where you can begin to face the underlying problems. One of the problems with depression is that you just can't be arsed to do anything, even when you know you should. Medication can help, but not for the long term.
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Alexia 6 months ago (edited)
It's baffling to see how ignorant people are when it comes to signs of depression. My boss tried to put me in a sort of "efficiency and time management" training. As she put it in my assessment, she couldn't understand why someone who had all the skills, experience and awesome previous results was so inefficient lately, even with minor tasks. Well, Karen, maybe it was you who needed some training.
angelmomoffour62 6 months ago
My depression is so debilitating to me. I can't get out of bed or do everyday things I need to do.
Ben Aziza 6 months ago (edited)
What I really dislike about it is how it makes absofkinglutely no sense at all!. There is no discernable pattern as to why it happens or why some ppl manage to mitigate or even overcome depression... Others simply are not able despite doing everything or more than the formerly mentioned ppl... They pick up all the right habits do all the right "moves" even take medications... Then one slip up happens and they are in a pit of despair so horrificly unimaginable that their brain sees death as an alternative... What i hate most is that i simply CANNOT empathise with that at all... I had a hard life. Would say harder than 95% of ppl. Had periods where i felt and did all that is described above. Where i assumed i was depressed but i never felt the need of ever picking up the rights habits or get meds or anything cus i knew. I had 100% certitude that i would overcome any such period. To me no matter how bad life got i would never CONCIVE of death as being a solution... That is why depression pisses me off... Also why For once i am thankful i can't empathise or understand something... Cus it is horrific to even imagine being in that state. And again not knowing why some seem to get past depression and others just are never able to. No matter what...Just makes no sense. So even if one wants to help. It seems like all you can do is just hope.
XenoMurph 6 months ago
I have terrible times of absolutely debilitating depression. At the time I think it's crazy that no one can understand. At the times when I feel better I can't imagine getting into that state ever again. But you can't logic yourself out of it, it's not logical.
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Undercover 6 months ago (edited)
I have BPD, depression, addictionss problems and am recovering from all forms of eating disorder. It's a constant struggle to killl myself as slowly as possible (the addictionn helps escape the mental pain but is baaad for the body - mental pain is trying to finish me off by suicidee). Ugh. Yes, I take meds, have done a LOT of therapy and have a wonderful therapist by my side. But it's so tiring and bizarre. 😑
Renee Fiola-Homen 6 months ago
It actually is a physical and mental condition. Depression causes real physiological pain.
Kit Black 6 months ago
"But its fixable if you know!" Sometimes. Sometimes not so much. Sometimes it just falls into the category of ~ mostly somewhat manageable with intermittent bouts of suckitude for unpredictable lengths of time~. But definitely get help because sometimes it takes trying several different medical professionals before you find the right one, and sometimes even just getting 1 level higher on your functionality scale makes all the difference.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I've suffered from major depressive disorder since childhood. I've gone through some really bad patches, and some OK. I'm on an antidepressant now, changed docs and got some med that really works. I still have bad days but I'm functioning.
RELATED:
#2
Having chronic pain.
People just can’t image never having a break from being stuck with pain… and how it affects basically anything in daily life. Directly and indirectly.
From systemic sleep deprivation to a full blown depression and all sorts of other health risks.
The Darkest Timeline 6 months ago
I had shingles about four years ago and I thought to myself, “If I had to live with this sort of pain all the time, I have no idea how I’d enjoy anything.” It only lasted about 3-4 weeks. So, to those of you who have any type of chronic pain, I offer my sincerest condolences and deepest sympathy.
Auntriarch 6 months ago
My mother in law had shingles, a band of blister four inches wide around her middle. She was on morphine for the rest of her life, and it only worked for half of the day.
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Renee Fiola-Homen 6 months ago (edited)
Pain is exhausting Chronic pain is exhausting in every way.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I have chronic pain. It sucks. My physical and mental health issues feed off each other, making both harder to manage.
Jane Alexander 6 months ago
aand leads to various 'fixes' that aren't all that good for us either.
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arthbach 6 months ago
Here's the daft thing, you do get used chronic pain. It is debilitating, but it can become the new normal.
Little Bit 6 months ago
You find ways of managing to get through daily life but you have your limitations and then people don’t believe you when you say you struggle to do certain tasks because it's painful. I have arthritic knees and for the most part I'm fine. I can walk on flat surfaces for miles but hills and stairs are my worst nightmare. It's excruciating and takes me forever. Also standing up and sitting down is difficult because sometimes my knee gives way. When the weather is cold that pain in constant but as you say you just get used to it.
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Kitsune Nocturne 6 months ago
Fibromyalgia here. Can confirm. Pain is a constant. There are times when you are fortunate and can just keep it as background noise (you feel it, but you can kind of relegate it to the back of your mind), but there are also days where it is so extreme that there is nothing else for you in reality but the processing of that pain, you can do nothing else but process the pain and hope it fades a bit soon - and I say "fades" because it doesn't ever end.
Cadastros de Helen Vanessa 6 months ago
I"ve fybromialgia and pain is my middle name. With a certain frequency I need to look for reasons to continue living because the pain is unbearable.
Dread Pirate Roberts 6 months ago (edited)
My best friend was diagnosed with fibro myalgia at age 16, and now also has PCOS. Needless to say, I get vicious with people when they try to undermine her pain or judge her for being on disability. I figure if I imagine a time when I was really sick and ached all over then multiply that by 1,000 happening several times a month and being expected to do everyday activities on top of that, I might get a vague idea of what a fibro flare up feels like. Never blow off someone else's pain.
#3
Autoimmune disease. It’s painful, silent and not easy to diagnose.
johnstonb:
It takes ON AVERAGE 10 years to get diagnosed after the onset of symptoms. In the meantime doctors are completely dismissive of your symptoms. You are tired because you are “depressed”. Your hair is falling out because “stress.” Meanwhile you feel like you’re going crazy.
ChefCarolina:
I lost 6 years of my life, was put on every anti-depressant/anti-psychotic medication, was diagnosed as Bipolar, and was eventually locked up in a mental institution.
All because it never occurred to my doctors to check my thyroid.
EmAdoresHerKats🇮🇪🇩🇿🇵🇸 6 months ago
It took 20 years and multiple miscarriages to get diagnosed with sle. They made it seem I was making it up.
Mary Morris 6 months ago
Twenty-NINE years to finally get a diagnosis of my fibromyalgia in 2007.
Captain Awesome 6 months ago
I had about 10+ years of relatively mild issues. I was told I just needed fiber. Finally got bad enough to require hospitalization. I ended up in the hospital almost 15 times in 2 years for bowel obstructions. Was diagnosed with severe Crohn's disease. Ten years and a few surgeries later I'm finally not showing signs of active disease. But I had to lose a good chunk of my intestines. Fun times.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
Thyroid should be checked regularly, your docs were incompetent if they didn't.
The Darkest Timeline 6 months ago
I wonder if the “conventional wisdom” trained into physicians for a long time has been that it is most likely not an autoimmune disorder or disease so they look to simpler explanations first; diet, lifestyle, environment, etc. It may also be that they haven’t been well-trained at identifying markers. Hopefully, such as with mental health, autism, and other issues we used to not see as much (because nobody thought to look for them), the training they receive will continue to improve.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
Doctors think the way to solve any problem is weight loss. Got a sore throat? Broken leg? Just lose 10 pounds; that’ll clear it right up.
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R Dennis 6 months ago
Seven years to be diagnosed. Given expensive therapies that were at best useless, at worse damaging - it was the ONLY diagnosis that would be negatively impacted... it was. Six years on from diagnosis, I am practically a quadriplegic. I used to be an athlete, now I am a statistically too young example of an incurable condition.
Marissa Voleta 6 months ago
After multiple ER visits because I was "dying", I finally had to suggest checking my thyroid numbers...lo and behold, off the charts hyperthyroid. They tried to throw benzos and antipsychotics at me before this. Glad I went to Google medical school....
FluffButt Central 6 months ago
I was diagnosed early but that was thanks to my mom. I remember all the doctor appointments and none of them had answer. Eventually, my mom heard of this new doctor and took me to see him. He was from Europe, Denmark to be exact. After examining me, blood tests, and xrays, he diagnosed me with JRA. I was 6yo and it was 1971. No other doctor had heard of it.
Dorothy Reiser 6 months ago
Over 20 years before finally diagnosed with Meniere's disease. It's not all in my head.
