For example, if you have never had severe menstrual cramps, that doesn’t mean that cramps can’t ever be severe. One person may only experience mild cramps, while another person might experience pain and exhaustion so serious that they cannot function at work or school.
Mental illnesses and disabilities are just as real and serious as physical ones. Just because you haven’t personally witnessed someone’s symptoms (especially invisible symptoms) doesn’t mean that the symptoms aren’t there. Someone can look fine on the outside and be suffering on the inside. This can happen especially with mental illnesses. People with chronic conditions can have “good days” and “bad days. " During a flare-up, their symptoms can be worse. Just because their symptoms are less severe on some days doesn’t mean it’s fake. Not all people with an illness or disability meet the stereotype. For example, people with depression may feel happy from time to time, and people who use wheelchairs might be capable of standing or walking very short distances.
Are you looking for something to accuse this person of, because you don’t like them? Are you jealous of the attention they are getting? Do you just not want to deal with helping them or investing emotional energy in their well-being?
If you accuse someone of faking, when they are actually suffering, this may change people’s opinions of you.
Keep in mind that people may experience fewer symptoms while resting. For example, someone who is in pain might experience less pain if they hold the affected area still and keep their mind occupied on something else (like a TV show).
There are a few reasons why an injured or sick person may refuse treatment. Some people (especially men) may be too proud to admit that they need treatment, and conspiracy theorists or anti-vaxxers may fear that modern medicine will harm them. Take the person’s personality into account.
Someone faking illness to avoid or gain something may want to avoid seeing a doctor, who might figure out that they are lying. They may adamantly not want to see a doctor, and start “getting better” quickly after you mention it. People who enjoy playing sick may be eager to see a doctor, because they enjoy playing the role of a patient.
Keep in mind that everyone reacts differently to medical treatment. Some people are less nervous, and may just be tired or relieved to finally be getting help. Someone who enjoys being a patient may have a lot of medical knowledge, potentially surprising doctors and nurses with how much they know.
Avoiding a demand Avoiding a stressful situation (such as a school bully) Wanting attention
They may say that their symptoms have gotten worse after they receive treatment. They may come up with a new illness after the last one has been treated. They may try to tamper with test results or make themselves sick. They may have a lot of medical knowledge that they use to fake various disorders. They may also feign illness or injury for social reasons, such as trying to stop family members from fighting.
Illness anxiety disorder (IAD), formerly known as hypochondria, is when a person obsessively worries over their health. They may fear that normal aches and pains are serious health problems. This is not done on purpose, and treatment for anxiety can help reduce symptoms. Conversion disorder is when excessive stress manifests itself as health problems (tremors, weakness, numbness, trouble walking, etc. ) and is not controlled by the person. This can be caused by tackling the root cause: chronic or severe stress. Autism and developmental disabilities can sometimes result in a person being confused about why they feel a certain way. For example, they might not know how to tell the difference between a cold and a combination of allergies and feeling worn out. This confusion isn’t intentional, and it may help to have attentive family members keep an eye on how they’re doing. Ordinary mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and OCD can cause physical symptoms like stomachaches or fatigue. A mental health screening may be able to identify the problem so that the person can receive appropriate treatment. Rare or undiagnosed illnesses can cause mystery symptoms until a person gets appropriate help.
For example, “Joey, lying about how you’re doing is not okay. If you want my attention, then you can tell me that you’re lonely or invite me to hang out with you. Is that what you want? If so, you can ask me to hang out. " Be sure to listen and provide a more effective way to get attention, or the child may learn that faking sick is the only reliable way to get your attention.
Bullying Too much or too difficult schoolwork A mean teacher An anxiety disorder An undiagnosed disability that makes school very hard (e. g. a child with dyscalculia fearing math or a child with asthma hating gym class)
If they were attention seeking, then this will let them know that faking illness isn’t an effective way to get much attention.
“I can’t help you today. I have a prior commitment. " (If they ask what, say it’s personal. ) “Aunt Cass, Uncle Henry is trying to open up about something difficult. You can wait your turn, and we’ll talk about your thing next. " “I’m sorry to hear that. Anyway, I was saying that I’ll be out of town this weekend. " “I’m afraid I can’t attend. I already have plans. "
