40 Comments

1. 

   @kelliott7864

   January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

   If you don't want to get caught, try faking long covid or chronic fatigue syndrome.

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2. 

   @ChrisGroggyCreaser

   January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

   The BBC is FULL of shite!!…. 🙁

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3. 

   @fortyfirstmillennial9862

   January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

   I know a woman like this. It's scary especially when they have kids and the kids all start being diagnosed with illnesses

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4. 

   @malcolmt6897

   January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

   The BBC doing one of it's many smear campaign against people with certain illnesses, as propoganda to support upcoming DWP sick and disability cuts. Bare in mind they collect the TV licence fee via capita and the DWP, both organisations responsible for the distribution of welfare money and assessments of sick and disabled people. Likewise BBC News has participated in covering up scandals related to austerity and benefit cuts via these organisations. Likewise in relation to their collection of the TV licence, the vast majority of the people being read their rights, taken to court etc. are low income women — many of them fitting into thr category of chronically sick. The organisation just sees them as cannon fodder for funding celebrity's lavish lifestyles, an easy target for witch hunts that provide easy viewing and a scapegoat for economic/social issues. I have listened to various figures over the last few days, calling for the BBC to be saved after it has recently managed yet another self imposed scandal. Despite the fact the BBC has been voted the third most anti-semitic organisation, these mouth pieces claim the organisation is the envy of the world. It managed to beat neo nazis in the poll because the BBC is considered to be more manipulative and insidious than them [see above for example of sticking targets on certian peoples back]. And as for the lame attempt at representation, where they get someone in a wheel chair to discuss illnesses unrelated to her own. It is cringeworthy. Please tell me, when the licence fee will be abolished. So if you do decide to post this poisonous and ignorant trash, it will be off other peoples backs. Because the only reason we currently pay for the BBC is because the goons will start a campaign against us, where one of the only solutions is to not answer the door. Becuase the BBC will send out threatening letters to the elderly, sick and disabled. But they will also send bbc workers, to read peoples rights. The same types of people you are doing a hit job on.

   How does it work exactly? BBC targets mostly low income women and elderly and reads them their rights, to collect a gloried netflix fee. This is considered reasonable behaviour (on top of smearing people, so the same organisations, the dwp and Capita can cut their food money). 120,000 deaths of sick and disabled people from austerity was it? You must be so proud.

   But your own presenters, who have been so twisted, they would visit morgues to interfere with dead bodies. And then there is yet another scandal this week. And you downplay things.

   Im sure you will talk about things like Fleabag, where posh girls and foreign girls, get to talk about what a feminist icon waller bridge is. When waller bridge is funded by a system based on misogyny and hatred of working class females. And you will talk about diane morgan and Mandy…an unfunny excuse of a comedy for guardian readers to sneer at lower class trash, while dehumanising them for propoganda. All paid for by women like me. And if i dont pay, you start sending your thugs round.

   BBC i really hope you tank.

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5. 

   @uncensoredcornishgirl87l16

   January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

   I rake 70 tablets and morphine everyday and would never ask for money. This just makes me angry be ause I'm 36, a mum of 4 and mostly bed bound due to health. I will die from it, we don't have much and I've never been able to afford days out or holidays for my kids but I still don't ask.

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6. 

   @MegaDerpification

   January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

   I hate that reddit group so much. Invisible illnesses and disabilities absolutely exist and symptoms vary from day to day. Each persons experience is unique and can by dynamic. I cant believe how angry people get from others meerly trying to survive and exist

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7. 

   @LaurenFromRhody401

   January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

   My (now ex) best friend and roommate uses fibromyalgia for an excuse for everything. I too have had the same diagnosis, plus Lyme disease and a dozen spinal surgeries and ongoing neck and back problems but I still have to be responsible for myself. She goes to the gym 6-7 days a week, goes to yoga 5-6 days a week, brags about going dancing all night long and crazy sexcapades and getting tied up for sex with her arms behind her back strung up from the ceiling and all of this other perfectly able bodied stuff but when it comes time for her to take out the trash or wash her own dishes, or pull her own weight in any way- suddenly her fibro is out of control. She refused to help with the lawn care even though it was in our lease and would make me mow the lawn when I had just had broken my leg and I’ve had a dozen spinal surgeries, and at the same time was caring for my 110 pound dog who had knee surgery and could not walk on his own (she wouldn’t help me even take him to go to the bathroom) while she is out having all this fun and spending her days cruising tinder and hitting the gym, going out on wild dates and then suddenly crippled when it comes time to get her government check- so yeah it’s extremely frustrating as someone with legitimate Physical issues both visible and invisible watching somebody else take advantage of other people’s empathy, kindness, and generosity for their own selfish convenience -because there’s definitely people out there faking it. F those people.