#4
Migraines, they can be totally debilitating and increase the likelihood of other serious neurological disorders.
faithle97:
I literally had one so bad I was begging for my husband to drive me to the hospital because I thought something had to be horribly wrong. I’ve had migraines off and on my whole life but that one came out of nowhere, was my first one with aura, was the most intense one I’ve ever felt, and had me puking nonstop for about 5 hours before my husband came home from work. They ended up doing stroke testing at the hospital because of how severe and different that migraine presented compared to all my previous ones. I was on hormonal birth control at the time and the ER doctor told me to stop taking it immediately even though all my stroke testing came back negative.
takethepain-igniteit:
My husband has had chronic almost daily migraines for almost 20 years. It's debilitating! His life revolves around how his head feels. It's the worst during the summer months, he spends days to weeks in our bedroom with blackout curtains drawn and an eye mask on. I feel so horrible that I can't help him. He's tried numerous medications, injections, supplements, diet changes, etc and nothing helps. He's seen all different types of doctors to try to nail down the cause but no one can figure it out. I can't imagine being in the amount of pain he is in most days, but he is still the nicest, most positive person I know.
ynyrhydref56 6 months ago
Yep. And no, it's not the same as a headache. I say to people that migraine is a whole body experience.
Betsy S 6 months ago
People seem to equate "really bad headache" and "migraine" even though they are very different from one another. They think migraine only means bad head pain, but they don't realize it's a different sort of pain altogether and it involves many different parts of your body, where a tension headache, even a really bad one, simply does not BEHAVE the way a migraine does.
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Little Bit 6 months ago
I've had migraines since I was 15. Sometimes I completely lose my vision, other times they last for days and are so painful that I can barely function. Bright lights are unbearable, any kind of noise, even the slightest whisper is unbearable. When my migraine has finished I have very little or no recollection of anything that happened during the time of my migraine. I'm fed up of explaining myself to ignorant people who think it's just a headache or that I'm faking it. I wish I could swap places with them when I have a migraine so they know what it feels like.
Mimi M 5 months ago
If one triptan doesn't work, try a different one, also brand vs generic. And be aware of mood side-effects - some types have this worse than others. Google is your fren.
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Courtney Christelle 6 months ago
I get migraines and they tend to revolve around my menstrual cycle. Some months I get lucky and don’t get any and others times I’m in so much pain for hours on end that I vomit.
Marilyn Holt 6 months ago
I nearly always ended up in the hospital. Could feel it starting and had nothing to stop it. Nausea and vomiting so bad I frequently just wanted to die. They never stopped until I was around 75.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I don't get migraines very often, thank goodness. But when I do it's hell.
The Darkest Timeline 6 months ago
My wife used to get severe ones when she was younger. As she’s aged, they’ve become less frequent and less severe but they’re still not pleasant.
Bewitched One 6 months ago
My fiancé gets the same and seem to be much more frequent when he is stressed. Dehydration (because poster mentions worse in summer months) can cause them to happen more frequently and intensely too. I haven’t had one in a really long time but mine used to be accompanied by nausea and vomiting
#5
Anxiety. The stress on your body causes SO many other issues.
Lorraine Woollands 6 months ago
I have had depression and anxiety for most of my adult life, my parents never understood. I used to get comments from them like" straighten that face,,or she's sulking again, or things like talk to people,they think you are rude"
Upstaged75 6 months ago
My mom always told me that I needed to "snap out of it". Gee, why didn't I think of that? 🙄
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Little Bit 6 months ago
Since perimenopause I get crippling anxiety that comes out of nowhere. My thoughts spiral out of control and sometimes it gets so bad that I can't face anyone. One time it happened when I was at work and my manager just told me to "stop it." I told her I wish I could. I don’t do it deliberately and I can't just turn it on and off like a light switch.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
IKR? We don’t do it on purpose just to annoy people. It’s not exactly fun for us, either.
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LB 6 months ago
I have this! So far nothing helps much. Stress and especially heat make it worse.
Load More Replies... #6
Being knocked out with a blow to the head. TV and movies treat it like a nearly harmless off-switch. In reality, if someone loses consciousness due to head trauma it should always be treated as a medical emergency.
Ace 6 months ago (edited)
This should be higher. If you've lost consciousness, even for a second, then you have a concussion, that is literally what it means, Symptoms may not appear until hours later. There have been several celebrity deáths as a result on an untreated blow to the head in an accident,.
Science Nerd 6 months ago
Happened to me. I fell while walking late at night with no witnesses. Work up in a hospital with no memory as to what happened. The immediate scans showed a mild subdural hematoma. Two weeks later, a CT scan showed two large hematomas. I’ve never seen my PCP as serious when he said get to an emergency room ASAP. Surgency the next morning, which probably saved my life.
Upstaged75 6 months ago
And then there's a lovely thing called Post Concussion Syndrome. Which means the symptoms of your concussion stick around for a while.
Marnie 6 months ago
I got knocked out for no more than a few seconds as a kid. I had problems for the next 20 years. I think maybe I still do, but I'm now used to it, so I don't know anymore.
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geezeronthehill 6 months ago
Witness football players and boxers for the effects of repeated head trauma. Muhammad Ali is one example among many.
CanadianaKa 6 months ago
Hell yes. I got knocked out in primary school (another kid and I ran into each other) and came to lying on the ground. When I told my teacher she said to sit down and that studying bible would make me feel better. Needless to say while I was in hospital my parents met with the school admin...
#7
ADHD. It's definitely commonly recognized and treated but I don't think most non-ADHD people truly understand how frustrating it is living with it. Your whole life revolves around it, because unless you're always keeping it in check, you can't live in normal society, and it's f*****g exhausting having to always be hyper aware of everything you do. Your productivity, your memory, your sensory perception, all of that, is by default, hindered permanently compared to a neurotypical person, but unfortunately, most things are built around neurotypical capabilities (working 9-5, etc.) and it's so mentally draining to force yourself to adapt to that culture.
Meds and good habits help but they can only do so much. No matter what you do or take, you will sooner or later fall into a cycle of procrastination, of forgetfulness, of "ADHD paralysis", of sensory overstimulation, and it f*****g sucks because it's so difficult to explain to people. It's become so normalized that most people, at least the ones I've talked to, think you're overplaying it or that it's not that big of a deal.
Ellinor 6 months ago (edited)
ADHD is a handicap and I will keep fighting for people to accept that. And I am tired of people telling me that I shouldn't "make my life revolve about it" when it's the whole way my brain is wired.
Bremusa4u 6 months ago
It's covered under the American wiith Disability Act.
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Colleen Glim 6 months ago
ADHD meds are NOT BAD!!! Two of my three daughters had it. The oldest could finally think her way from point A to point B without side trips through the rest of the alphabet. The middle one had extra issues that were aggravated by the meds so we never really found something that worked for her. That’s how it goes sometimes. Every child is different. And no you don’t outgrow it over time. You just learn coping mechanisms
Kit Black 6 months ago
Yeah, every time I see someone my age say that they wish they had been dxed as a kid and then things would be better, I'm like... no, it was not better.It was just a different kind of hell. The 2 d***s available for ADHD GenX kids were an early form of Ritalin that drugged the f**k out of you, and a placebo called Cylert that they told your parents would ~make you behave~. And the therapeutic strategies of the 70's were : You're Not Trying Hard Enough, The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves aka ~ your kid just needs to be spanked more often~, and Well, At Least They'll Outgrow It...
Load More Replies... arthbach 6 months ago
For those with ADHD, a useful thing to remember is NICU - Novel, Interests, Challenge, and Urgent. It's amazing how much can be done when dealing new things, or it plays into your special interests. Challenges are wonderful motivators, and things get done when it becomes urgent.
My O My 6 months ago
I sometimes wonder if I've been misdiagnosed with BPD instead of ADHS as an adult. All of the ADHS in grown up women markers are on point. But I don't know how to find out
Marnie 6 months ago
If you can't get an official evaluation from someone you trust, here is one thing to try if you haven't already. Read a well-written and well-received first-hand account of BPD and of ADHD. Not some blog online, but something a little more formal, such as a memoire or maybe even a case study. See which resonates with you. And then look at both the therapy and the tips/tricks that people claim help them with each one. Which set do you think would help you most? If everything in you is leaning one way or the other, that may help. It's definitely not an official diagnosis (and it could even be yet a third thing), but it might help clarify some of this for you.
