This sounds similar to Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria..also an internet influenced craze. Social media should be treated like drugs and alcohol? Not until you are 21? I don’t know how we legislate it since the tech giants are too powerful at this point to voluntarily not sell to kids... but maybe start some PSA’s??
Broke my back in an accident almost 20 years ago and have lived in serious pain since. Had an experimental device implanted that allowed me to get off heavy pain meds and get some of my life back.
What wouldn’t I give to go back to the minute before the accident and change it? A very short list!
I don’t have any sympathy for this type of thing. It’s all BS. These girls need to have their phones taken away and they need to go to a camp with positive, able-bodied people who tell them they are fine, everyone lives with some discomfort, but you can’t let it take over your lives. They need exercise, they need to feel positive about themselves by being productive.
I’m a family doctor and see this all the time sadly. These people are sick, just usually not in the way they think. You can tell pretty quickly those who are arguing more for their disease than for their recovery, and thus whom you can actually help and whom you can’t. Since so much in medicine is fee for service those who want to stay ill won’t have to go far to find another doctor willing to do whatever it is they’re convinced they need. Sadly too, we don’t have a lot of great CBT practitioners, especially outside major medical hubs, which limits our ability to help those who actually want it.
This is profoundly sad and disturbing. I have genetic abnormalities in both hands. As a child, my parents insisted I was NOT a victim and I could overcome the physical pain and bullying. I feel so sorry for the children growing up now.
This article underscores in a helpful way how much we still don't know about how the parts of our bodies interact, particularly the brain and the gut. We're all affected by stress differently; for me (60 year old man) stress has always showed up in my gut.
I know that there's a lot of research going on about the microbiome and how various external forces, affect it. I think there will be a great deal of progress over the next decade in understanding these complicated relationships.
Thanks for a nuanced article on a complex subject.
This young woman may be suffering from a spiritual malaise. Christianity gives people a sense of purpose, through a connection to the devine. It learns to rise above their physical limitations, in service to God / through service to others. Our culture was fortified by a Christian worldview, up until recently. Now secularism, postmodernism and multi-culturalism have sucked the life out of our young people. This is the disease that should be addressed.
I strongly suspect (really, I know) that the same online "community" building apps are at the center of the transgender phenomenon.
In surveys by the American College Health Association, the number of females embracing “non-binary” gender status soared from 1 in 2,000 in 2008 to 1 in 20 today. That’s an increase of 2,000 percent.
Why the sudden spike in gender confusion? Is “gender fluency” a latent adolescent psychological disorder undetected in previous generations? Has the human species evolved in a decade+ from dimorphic to multi-morphic?
Look at the timeline of the growth of gender dysphoria ... should give you a hint. First Twitter, then Instagram, Tik Tok, etc. The spike in social disorders – depression, anxiety, etc. – coincides perfectly with the rise of social media as Gen Z (b. 1996-beyond) hit puberty.
While the internet has been a god send for many in providing health information at your fingertips, I believe social media has unleashed and abetted Munchausen’s Syndrome, Munchausen by Proxy, Hypochondria, and even Hysteria. This has brought to light a myriad of difficult or impossible to diagnose “invisible” illnesses that many people truly suffer from - while creating stress on the medical system that often cannot determine real illness from imagined or outright made-up ones in these instances.
For those truly suffering these invisible-type illnesses, the social media-induced copycat, victim-olympics participants could now be hindering and not helping get an EDS or POTS, etc. diagnosis by casting doubt in doctors’ minds about what is actual and what is faked or exaggerated.
I’m 62 and have been a very active participant on internet forums and several social media platforms through the years - but I now look at today’s social media as a malignant plague that is wreaking havoc on our youth and our society.
I agree with most comments and will add take the cell away. Get your child the classics, books-you know reading, plant a garden, go bird watching, take a pottery or painting class but just put down the damn electronics,
Girls can't be who they are - they must be vigilantes for feminism, pressured to achieve what boys do and look down upon their femininity. Like everything else in this alternate reality of Leftism, it's been well past overdone, and causing untold misery to young girls. Leave them the f* alone!
