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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There is a whole subculture of young women who seem to revel in their illnesses. They often call themselves spoonies and blog on Tumblr. There are a few pretty predictable diseases they have, mostly self-diagnosed, like fibromyalgia, mast cell syndrome, myalgic encephalitis, and Ehlers Danlos.

Count me skeptical.
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Wow this is both fascinating and disturbing.  I had no idea!  Why do they use “spoonies” - what does it mean?  I’m afraid to google![/quote]

Spoonie comes from a blog someone with an "invisible" chronic disease wrote that compared her energy levels to a finite amount amount (measured in spoonfuls)of energy she has for a day.  Everyday things would take up so many spoonfuls that varied by the day, some of which would be taken up by mid-day or so, so nothing would be left for the rest of the day. https://www.healthline.com/health/spoon-theory-chronic-illness-explained-like-never-before#1

To the person who didn't like what I said about being skeptical about the claim of Ehlers Danlos, I actually have a niece with this disease; she was diagnosed at age seven after hundred of stitches from her skin breaking open from the slightest injury and appropriate genetic tests.  It is serious.

But most of the young women in this subculture claiming to have ED are self diagnosed. If they have anything at all it is some hypermobility, without a genetic basis and which suddenly became a problem as young adults with no previous history.

The same self-diagnosis applies to other illnesses.  They are constantly seeking medical care and reviling the medical community for not recognizing how sick they are.  Some of the illnesses they claim to have do have clear objective medical tests (which they refuse to take) but most are diagnosed on a clinical basis like chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and migraines, making them easier illnesses to take on with less criticism for not taking the objective tests.  Interestingly, many are from the UK and are getting medical services under the NHS.

They take emergency room glam photos and post them on their Instatagrams; order feeding tubes from shady online sites and take pictures of themselves with them, with points for ending up in the hospital with infections; and decorating Christmas trees with their empty pill bottles.  Wheelchairs and canes are popular  photo props.

Many in this community do have a history of eating disorders.  Some crowd fund to pay for their medical care. There is at least one site where other young women dissect and refute claims made by internet popular "Munchies" (for Munchhausen syndrome).[/quote]

Fascinating!

Is dysautonomia part of this? I know of a couple of people recently who got this diagnosis and it seems a bit vague. 
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