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Atom Bohr 6 months ago
I recently read the line "ADHD quietly rots your life from the inside out" and it really hit home. Even if you can keep up a facade, there are always issues. Getting needed documents updated in time, forgetting important or even legally necessary things, being overwhelmed and unable to respond to people destroying your relationships. So much shame! Then there's the cognitive aspect: I honestly can't string more than surface thoughts together without my medication. The difference in the quality and depth of my work when I do or don't have meds is indescribable. I feel like I'm functionally an idiot without meds, and it means I'm basically unable to work without them (I do the best I can but it leads to a lot of problems)
Renee Fiola-Homen 6 months ago
My son in law has ADHD and he struggles so much with it. My heart breaks for him bc he hates it.
Lene 6 months ago
I am waiting to get tested for inattentive adhd. It is so frustrating to navigate in the real world because I am surrounded by ppl who either think my symptoms are what neurotypicals experience (it's difficult for me to explain how severe it is -also because I am masking a whole lot) or they think I'm a silly goose or they just flat out refuse to communicate about my difficulties. Part of the reason I am likely on my way to seperate from my partner of 12 years and father to my 3 kids. I will be tested in about 1.5 years. 😬 I just hope I won't mess up the kids because of whatever-it-is-I-have. 😔
#8
Endometriosis— Some women feel Level 10 pain every month and have to miss school and work because they can’t get out of bed.
embarrassedburner:
Widespread nerve pain in various body regions, lung collapse, urinary, digestive, menstrual, sexual, reproductive, cognitive, mood, and fatigue symptoms. People have no idea how debilitating this disease can be.
Robert Beveridge 6 months ago
I have a roommate who has it so bad it qualified her for disability.
Nona Jaynes 6 months ago
Off and on symptoms since my late teens until age 47 til I got diagnosed.....so 33 years. Don't be an idiot like me.
Upstaged75 6 months ago
It took me about 10. I was scheduled for a hysterectomy until I found a medicine that stops me from menstruating. As long as I don't bleed I'm fine. Before that there were times I thought about unaliving myself because there didn't seem to be an end to the pain. The ER often pumped me with enough meds to k**l a horse and even that didn't work. I'm SO much happier now.
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v10011011 6 months ago
I am a male, so I can’t fully understand the pain that comes from endo. But I have known quite a few women in my life who have had it, and to me it is the poster child of mis- or non- diagnosis for women. It is so frustrating knowing someone (even someone you’re not close with) who knows they have it but can’t get the medical help they need, it seems like some doctors have a personal vendetta against endo diagnoses/treatment. 2 of my sons’ teachers had it and luckily both finally got their diagnoses the same year, sadly one had known she had it since she was a teenager and had to deal with it for 10+years before finally getting through to her medical providers
ROSESARERED 6 months ago
Doesn't just effect the uterus...I can be found in other organs, kidneys, liver, bowel, stomach. I know someone who had surgery to remove it, full hysterectomy, 1 kidney and part of her bowel removed. Doctors took no notice of her for years, which is no surprise to any woman her, but it wouldn't have been so serious and life changing if they did.
Courtney Christelle 6 months ago
My sister had that. I’m at an increased chance which is why I’m getting a full hysterectomy as soon as I can.
Sarah Belt 6 months ago
Endometriosis is not just a gynecological issue. It can present anywhere in your body and excision laparotomy surgeries are considered the gold standard for treatment (physical removal of the cysts). Hysterectomies do not always treat it: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/Having%20a%20Hysterectomy_2022_0.pdf Not saying this to preach at you either way. You owe me zero explanation for your decision. But there's a lot of misinformation about endo out there, so I'm just hoping you have a good medical professional to discuss your options with. <3
Load More Replies... #9
In my opinion: Anorexia nervosa.
It is the deadliest Mental disorder and (at least in Germany) you need to be underweight to get treatment.
And it gets f*cking romanticized nowadays and in the past - especially in girls. (And guys don't get taken seriously if they have it, so everyone is f*cked).
Rachel Reynolds 6 months ago
As some one with and ED, Yes. And it doesn't really go away (at 45, I still get triggered)
Renee Fiola-Homen 6 months ago
My youngest daughter suffered with this ED for years .We almost lost her twice. There is nothing romantic about it!
Ace 6 months ago
It's a common mistake to assume that it's about body image, losing weight, wanting to be thin. Yes, sometimes that's a part of it, and more so with girls than boys, but there's a lot more to it than that and in many cases it is absolutely nothing to do with it. Was talking to a friend yesterday whose 11-y-o son has just come home after three months in hospital being treated for it. It's not fixed, yet, but they're hopeful that it's on the right track.
Ge Po 6 months ago
It often has much more to do with control. Feeling that the only thing you can control is how much, what and/or when you get to eat. Going overboard on eating healthy and over-exercising (punishing/compensating) for anything you ate extra, is also an eating disorder.
Load More Replies... #10
Pregnancy.
creepyging923:
It seems like people forget that women still regularly die while pregnant and during child birth.
Ellinor 6 months ago
Because of the racism in the Medical Field, unfortunately.
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Linda van A. 6 months ago
In Africa every 2 minutes a woman dies while pregnant or during child birth.
Child of the Stars 6 months ago
Even when everything goes right and mom and baby are completely healthy, it's still not the romp in the rainbow forest with unicorns blowing sparkles up your hoo-ha that a lot of women would like you to think. It's gross and painful. There's hemorrhoids and constipation and weird dreams and skin/hair issues and mood swings. I mostly enjoyed both of my pregnancies, but let's not pretend that it's some kind of glorious expression of womanhood or something.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
Pregnancy and childbirth are one of the worst things that women are saddled with. Maybe the bible-beaters are right when they say God cursed Eve.
Load More Replies... Lene 6 months ago
I got my tubes tied during the emergency c-section when I got my 3rd kid. It had already been agreed on beforehand and my midwife told me that my reasoning was very good: I could feel in my body that if I were to grow more humans I'd not be able to walk when I am old. And I also said that if my bf at some point found an other woman he wanted to have children with, he should still have that option. It is ME that can't carry more kids. If he wants a whole soccer-team of kids he should still be able to. I do not regret this decision at all.
Marissa Voleta 6 months ago
Just say no. You are not born to reproduce, not in this day in age. Stop having babies. Stop letting them convince you it's madatory or your "duty". It's control. It's irresponsible. There's too many people. Go fly a f*****g kite and live your own life.
DrBronxx 6 months ago
My wife had the smoothest pregnancy you could really ask for, and it was still stressful with a lot of discomfort and pain. Add the childbirth to the end of that, and there is not a hope in hell that she ever wants to go through that again, which is perfectly fine with me.
Beef Brisket 6 months ago (edited)
Fortunately, this is WRONG. Women do NOT "regularly" die from pregnancy or childbirth complications. Out of 100,000 U.S. pregnant and birthing women, 999,978, or 99.99% will survive. Even in the highest risk countries, the survival rate is about 99%. Yes, those numbers are still too high, and every loss is tragic, but let's not be "that person" who puts out fear-mongering misinformation that this is a "regular" occurrence, and put stress on women who already have enough things to worry about.
Alewa 6 months ago
An occurrence may be infrequent, yet regular. Also, according to the WHO, maternal death rates are unacceptably high because so many are easily preventable.
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Jill Rhodry 6 months ago
0.0003% is 0.3 deaths per 100,000 - that's what you should be aiming for
Load More Replies... #11
Type 1 Diabetes. A lot of people have no idea that you will die without insulin.
orbit99za:
Type 1 diabetes
It really is an invisible fight.
You need injections up to 3+ times a day to survive.
You had better get your calculations right, because insulin is so potent. If wrong, you have literally k****d yourself.
People confuse it with Type 2 diabetes and blame it on bad eating habits.
In all honesty, they should have named it something else.
Source: Type 1 diabetic.
"Disembodied voice" 6 months ago
Also remember that type 2 diabetes isn't just from bad eating habits, genetics and some medications are big factors.
ninjaTrashPandaBoom 6 months ago
Also stress, obesity and physical inactivity are all suspected as well in playing a part in the development of type 2 diabetes. They are still researching the cause.
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Ge Po 6 months ago
Type 2 can also be caused by an infection, pregnancy, genetic disposition, or age. Among other things. The very, very basic idea is: Type 1, your pancreas doesn't make any insulin, so you have to inject it. Type 2, you pancreas does make insulin, but either the quality is bad, or the bodies reaction to it is inadequate. In this case you may need to take pills which improve the function of your bodies naturally made insulin, and/or you need to improve the balance between intake of energy (eating/drinking), the use of energy (exercise/rest) and the form of energy you take (sugar=quick, proteins/fats = slow). Anyway, you will have to make sure what you eat is in line with what you expect to use/need, and keep checking your blood-sugar levels to avoid crashing. Also avoid high blood-sugar levels, for they are killers to nerve-cells and you will be more susceptible for (bacteria/yeast infections and therefore wounds do not heal as fast as they should.