Great. Now do an article on how there IS a REAL massive increase in weird digestive issues, and how women have a long history of being ignored and told their problems are "in their head". When no one is listening to you or believing you (often including your own family), it is only natural to turn to others with similar issues. That is human nature, and also, there is power in numbers, so gathering actually makes sense. Seems though that the young group doesn't actually know how to channel their collective power into anything useful other than as support for each other.
When I was in my 20s and complained to two different primary care doctors about pain in my hand, I was told by one that it was literally in my head. And the other told me I was in my child baring years and there was nothing they could do anyway. I "persisted", and found a hand surgeon, who removed the pain source - a glomus tumor - from my fingernail bed. Good think I didn't listen to the two docs who totally dismissed me.
I have found that docs routinely suggest that problems are in someone's head just because they don't know the cause.
Digestive issues are through the roof, and there is very little understanding of why. I myself have developed over the years dairy and gluten intolerance. Thank goodness I had a good primary at the time who suggested I cut those. Without that good medical advice, I'd probably still be being told I was imagining it. When I thanked her, she just said, "we see this all the time now".
There is a real story in here about what the hell is going on with our digestive health. I'd suggest you focus on that, instead of the usual of implying it is in women's heads, and castigating them for seeing out a community suffering the same.
Having a rare condition or disease is sad. Making it your life‘s work is tragic. We used to help people rise above their condition. That is now frowned upon by our culture which is eager to raise up victims. And that is why this article is so emotionally conflicting.
The tell? My wife had a fatal disease. She is now gone. She faced it with dignity and courage. And everyone commented on that fact. That is how we really feel about those who “fight the good fight”. Ultimately it all derived from her very strong faith, but that is not a requirement. These are all life choices and some of us are handed tougher choices than we want.
The adolescents all seem to be willing to threaten suicide to get what they want from the medical community. I often wonder what would happen if a parent actually sat down and talked about the pros and cons of suicide. Rather than treating it as a weapon, take it away with the implication that, yeah, maybe life isn’t worth living. And see what really happens. It might be a wake up call that kid needs.
Prayers for these folks. We are in anorexia recovery mode with our 17 year old daughter and what helped cure her more than anything is the removal of virtual everything. Thank G-d for the Melrose Center. Back to playing board games and cards with humans is a great therapy.
I am not the only one to observe that our children's mental issues are about to explode after two years of stupid lockdowns.
This article made me think of what I know of my family history and mental health. It’s anecdotal but I believe fits the topic of controversy.
There;s a history of mental illness on my maternal side of the family. I never knew her, but was told that when my great grandmother was in her mid to late 30’s suddenly decided she could no longer walk. She was a heavy set woman, which at the time, around the 1930’s, was much less common. She spent the rest of her life, for the most part, in a wheelchair. No official diagnosis. Just made a decision to never walk anywhere again.
My own mother, based on what I learned in psychology courses, could easily be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. One pattern she has had as far back as I can remember, is anytime there has been a family event, birthdays, weddings, graduations etc. she suddenly would become faint and sick. Several occasions hauled out on a gurney into an ambulance.
Once she called me because she needed to go to the ER. She was in her 70’s at the time. I felt I had to take it seriously. I spent an entire day with her, in a hospital. They ran every test but found nothing. Later I realized she was trying to get out of attending a graduation for one of her grandchildren. After an entire day in the hospital I learned the following day she went to work and was fine. I asked if she would be attending the graduation and she very sharply said, “How can I? I’ve been sick!”
She did this either to avoid or during an event to put the focus onto her. She was slick about it though. I would witness her go from a weak and helpless waif, and as soon as it was only me present back to her normal self. I never told siblings because I believed it would make me sound like a heartless daughter or crazy etc.
Even posting about it to virtual strangers feels uncomfortable. Why and/or how would anyone believe me? It sounds crazy.
Social media seems an effective conduit for like to find like.
This sounds similar to Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria..also an internet influenced craze. Social media should be treated like drugs and alcohol? Not until you are 21? I don’t know how we legislate it since the tech giants are too powerful at this point to voluntarily not sell to kids... but maybe start some PSA’s??