LadyRougarou 6 months ago
PCOS can also cause type 2. I have been "pre-diabetic" since I was diagnosed with PCOS at 13 and I'm now 36. I've lost 75 lbs and have had a total hysterectomy and I'm still pre-diabetic.
#12
Thyroidism, hypo or hyper. It impacts the heart, the lungs/breathing, mental health, weight, hair and nails, etc. if you're feeling super tired, out of breath doing usual task, heart palpitations, please demand a full thyroid panel. They will try and push TSH. This test only catches levels at the time of blood draw. Demand the full panel looking at T3, T4, TSH. It's treatable with a pill a day.
Upstaged75 6 months ago
I had Graves Disease and it can mimic the symptoms of anxiety. It also gave me daily massive headaches. I saw tons of doctors before someone thought to check my thyroid.
Ge Po 6 months ago
I agree. My TSH was within limits. My T3 was far below. I am glad my physician added that part of the test. My energy levels are good now, my weight stays in check with a normal, healthy diet, and my heart doesn't skip that often anymore. The last part I am most happy about.
Linda van A. 6 months ago
I have Hashimoto and even with my daily levothyroxine pill I often feel unwell.
James016 6 months ago
My wife takes Levo. She changed her dosage recently as it was too low.
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Arenite 6 months ago
If you have a hypoactive thyroid, DO NOT EAT SOY! Soy maybe be a superfood in many ways, but it is a thyroid depressant. I remember seeing pics of Japanese people lining up at pharmacies after the 3/11 disaster(s) to get pills to protect their thyroid from high levels of radiation from the nuclear near-meltdown. All I could think was “ I hope someone tells them to lay off the soy for a while”.
Janine Randall 5 months ago
I'm going through an episode right now. From slightly over medicated to apparently non medicated in 2 months. I take my meds the same way every day. I'm currently in the middle of getting re-adjusted. It's so hard for otherwise healthy people to understand. They think as soon as you start your meds, your all better. It takes weeks, and I've had good days and some very bad days. Hopefully the good will outweigh the bad soon.
#13
Rheumatoid Arthritis. Anyone that has it will agree. People who don’t understand it think it’s like the type or osteoarthritis that comes with age and just wear and tear on your joints but it’s actually a serious autoimmune disease and affects tendons and ligaments and vital organs as well as joints. It’s a debilitating and progressive disease and treatment with serious DMARDS or biologics is not optional. There’s no cure and it’s a lifelong battle with treatments that cause side effects and suddenly stop working.
It’s not just sore joints.
Very frustrating but don’t see the ignorance or attitude changing in the near future.
AtMostAFabulist 6 months ago
I have RA and this is where I learned the difference between fatigue and just being drowsy.
Lazarevic B. 6 months ago
I have diagnosed with RA this april, and I feel your definition of fatigue, it's inhuman.The feeling that you are denied mobility and movement is defeating. The impossibility of autonomy over your own body is a devastating fact.
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Zero Costa 6 months ago
it's a rough road. my mum has had it for 25 years now
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Beth H 6 months ago
I got excited for a minute because I hadn’t seen this recommendation before but alas, shellfish allergy.
Load More Replies... #14
Tinnitus.
Kitchen_Beat_9965:
100% I developed this 2 months ago and haven’t slept more than an hour a night since. It’s absolute hell. People commit s**cide from it and I understand why.
PeepPeep the duck 6 months ago
I worked at a hearing aid place for a while (ampliphon), if you can get to an audiologist for an assessment, we will ask questions about it before you go in and see them, to see what scale end you’re on, hearing devices can help with really bad tinnitus but you have to wear them as prescribed and not as you want etc, it can take a few months but your brain will start rewiring per say
Upstaged75 6 months ago
Surprisingly my doctor prescribed asthma meds for tinnitus and it worked! I have no idea why, but I don't care because the sound is (mostly) gone.
Dorothy Reiser 6 months ago
Yes, and it's not just some high pitched tone. I had rumbling like a motorcycle in my head and everything sounded like I was under water. Meniere's disease...I did beg to be put under anesthesia just to get some sleep and relief.
Kalikima 6 months ago
My dad had that, it's one of the reasons he killed himself. How did you cure it? You talked about it like it's gone.
Load More Replies... Little Bit 6 months ago
I've had tinnitus for about 15 years now. It's a permanent ringing in my ears 24/7. I've generally learnt to live with it but I hear it above everything else and when I'm unwell or stressed it gets so loud that it's unbearable.
Linda van A. 6 months ago
I am hard of hearing and also have tinnitus. I don't hear one sound but all sorts of variations from beeping and ringing to rumbling. I am used to it but sometimes it is so bad that it drives me crazy.
Chewie Baron 6 months ago
I can taste my tinnitus. It tastes like San Pellegrino sparkling water. Specifically that one.
geezeronthehill 6 months ago
I've had the cricket chorus in my ears most of my adult life. Worked in factories before noise level laws were followed and as a result lost large parts of my upper range. Tinnitus seems to fill in where there's no sound. If I got it cured, I think I'd miss my crickets.
#15
CPTSD. It isn’t just a mental illness, it can alter your genetic expression and is basically severe nervous system injury/dysfunction resulting in a host of bodily issues and physical disorders that often leads to a shortened life span.
Marnie 6 months ago
I have sometimes wondered if my bonus child didn't have this. He was neglected and abused badly by his mother (physically and emotionally). His older sister also abused him. At one point when he was a kid, he was told he was autistic. He had a couple of separate classes, and that was it. No therapy or anything, and then wasn't really mentioned after he reached his teens. He was honestly kind of upset and perplexed about it. I am autistic, didn't know it then, and even being autistic person doesn't make you qualified to assess someone. Yet, I just didn't see it in him at all. He made friends very easily, good with the ladies, very perceptive, didn't seem to get "stuck" on interests, didn't have any strange conversational patterns. The only thing is he did not like making eye contact, and simply could NOT call someone by name unless he had been formally introduced at some point. (I'm with him on that very last point. I can't, either.)
#16
PCOS. While it's not disabling, the symptoms have dominated my life since puberty and into my 30s and foreseeable future. It's not just irregular periods and intense pain when it comes. It's nearly 2 decades battle with acne that is more than "you need to wash your face and use topicals". It's endless frustration being told that to get rid of it I must lose weight, not understanding why the same diet and exercise regiments weren't working for me as for my friends only to learn at 30 that PCOS gives me insulin resistance and I have to eat less and completely different. A battle to look normal.
And I don't even have the infertility struggles and hair growth issues that other PCOS sufferers have to endure.
Kat Hoth 6 months ago
Wow!!! That makes my five-year journey getting diagnosed with NETs look like a walk in the park.
Load More Replies... Say No to Downvoting 6 months ago
Medical anuthorities across the globe are looking at renaming PCOS (rebranding it, if you will). Because it is a misnomer. They aren’t cysts - they’re follicles and they are behaving in a most unfollicle-like manner!
Hellcaste's Wife 6 months ago
I have/had PCOS. Resulted in a hysterectomy and weight issues my entire life...and can't forget the lovely hair growth! I have two daughters with it too. Good times.
#17
Dehydration. It can impair brain function and cause organ failure and death. It’s also easier than you think to become dehydrated.
XenoMurph 6 months ago
Also if you're swaeting enough to become dehydrated, you'll need salts. Crisps might just save your life. Or not, but why take the risk
Panda Cat 5 months ago
I carry restaurant-size sugar and salt packets and when I need them they’re delicious.
Load More Replies... Robert Beveridge 6 months ago
My bariatric surgeon told me the #1 reason her patients wind up in the ER after surgery is dehydration and #2 isn't even close. Have avoided it 10 months so far, planning on keeping it that way.
Apatheist Account2 6 months ago
You can also over-hydrate - drinking gallons a day is not good either.
Kit Black 6 months ago
There are far more people walking around every day in a permanent state of partial dehydration than you can possibly imagine... if people even followed just the outdated ~drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day~, most of them would be vastly improved.
Load More Replies... #18
High blood pressure. We don’t call it “the silent k**ler” for nothing.
Secure-Persimmon-421:
Oof, for real! I left my hypertension undiagnosed and untreated for numerous years. No one thought it was true for me bc I was “so young to have high bp” in my early and mid 20s. But heart probs run in my fam and I had all the high-rick behavior. When I got on meds, it was a game changer and I feel so much better.
Peeka_Mimi 6 months ago
I may have hypertension. I was at the VA and my BPM shot up to 166. They wouldnt let me go until I stabilized. Which I did with propranolol. I suspect it's POTS and have an appointment with a cardiologist on 10/17/25.
nottheactualphoto 6 months ago
Blood pressure medications can also be lethal. Specifically, Lisinopril. My information is firsthand.
Verfin22 6 months ago
I've had high BP since I was a child. Mild form of asthma in my teens. Even on meds today at 45, it's still a little higher than normal. Docs don't believe me when they put the cuff on that it's going to be abnormal. Without the meds I can feel my heart all over my body. On them I don't feel a thing. Scary when Drs don't believe that even with meds, it can still be off. *I have tried several different cocktails*
Clown fish 6 months ago
Low blood pressure can k**l but it's never talked about
Load More Replies... #19
Epilepsy.
People think my life isn't being impacted just because I'm not currently having a seizure. That's not the only symptom. It's so common, yet people generally know nothing about it.
Dread Pirate Roberts 6 months ago
Mine is idiomatic. I wonder if they'll ever figure out the cause for cases like mine. I'm very fortunate that the medication I'm on has kept it under control for nearly 20 years.
#20
Sleep apnea. Not gonna be able to breathe in one night and that’ll be the end for you.
Fit_Elk_1269:
Sleep apnea !! A lot of people brush it off as just snoring, but it can seriously mess with your heart, brain, mood, and overall energy. Left untreated, it raises your risk for stroke, heart disease, and even memory problems. It's more than just being tired ,it affects your whole body.
Alarmed-Extension289:
Sleep Apnea, it pretty much affects you and your partners quality of life.
Colleen Glim 6 months ago
My husband got a cpap after a sleep apnea diagnosis six years ago. Game changer. I no longer want to smother him in his sleep. He sleeps better because he’s not jerking awake multiple times an hour. I sleep better because I’m not trying to sleep through snores that would register on the Richter scale
nottheactualphoto 6 months ago
I just got a CPAP the other week. It's not a game changer (yet), but it helps.
Load More Replies... Ge Po 6 months ago
Basically, you choke yourself every night, several times, for several seconds. Adding up to low levels of oxygen, which causes harm to the brain and the body. Besides that, your brain keeps waking you up every time your airway is obstructed. Not enough to realize it, just enough for things to sort themselves out. But it disturbs your sleep in such a way, that you might as well woken up, gone to the toilet and gone back to bed, like, 20 times a night. Imagine that.
Lene 6 months ago
I've told my bf for years that he stops breathing here and there when he's asleep. But he refuses to get a doctor to take a look at it. He has been through general health check-ups and was told that he is in fantastic health for his age and I guess he doesn't want to ruin that idea by, potentially, have sleep apnea. 🤦♀️
#21
Alcoholism. In a LOT of circles getting completely hammered every single night of the week is seen as common place and even amusing. The physical health aspect alone is disastrous not to mention the mental mental health piece is completely nightmarish. I got out of it before things got too bad for me, but I was easily heading down a road you don’t want to be on. Quitting drinking 100% saved my life in more ways than one.
April M 6 months ago
It got so bad for me, black-out drunk every night for about a year. I ended up in the hospital, unconscious and yellow. Had many procedures, surgeries, etc., during a 7 month stay in the hospital. Learned to walk, talk, eat, write etc., again. Please get help to anyone that's struggling!!
Ace 6 months ago (edited)
I do tend to have a couple of drinks every night, but 'completely hammered' is vanishingly rare and never when I'm drinking at home on my own. Yes, I know the overall amount is quite a bit higher than the recommended maximum, and yes, I should cut down a bit, but that's perhaps for next year when the grieving might have got better. (If you really want to know, a bottle of 12.5% wine in one evening is not so unusual, but it's often less than that, couple of pints of 5% beer, perhaps).
Mimi M 5 months ago (edited)
When you're ready, try Naltrexone perhaps combined with Acamprosate. Both work to cut the craving by blocking the relevant receptors in the brain. Both can be prescribed by your regular doc (as a daily pill), and Naltrexone can be administered as a once-a-month injection (brand name Vivitrol), though sometimes a regular doc isn't familiar and you need to find an a ddiction doc to do that. This is different than the d rug that makes people sick if they drink (Disulfiram). That one is good for people who have a more advanced problem (and can be used with the other two), but it can also just be taken before an event where one does not want to drink. And btw, for those who have an overconsumption issue that is not daily, the first two can be taken on an 'as needed' basis, an hour before going out, instead of daily. Good luck to you, you'll do what you need when the time is right, and again, I'm so sorry for your loss. Please consider a grief support group if you haven't already.
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#22
Pneumonia. It still k**ls a lot of people.
Cat servant 6 months ago
Vaccine unfortunately only protects against Streptococcus pneumonia. There are a lot of other causes. That said get the vaccine. Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the leading causes of community acquired pneumonia. I work health care and the vaccine has reduced the number of cases we see since it became common.
Load More Replies... #23
Allergies.
Wild Cream 6 months ago
I’m not allergic to anything. My twin sister is allergic to everything 😅 I feel so bad for her
Kathy Richardson 6 months ago
I've always had hay fever, no big deal, but as I have gotten older I have become allergic to bananas first, then peaches, oranges, and just last night had a reaction to watermelon. This occurs because certain proteins in fruits can resemble pollen proteins that you might be allergic to, causing your immune system to react. Who knows how many other foods will affect me. Good news is that cooking with these fruits changes the proteins so they won't cause a reaction so banana bread and peach pie is still on the table
#24
Dental care. The smallest thing can exacerbate into full blown health crisis.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
And (at least in the U.S.) dental “insurance” is a joke. I’d like to do something to whoever decided teeth are not part of your overall health.
Kyle Simonson 6 months ago
Insurance companies made that decision for us.
Load More Replies... #25
Chronic stress. It wreaks havoc on the body. Mixed with poor sleep. You are asking for increased chances of stroke, heart attack, chronic conditions, obesity, addictions (food/smoking included) and it leads to depression which can worsen sedentary lifestyle and then it’s just a mess. Take good care of yourselves friends! Be in nature, drink water, w**d out toxic people, don’t let people make you feel guilty!
Colleen Glim 6 months ago
Hustle culture is so bad for us as people. I hope everybody can one day be able to take a day off work and not have to worry about it impacting wages. I know Europe has this mostly sorted. Sadly, North America doesn’t. Especially the US
#26
HPV. Can cause cervical, uterine, ovarianand esophageal cancer. But it's commonly looked at as "most people get it at some point in their life, it'll go away on its own in a few years"
And HSV (herpes/cold sores) can be deadly for babies.
Colleen Glim 6 months ago
Get your HPV vaccine ladies. I don’t want any woman to have to go through what I went through. Rare version of cervical cancer. Surgery, chemo, and radiation. 0/10. Would not reccommend
Michael Joyce 6 months ago
And if your voice gets creaky/croaky/whatever, you probably have laryngeal dysplasia which will become cancer if not treated.
#27
Lyme disease. Doctors in my country are just starting to take it seriously.
Far-Prune-5343:
Failed lyme treatment after 20 years of undiagnosed Lyme has left me with multiple impairments, ranging from hearing loss to arthritis and chronic pain. I started trying to get a diagnosis for my mystery illness as soon as it started but got no result til 2023 when a neuro finally tested me for Lyme. I've spent thousands upon thousands and lost countless days of life to this condition. People have no clue how debilitating Lyme is unless they've experienced it. I'm sending all my best wishes for good days to you. I'm sorry you're experiencing the brutality Lyme causes.
Rachel Reynolds 6 months ago
I know this is about humans, but my father's dog just died because of lyme disease. Pets are susceptible too. He's a bachelor, so it;s hard on him.
Science Nerd 6 months ago
Cleaned out the yard yesterday of many weeds and vines and came up with two insect bites. Not unusual, but I just now found a tick crawling on me even after two showers. I will be calling my PCP when they open on Monday.
Ahnjunwan 6 months ago
I hope you kept the tick, it will be much easier to test it.
Load More Replies... #29
OCD. Have watched it paralyze bright people and their families and create physical, social, and financial illness.