Remember when being special meant you were good at something? Like a sport, piano, knowing a second language.
These pathetic girls think being sick makes them special, it’s a substitute for being good at something. They must have enabling parents.
I cannot even fathom this mindset.
Broke my back in an accident almost 20 years ago and have lived in serious pain since. Had an experimental device implanted that allowed me to get off heavy pain meds and get some of my life back.
What wouldn’t I give to go back to the minute before the accident and change it? A very short list!
And these kids WANT to live my life????
WTAF?
I don’t have any sympathy for this type of thing. It’s all BS. These girls need to have their phones taken away and they need to go to a camp with positive, able-bodied people who tell them they are fine, everyone lives with some discomfort, but you can’t let it take over your lives. They need exercise, they need to feel positive about themselves by being productive.
I’m a family doctor and see this all the time sadly. These people are sick, just usually not in the way they think. You can tell pretty quickly those who are arguing more for their disease than for their recovery, and thus whom you can actually help and whom you can’t. Since so much in medicine is fee for service those who want to stay ill won’t have to go far to find another doctor willing to do whatever it is they’re convinced they need. Sadly too, we don’t have a lot of great CBT practitioners, especially outside major medical hubs, which limits our ability to help those who actually want it.
This is profoundly sad and disturbing. I have genetic abnormalities in both hands. As a child, my parents insisted I was NOT a victim and I could overcome the physical pain and bullying. I feel so sorry for the children growing up now.
This article underscores in a helpful way how much we still don't know about how the parts of our bodies interact, particularly the brain and the gut. We're all affected by stress differently; for me (60 year old man) stress has always showed up in my gut.
I know that there's a lot of research going on about the microbiome and how various external forces, affect it. I think there will be a great deal of progress over the next decade in understanding these complicated relationships.
Thanks for a nuanced article on a complex subject.
This young woman may be suffering from a spiritual malaise. Christianity gives people a sense of purpose, through a connection to the devine. It learns to rise above their physical limitations, in service to God / through service to others. Our culture was fortified by a Christian worldview, up until recently. Now secularism, postmodernism and multi-culturalism have sucked the life out of our young people. This is the disease that should be addressed.
I strongly suspect (really, I know) that the same online "community" building apps are at the center of the transgender phenomenon.
In surveys by the American College Health Association, the number of females embracing “non-binary” gender status soared from 1 in 2,000 in 2008 to 1 in 20 today. That’s an increase of 2,000 percent.
Why the sudden spike in gender confusion? Is “gender fluency” a latent adolescent psychological disorder undetected in previous generations? Has the human species evolved in a decade+ from dimorphic to multi-morphic?
Look at the timeline of the growth of gender dysphoria ... should give you a hint. First Twitter, then Instagram, Tik Tok, etc. The spike in social disorders – depression, anxiety, etc. – coincides perfectly with the rise of social media as Gen Z (b. 1996-beyond) hit puberty.
More than a coincidence.
While the internet has been a god send for many in providing health information at your fingertips, I believe social media has unleashed and abetted Munchausen’s Syndrome, Munchausen by Proxy, Hypochondria, and even Hysteria. This has brought to light a myriad of difficult or impossible to diagnose “invisible” illnesses that many people truly suffer from - while creating stress on the medical system that often cannot determine real illness from imagined or outright made-up ones in these instances.
For those truly suffering these invisible-type illnesses, the social media-induced copycat, victim-olympics participants could now be hindering and not helping get an EDS or POTS, etc. diagnosis by casting doubt in doctors’ minds about what is actual and what is faked or exaggerated.
I’m 62 and have been a very active participant on internet forums and several social media platforms through the years - but I now look at today’s social media as a malignant plague that is wreaking havoc on our youth and our society.
I agree with most comments and will add take the cell away. Get your child the classics, books-you know reading, plant a garden, go bird watching, take a pottery or painting class but just put down the damn electronics,
Girls can't be who they are - they must be vigilantes for feminism, pressured to achieve what boys do and look down upon their femininity. Like everything else in this alternate reality of Leftism, it's been well past overdone, and causing untold misery to young girls. Leave them the f* alone!