It is under-diagnosed and even when diagnosed, exceptionally hard to treat without highly specific therapy approaches most people can’t access. We have not found the d**g target for it.
I wonder often if eating disorders (especially severe AN) and a few other somatiform psychiatric conditions (like Munchausen and those with chronic, undiagnosable ailments) are OCD by another name.
It’s very real and very damaging, and its power is under-appreciated.
idek 6 months ago
I was looking for this one. As someone with OCD, I can confirm that it really is terrible. It makes everyday things so much harder to get through than people without it.
Marnie 6 months ago
I'm wondering if you might like this song by the rapper NF. He has OCD and is open about it and how much it affects him. I don't have OCD, but love this song. If you don't know this rapper, he doesn't swear and doesn't have any hateful topics. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGGWhOUYObc and here's the lyrics: https://genius.com/Nf-leave-me-alone-lyrics I especially like the Pre Chorus.
Load More Replies... Dread Pirate Roberts 6 months ago
As someone with OCD, can confirm it can be absolutely debilitating.
Colleen Glim 6 months ago
It sucks. People lose relationships, jobs, and even lives because of it
#30
Melanoma. It’s deadlier than breast cancer yet people don’t take it seriously.
KeeksGalore:
My grandmother died of melanoma. It was a very long and painful process.
I also had my first melanoma (stage 2) at 17 (back in 2003) and at the time there were less than 50 documented cases in the US in people under 18. I’ve actually been referenced in many medical journals and textbooks which I hate.
geezeronthehill 6 months ago
Staying out of the sun between the hours of 10 and 4 is a wise idea.
Peeka_Mimi 6 months ago
I had melanoma and had to get the Mohs procedure in 2023. I've stayed cancer free since then, but I always wear sunscreen and hats when I'm out and about. Even when shoveling snow because it's Colorado and we get burned easily this high above sea level.
#31
Mold exposure/toxicity. Which leads to parasitic infections, candida, heavy metals, SIBO…not even most holistic docs will touch it or understand it, either….
Science Nerd 6 months ago (edited)
When house-hunting after a major flooding event, one house we were shown was being treated for black mold. Dropped off our list immediately.
Verfin22 6 months ago
After a large storm, we didn't notice leaks in the roof. Minor damage but wasn't caught early enough. Cut to a few months later, and I was in bad shape. Saw a specialist who gave me an allergy test and passed all (about 50) to find out I was allergic to mold. Needless to say, the roof was repaired, and my room and the adjacent room's flooring were replaced. It was also in another part of the house near a window.
#32
Trigeminal neuralgia. It is described as one of the most painful diseases known to medical science. It can be different for everyone. It’s pretty rare so many neurologists and neurosurgeons can go their entire career and never encounter a patient with it. It can feel like electric shocks through your head, or an ice pick in the ear. Stabbing sharp or drilling dull. It can be accompanied by a chronic migraine. Some people can’t eat or drink because it’s too painful. Even a light breeze can trigger an attack. It’s progressive so you can’t just get better on your own. Many times the d***s work for a short period of time or don’t work at all. Surgery is your only hope if it is viable. Some surgeries can last for 5 years. It’s not going to be the thing that kills you medically, but it is known as the s*****e disease.
emily_harvey116 6 months ago
I've had 2 brain surgeries for it in the last 3 years and I still have pain. Plus, the last surgery cost me my hearing in my right ear. The pain of a TN attack is indescribable and unpredictable.
Sage 6 months ago
How long does an attack last? This sounds eerily familiar 😟
Load More Replies... Atom Bohr 6 months ago
I'm pretty sure I get a version of this whenever I have dental work done on any of 2 teeth. I had an accident years ago that broke my jaw, knocked out some teeth and damaged others. Originally they repaired the damaged teeth, but just days before covid they decided those teeth had to go. Then lock down started and they couldn't see me for 8 weeks. I got an infection in that time. They took out the teeth, gave me antibiotics, then a few weeks later fitted an implant. The pain was horrific: the kind that leaves you trembling and crying. It lasted for days. About a year later, the tooth in front of the implants needed an old repair replacing. They didn't go near the nerve but as soon as the local anaesthetic started to wear off, that pain was back and again lasted days. My dentist investigated but couldn't find a cause. It's happened a few times since and it's definitely the trigeminal nerve. It terrifies me now. Even the vibrations of a cleaning can set it off. It's awful
Upstaged75 6 months ago
I work with pain doctors. This is one of the things they study extensively. It really does drive people to end themselves.
Rednose 5 months ago
I developed trigeminal pain after receiving a dental crown in the early '80s. The pain was unlike anything I've ever experienced; it felt like the nerve to the jaw had been plugged into an electrical outlet, with the pain starting high up and shooting down. Fortunately, the dentist was old-school and had the solution of giving me a single injection of something into the tooth root, so that I had only a weekend plus one day of misery. Whenever I mention this episode to a "modern" dentist, they have no clue what the first dentist might have done to stop the symptoms.
#33
BPD.
Effective-Fudge5985:
It is statistically the deadliest personality disorder. Most people attempt to commit s**cide within 5 years of their diagnosis. People can downvote me to hell idc. I'm damn near an expert in this subject so they can take their projection and ignorance and vote away!!! It won't change facts.
Clare 1283 6 months ago
It's often the most misunderstood personality disorder as well, not helped by TV shows. Most people think we're either making it up or we're psychopaths. It's not nice to live with and there is no quick fix. Most of us are also aware we're not easy to live with.
Robert Beveridge 6 months ago
Still dealing with the emotional fallout from two relationships with BPD sufferers (before the term was in common use, afaik). One of them caused more suicidě attempts by at least two orders of magnitude than a lifetime of anxiety. (clarification: attempts by me, another person in the relationship also had a number of attempts)
Colleen Glim 6 months ago
Disagree. I know a few people with BPD. Including my own daughter. You need a good support system and a lot of therapy and medication but it doesn’t need to be a death sentence. You can live a normal life
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 6 months ago
Yes, but a good case isn't every case. My partner also has BPD and is doing good. They, and your daughter, are lucky to have a good support system, access to medicine, etc, but so many aren't. That's why they said what they said: Statistically, it's the deadliest. Your daughter is an exception, not the rule.
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#34
Most mental health disorders, especially those who have more than one and are undiagnosed/untreated. I feel like many people brush it off like “haha I feel so depressed” but mental health disorders can be so dangerous and silent if the person is good at masking them.
Maisie Bramble 6 months ago
I have two diagnosed mental disorders (Generalized anxiety disorder and autism) and probably more undiagnosed. Yeah, it's pretty bad.
#36
High blood pressure needs to be treated and lowered right away.
It’s a ticking time bomb and many people are content to just accept they have it.
Becca not Becky 6 months ago
Depending on how high it is though, you gotta be careful how quickly you lower it. Either way, if your blood pressure is high, see your primary care provider and maybe some lifestyle modifications (as applicable)
#37
Sepsis. Many think it’s just a bad infection, but it’s a life-threatening response to infection that can lead to organ failure and death if not treated quickly. Early signs like confusion, rapid breathing, or extreme chills should never be ignored.
SnackbarKaat 6 months ago
I had it as a toddler, the doctor my mum went to lost his baby boy to it. So he recognized it.. poor man
Peeka_Mimi 6 months ago
My brother had to have a heart valve replaced because of sepsis. I was so mad at him, for a month i told him to go to the Dr and he ignored me. He could have died. My friend's husband died of sepsis. Don't mess around with sepsis.
Silberwolf 6 months ago
My best friend died from a sepsis at the age of only 27...He was also type 1 diabetic. One day his mother found him unconscious in his appartment. After ~ a month in ICU he died...
#39
Type II Diabetes. Have known people who were undetected or thought they were borderline until they had other associated issues, like heart attacks or kidney issues!!
#40
Arthritis- of any kind.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I have osteo in my fingers and one knee, it's been getting worse lately. But I'm 70 so I guess that's not too surprising.
#41
Urinary Tract Infections. Lots of elderly people end up with broken hips or even blood infections that begin as UTIs.
Becca not Becky 6 months ago
If an elderly person is acting more confused than normal, first thing to rule out is a UTI. Untreated, it can become sepsis.
Atom Bohr 6 months ago
And if they become more aggressive, especially if they have Alzheimers
Load More Replies... Peeka_Mimi 6 months ago
I have a horseshoe kidney and got a UTI. I am on very strong antibiotics. However I've been hospitalized 3x for a kidney infection. Serious business.