Great. Now do an article on how there IS a REAL massive increase in weird digestive issues, and how women have a long history of being ignored and told their problems are "in their head". When no one is listening to you or believing you (often including your own family), it is only natural to turn to others with similar issues. That is human nature, and also, there is power in numbers, so gathering actually makes sense. Seems though that the young group doesn't actually know how to channel their collective power into anything useful other than as support for each other.
When I was in my 20s and complained to two different primary care doctors about pain in my hand, I was told by one that it was literally in my head. And the other told me I was in my child baring years and there was nothing they could do anyway. I "persisted", and found a hand surgeon, who removed the pain source - a glomus tumor - from my fingernail bed. Good think I didn't listen to the two docs who totally dismissed me.
I have found that docs routinely suggest that problems are in someone's head just because they don't know the cause.
Digestive issues are through the roof, and there is very little understanding of why. I myself have developed over the years dairy and gluten intolerance. Thank goodness I had a good primary at the time who suggested I cut those. Without that good medical advice, I'd probably still be being told I was imagining it. When I thanked her, she just said, "we see this all the time now".
There is a real story in here about what the hell is going on with our digestive health. I'd suggest you focus on that, instead of the usual of implying it is in women's heads, and castigating them for seeing out a community suffering the same.
Having a rare condition or disease is sad. Making it your life‘s work is tragic. We used to help people rise above their condition. That is now frowned upon by our culture which is eager to raise up victims. And that is why this article is so emotionally conflicting.
The tell? My wife had a fatal disease. She is now gone. She faced it with dignity and courage. And everyone commented on that fact. That is how we really feel about those who “fight the good fight”. Ultimately it all derived from her very strong faith, but that is not a requirement. These are all life choices and some of us are handed tougher choices than we want.
The adolescents all seem to be willing to threaten suicide to get what they want from the medical community. I often wonder what would happen if a parent actually sat down and talked about the pros and cons of suicide. Rather than treating it as a weapon, take it away with the implication that, yeah, maybe life isn’t worth living. And see what really happens. It might be a wake up call that kid needs.
Prayers for these folks. We are in anorexia recovery mode with our 17 year old daughter and what helped cure her more than anything is the removal of virtual everything. Thank G-d for the Melrose Center. Back to playing board games and cards with humans is a great therapy.
I am not the only one to observe that our children's mental issues are about to explode after two years of stupid lockdowns.
This article made me think of what I know of my family history and mental health. It’s anecdotal but I believe fits the topic of controversy.
There;s a history of mental illness on my maternal side of the family. I never knew her, but was told that when my great grandmother was in her mid to late 30’s suddenly decided she could no longer walk. She was a heavy set woman, which at the time, around the 1930’s, was much less common. She spent the rest of her life, for the most part, in a wheelchair. No official diagnosis. Just made a decision to never walk anywhere again.
My own mother, based on what I learned in psychology courses, could easily be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. One pattern she has had as far back as I can remember, is anytime there has been a family event, birthdays, weddings, graduations etc. she suddenly would become faint and sick. Several occasions hauled out on a gurney into an ambulance.
Once she called me because she needed to go to the ER. She was in her 70’s at the time. I felt I had to take it seriously. I spent an entire day with her, in a hospital. They ran every test but found nothing. Later I realized she was trying to get out of attending a graduation for one of her grandchildren. After an entire day in the hospital I learned the following day she went to work and was fine. I asked if she would be attending the graduation and she very sharply said, “How can I? I’ve been sick!”
She did this either to avoid or during an event to put the focus onto her. She was slick about it though. I would witness her go from a weak and helpless waif, and as soon as it was only me present back to her normal self. I never told siblings because I believed it would make me sound like a heartless daughter or crazy etc.
Even posting about it to virtual strangers feels uncomfortable. Why and/or how would anyone believe me? It sounds crazy.
Social media seems an effective conduit for like to find like.