#43
Psoriasis. When diagnosed I thought it was just a “rash” of sorts. Oh, how wrong I was. I miss that ignorance and bliss.
James016 6 months ago
I am trying to get an appointment with a dermatologist to see if there are any biologics that can treat mine. Also need to see someone to check if I am developing psoriatic arthritis. My leg is very painful at the moment
krunchifrog 6 months ago
I know this will sound hokey but have you ever tried traditional Chinese medicine for it? I have a friend who has psoriasis and lived in China for 20 years. The Chinese treatment worked where everything else had failed. He had to stop consuming alcohol and avoid a few foods that didn’t help the condition but his scales and patches disappeared.
Load More Replies... Ahnjunwan 6 months ago
The skin problems are only part of it, it is an autoimmune disease. Get vaccinated to anything that makes sense because it can get much worse for people with Psoriasis. There are a lot of studies trying to improve things for people affected but so far there is not really a satisfing treatment since there are so many different forms. I have much hope that some big pharma company will come out with something really useful not so long from now, many are doing research on that. I am afraid it will be not cheap, though....😬
#44
Heartburn...
Can cause throat cancer.
lil_squib:
I used to have GERD so bad but have thankfully been able to control it through diet changes and making sure I don’t overeat very often. It’s a hellish condition.
Katiekat 6 months ago
I used to be super morbidly obese -- lost 200 lbs over the years -- and as soon as I hit 315 pounds, all heartburn just stopped. Such an oddly specific number, but the body is weird. And then I realized just how much antacids I had at home and in my vehicle! I now have heartburn maybe 2-4 times a year, which my doctor says is normal.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I'm on meds for GERD, and am careful with my diet. A flareup is very, very painful.
Peeka_Mimi 6 months ago
I am Chicana with GERD. It's t*****e eating bland food.
Load More Replies... #45
Being overweight by too much.
FuzzyInterview81:
Yes, Obesity even mild obesity, made worse by over processed food options and lack of exercise. Will cause type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and extra strain on the heart, lungs, and liver. Cholesterol. . .
A very first world issue.
Peeka_Mimi 6 months ago
I was obese and now I am 20lbs overweight and trying to get skinny again.
Marissa Voleta 6 months ago
Go outside and look around. The majority is overweight. We don't realize it because we see people every day. Don't believe me? Pop on a show or movie from 20-30+ years ago. We're all fat.
#46
Progressive Scoliosis.
Sniflix:
That's ruined my life. My pediatricians were informed of it by school and sports doctors and said "aw it's nothing". I just had my 6th back surgery plus 6 joint replacements because my effed up spine destroyed my gait which led to osteoarthritis throughout my body. This is from decades ago so those doctors are long gone. That's good because I would un-live them and end up in prison.
Colleen Glim 6 months ago
Had back surgery at 17 for scoliosis. This was in the mid eighties. Remember even medical schools have bottom of the class graduates
Bamamom2boys 6 months ago
I've had scoliosis since I was a kid. My curve is almost 45%. My parents wouldn't let me have surgery when I was a kid. Now, 35 plus years later, I have at times debilitating back pain.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I have a partial scoliosis in my lower back, I'm very lucky it hasn't crippled me.
#47
Shingles.
Sportsgal 6 months ago
I had shingles as a teenager. Imagine feeling like you're on fire AND being electrocuted at the same time! Keeps you awake for as long as you have it. Terrible!
Upstaged75 6 months ago
My friends and I were just talking about this now that we're of an age to get the vaccine. Lucky kids these days who will never get chicken pox!
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Jeolas1 6 months ago (edited)
There is now a vaccine for it! Also, if you do develop symptoms that MIGHT be shingles get checked immediately - if you catch it early there is anti viral medication which will stop it spreading and make lasting nerve pain much more unlikely. Don't wait until the symptoms get bad!
Little Bit 6 months ago
My mum was diagnosed with shingles a few days ago. She's in so much pain and discomfort that she can't sit, can't stand, can't lie down, can't walk, can't move.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
Years ago my boss had it. That poor man suffered horribly. Get the vaccine!
#48
Narcissistic personality disorder.
Affectionate_Bug8166:
Will never see my mother again because of this.
Peeka_Mimi 6 months ago
My psycho ex (who has d**g induced psychosis, alcohol induced epilepsy and liver scarring) is a malignant narcissist. He was a*****e and evil to the core. He called the cops on me again last Friday saying that I chased him off his porch with a knife. Yeah I've never been in NoCal in my entire life. I sure wish he'd go away. He threatens me all the time and we broke up 7 years ago. Get over it freak!
Robert Beveridge 6 months ago
Not to anyone who's dealt with a malignant narcissist (unfortunately, since 2016 all of America qualifies).
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#49
ICU nurse here! Here’s some that people honestly don’t think about:
1. High blood pressure. As your blood pressure continues to be elevated your body adapts so you don’t feel the side effects meanwhile your arteries are just waiting to burst. I’ve had patients with a BP of 230/110 and be like “that’s where I’m usually at” with no headaches or anything. F*****g wild. A cough/sneeze away from a hemorrhagic stroke.
2. Diabetes. Same thing with BP. I have patients who live in the 400-500 and when I bring their sugars to 200 they become symptomatic for hypoglycemia because their body is so accustomed to hyperglycemic states, that trying to bring it to normal makes them feel all the classic hypoglycemic symptoms. It destroys your arteries and veins too because your blood becomes molasses and the sugar compounds are “sharp” and can cause microvascular cuts and tears.
3. Changes in bowel habits: this can be a plethora of causes ranging from bacterial/viral/parasitic causes, to cancer, to bowel obstruction (had a patient with a severe ileus and was vomiting feces), etc. Also had a friend who had one of the GI surgeries for weight loss, started having abnormal bowel habits a year later, ended up with a volvulus and by the time they caught it he was full blown MODS and died 24 hours later.
4. Atrial fibrillation. Patients just think it’s an abnormal heart rhythm but it can cause so many f*****g problems. It can cause your heart to create clots and throw them into *any* artery. Most common is heart attack and stroke but any artery is susceptible to infarction. Had a guy die in my ICU, uncontrolled a fib, threw a clot to the mesenteric artery, caused his bowel to die, eventually his bowel ruptured and died of MODS.
5. Melanoma. Can be very malignant and stealth. Very important to get yearly skin checks, wear sunscreen, and early treatment.
Becca not Becky 6 months ago
MODS: multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Most often related to advanced states of shock. Once you get far enough into MODS, you're a goner.
Bartlet for world domination 6 months ago
Volvulus: when a loop of intestine twists around itself and the mesentery that supports it, resulting in a bowel obstruction.
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#50
Juvenile arthritis. The constant inflammation can be destructive. It can also cause uveitis. It's a hell of an invisible ailment.
#51
Changes in bowel habits - don’t delay investigations.
ImpactFlimsy5376:
Seriously! And if your Dr doesn't take you seriously, find someone else. I nearly died from fecal impaction throughout my entire large intestine and even going into my small intestine. My Dr actually had a go at me for "complaining about symptoms that were just annoying but not serious" for YEARS before referring me to a GI specialist and I would have saved myself a lot of pain and malnutrition if I'd just gotten a second opinion earlier
geezeronthehill 6 months ago
Nearly lost our older brother to this last year. Embarrassment held him back from seeking help.
Savannah greenleaf 6 months ago
People generally don't realize constipation can be fatal. Knew someone that lost their life for this reason a few years ago.
Load More Replies... #52
Fatty liver. 40% of people have it, and it can lead to cirrhosis. You don’t even need a heavy drinker.
teraflopclub:
Fatty Liver isn't just fat in & around the liver, if you have it there you may have it around other organs. I was diagnosed with Fatty Liver, also fat around the heart and even an enlarged heart, and was close to being obese. I turned that all around. But Fatty Liver can proceed to Cirrhosis and eventually you'll need a transplant if viable. A variety of other ailments follow an inflamed liver such as high blood pressure. Once I rid myself of Fatty Liver, I also rid myself of high blood pressure and a dozen other problems.
#53
Pediatric asthma. We’ve been to the PICU twice and she’s only 3. It’s scary how rhinovirus can trigger respiratory distress.
Frosty-Turnover-1814:
I had pediatric asthma and I am still traumatized about it. My son has it too and when he has an episode I panic so hard that I basically black out. My husband has to completely take over. It's terrifying.
dhollifilm:
Asthma, especially for children and if uncontrolled. A bad attack can randomly onset, and it can k**l within a short space of time...sometimes in less time than it takes for an ambulance to arrive.
Asthma was weirdly made fun of in a few 80's/90's movies by way of an unfit nerdy kid always needing his inhaler when he got nervous. This attitude still holds sway in much of the general population.
But Asthma k**ls people every day. An estimated half-a-million souls every year. A few of these are kids.
I've had it since I was a little boy, a child of the 80's myself. Had some close calls, but it's well-controlled these days with Viani control medication. However, a bacterial lung-infection from a flu or cold can outrank the medicine, leaving the Asthma out-of-control (where not even the reliever-medicine - Salbutamol - helps). So even those with controlled asthma are still always at risk...
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I think I was in my 30s when I developed asthma, started with bronchitis. I now take 2 inhalers and a pill every day to control it, and still sometimes get that heaviness in my chest that precedes a full-blown attack. That's why I always have an emergency inhaler close to hand.
ynyrhydref56 6 months ago
And anyone can get postviral asthma. I got treatment for that a couple of years back.
#54
Broken heart.
nationwideonyours:
My mother absolutely died of this when she found out my father had a long-term mistress.
#55
Hives/urticaria
From: “Oh, it just really itches” to blacking out from a massive blood pressure drop with your airway closing up.
Colleen Glim 6 months ago
Hives are a symptom, not a disease. Allergies are the disease. If you have hives and difficulty breathing, get to an emergency room
#56
Anemia. Not only are there very serious types, like sickle cell that can be extremely painful and life threatening. But even plain old iron deficiency anemia can be extremely debilitating and difficult to treat.
I have regular old iron deficiency anemia. It's caused by extremely heavy and constant menstruation from a combination of uterine fibroids and bilateral ovarian masses that are quite literally the size of small melons. I am scheduled for surgery in September, but I need to manage as best I can until then. The fatigue and tiredness I feel is beyond description. Some days I can barely even make myself get up to go to the bathroom. Most days I can only muster up enough energy to be functional for a couple of hours. I can't drive long distances anymore, I'm worried it's not safe. I'm always cold, my hair is falling out, and my skin is dry and itchy. I also get sores in my mouth and bruises that never heal. I take supplements, eat an iron rich diet, and have infusions but it's slow going to actually see improvement. The anemia and the treatments I've undergone to help fix it have caused a cascade of other vitamin and mineral deficiencies that have their own side effects. I can't be out in the sun, or I break out in hives.
Some of my issues have been caused by the bleeding itself, like dehydration and hypovolemia. People, even some doctors, don't understand that severe cases of anemia can be debilitating. My whole life is more or less on pause right now because of these issues.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I've had iron deficiency anemia pre-puberty and post-menopausal, which is unusual. At one point I was being treated by a hematologist, getting iron infusions every couple of weeks for about a year. Supplements and diets have it under control for now.
#57
Diverticulitis.
Rosy-Lee-1974:
Agreed. I had diverticulitis three times last year and ended up having 6 inches of my colon removed in December. The ironic thing is my son had diverticulitis a week before my planned surgery. He was hospitalized for 12 days. His colon ruptured while he was inpatient . Things could have gone really wrong for him. I’m thankful every day that the things happen the way they did. He was on the operating table within a couple hours of it happening. We were in the rooms next-door to each other. My poor husband just went back-and-forth between us. We’re both doing well now.
#58
Impacted wisdom teeth. I almost died from mine.
Clown fish 6 months ago
No you didn't almost die because of the kind of tooth you almost died because it would have been infected and you didn't get it looked at right away.
geezeronthehill 6 months ago
But dental care is not medical care. Ask any congresscritter.
Load More Replies... #59
Cervical cancer.
Flashy-Field-6095:
I'm currently on Hospice bc of this. Get your screenings. I was 37 when I was diagnosed with Stage IV Cancer.
Colleen Glim 6 months ago
Get your Pap smears. They’re awkward and uncomfortable but mine saved my life
#60
Ulcer/ bleeding ulcer.
T'Mar of Vulcan 6 months ago
I nearly died of a bleeding ulcer that was so big, my surgeon said it was the largest he'd ever seen. Had to stay in hospital on a Nexium drip for a week. Narrowly avoided having to have a blood transfusion.
#62
Lymphedema.
It's not just a cosmetic issue. It can lead to loss of mobility, infection, neuropathy, and risk of clots in the limb.
#63
Cellulitis...
Most people either ignore it or just think it'll heal up. Don't screw around with it. That put me into the hospital twice. We're talking hooked up to IV antibiotics for 14 to 16 hours a day. One time, doc said I was a day or two from going into sepsis.
Robert Beveridge 6 months ago
Cellulitis has nearly killed me twice. My right calf is a time bomb. Almost certain this is eventually how I'll buy it.
#64
B12 defficiency, if not treated correct or in time it destroys your whole body. Sometimes irreversible.
#66
Gout. Feels like your bones are breaking from the inside out, the pain is so much more excruciating than anyone realizes. But that’s not the serious bit- prolonged gout can permanently damage joints, and eventually lead to major kidney issues.
#67
IBS and the flares sufferers have. It can absolutely be debilitating, shameful and embarrassing and very painful. And there’s no cure, just a way to manage it. And even then you may not get a proper diagnosis because the gut is quite complex.🤷♀️.
James016 6 months ago
My IBS diagnosis was it not being bowel cancer or inflammatory bowel syndrome. But yes, the worry of it striking when you cannot get to a toilet takes it toll. When I used to drive to work I would keep a spare pair of underwear in my bag just in case I got caught short on the journey. Manage as best I can but something you eat will be fine one day and not the next.
#68
High prolactin-have a 2cm tumor chilling on my pituitary gland. It can happen to women and men. Causes all sorts of issues, and it’s easily misdiagnosed.
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What do you think ?
Batwench 6 months ago
Reading this I should be dead by now. However, the immortality experiment is going well, despite my own body trying to sabotage it.
Sheena Leversedge Wood 6 months ago
So...... which of these are "romanticised" as the title describes? Pregnancy, maybe, but none of the others
Little Bit 6 months ago
Perimenopause/menopause. Most people think that it is a few hot flushes, a bit of brain fog, your periods stop and that's it and it's all over and done with in a few weeks. Some are lucky enough to go through it with just a few symptoms but not all of us are that lucky. I'm three years into it now and i have irregular periods, crippling anxiety that comes out of nowhere, bouts of depression, memory problems, inability to control my emotions, mood swings, inability to concentrate, vaginal dryness, itchy skin, constipation, haemorrhoids, hair loss, fatigue, night sweats, and a really wierd sensation where I feel like I'm being stung by ants or getting electric shocks all over my body. I don’t have all of these symptoms all at once every day, but it’s something different every few days. Last week I kept crying for no reason. Today I feel exhausted. Perimenopause- the gift that keeps on giving.
Eppe 6 months ago
How about restless leg syndrom. S*****e rate is apparantly higher among people who have a severe form.
Nezzy Ikonomova 6 months ago
I don’t see fibromyalgia anywhere, my ex had it. The widespread pain all over the body, the tightening muscles especially around the throat. People have it differently I guess, but it was one of the reasons to split up. Still friends though.
Batwench 6 months ago
Reading this I should be dead by now. However, the immortality experiment is going well, despite my own body trying to sabotage it.
Sheena Leversedge Wood 6 months ago
So...... which of these are "romanticised" as the title describes? Pregnancy, maybe, but none of the others
Little Bit 6 months ago
Perimenopause/menopause. Most people think that it is a few hot flushes, a bit of brain fog, your periods stop and that's it and it's all over and done with in a few weeks. Some are lucky enough to go through it with just a few symptoms but not all of us are that lucky. I'm three years into it now and i have irregular periods, crippling anxiety that comes out of nowhere, bouts of depression, memory problems, inability to control my emotions, mood swings, inability to concentrate, vaginal dryness, itchy skin, constipation, haemorrhoids, hair loss, fatigue, night sweats, and a really wierd sensation where I feel like I'm being stung by ants or getting electric shocks all over my body. I don’t have all of these symptoms all at once every day, but it’s something different every few days. Last week I kept crying for no reason. Today I feel exhausted. Perimenopause- the gift that keeps on giving.
Eppe 6 months ago
How about restless leg syndrom. S*****e rate is apparantly higher among people who have a severe form.
Nezzy Ikonomova 6 months ago
I don’t see fibromyalgia anywhere, my ex had it. The widespread pain all over the body, the tightening muscles especially around the throat. People have it differently I guess, but it was one of the reasons to split up. Still friends though.
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