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8. 

   @chloetaylor4001

   January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

   Unfortunately there will always be scammers in the world and invisible illnesses are unfortunately the perfect claim especially those with no black and white test to confirm 😔. I have several disabilities and personally have stayed away from chronic illness online groups and communities because on one have you have the super dramatic fakers who you may spend a lot of time and energy talking too only for them to fake their death and other dramatics! On the other hand you have the real ones who like to engage in the "Sickness Olympics" oh you had sepsis 3 times ? ..I had it 14 ..my doc said I'm the worst case ever ect ..it's a real shame because on the rare occasion you can meet a normal human who shared great information on treatments and you can truly support each other but unfortunately that seems to be the exception 😮

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9. 

   @Chiller-pc1dv

   January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

   I'm chronically ill myself….and this is disgusting, BBC why would you do this? These Reddit sites are harassing people, doxxing them, because they've decided with no real evidence that someone is faking.

   And the "chronically ill people accusing others of faking" are turning it into a competition of "who suffers the most?"

   STOP just randomly accusing chronically ill people of faking without SIGNIFICANT evidence, and even then, it's none of your business! You know what these accusations do to people who are chronically ill? It makes us afraid of talking about it and opening up and advocating for it and ourselves…because jerks like this may target you, invalidate you, and maybe even doxx you….

   Tell me…after reading this…if you support this crap now….

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10. 

    @medwayhospitalprotest

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Well done Beeb, once again you have fulfilled your masters orders by throwing shade over the disabled community. This could easily have been a positive tale about chronic illness, instead it has to conclude by showing that that there are fakes and giving the impression THEREFORE that this is rife. This is exactly why I refuse to pay my licence fee, although that started with the truth about Jimmy Saville and all those other BBC personalities coming out. I'd rather watch YouTube that anything that has been near the "unclean".

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11. 

    @mandiemoore3272

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    The narrator clearly has an abnormality either with her hearing or speech she sounds to me like she's probably desk but and she is plainly doing great she's got her own following didn't have to fake anyting

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12. 

    @dawnatkinson7704

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Chonic back pain sufferer here for 18 years. Where is this fame, money and so on?!

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13. 

    @yeshuas_follower

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Im in so much pain and at home most days. I attended a wedding at the weekend where I was drinking alcohol,for the first time in a very long time I was pain free and up dancing. I must have shocked everyone in the room! I know we shouldn't drink.with meds but I did. Today is the second day I've been laid up tortured with pain since the alcohol wore off. I don't ever want to be an alcoholic…it was the only time having so much wine, I could move. Other looking would say I'm a fraud? I'm very much not. But looking at me moving around dancing…? Don't judge,you don't know!

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14. 

    @personalcheeses8073

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    When being a victim is the highest firm of life 🙄

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15. 

    @WildAscension

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    I used to run a page called Voices of Fibromyalgia. It at one point was one of the largest fibro pages of all time and I had to shut it down due to bullying over things like starting fundraisers or campaigning for awareness. People even got upset over who could make the next image or graphic art to help them share with their family and friends to help them understand their Illness but in the background you could see people were just doing it for clicks and likes. That’s when my journey for strength was intermingled with ppl who are too corrupt and the only way to be free is to get away from it. Put yourself first, get as healthy as you can and stop this judgement and bullying via competitive pages or the ratings. That’s not stress you need. Be free! Be yourself!

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16. 

    @Destinyirus278

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    I’m disabled. I got injured at 18 years old & developed a rare medical disease that’s not curable. I’m wheelchair bound & over the years now in my 20’s I’ve struggled to find any type of group of people who are like me. I’ve tried soo many chronic illness groups & it’s so toxic it’s always like a competition of who is worse off it’s hella toxic, that’s why I purposely don’t even get involved in that area. What’s sad tho is there’s a lot of invisible diseases, you never know if someone is sick or not. That being said there’s also people who admitted to lying & faking illness it’s very hard to trust anyone. & it’s ruined the “community “ it used to be about finding support w/ people who understand ur illness but it’s become this whole pity party culture & rewarded from likes & views online. It only seems to get worse

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17. 

    @purplespudz4023

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Thank you for this Octavia and BBC News as a person with disabilities and chronic illness. you have convinced me to leave illness fakers and i will no longer read any threads from the real REnemy Kiwi farms. thank you again

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18. 

    @TagSpamCop

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Hang on, you don't get to be sceptical of someone else's claims and then object when others are sceptical of yours. Doxxing is obviously never okay, but if you're trying to figure out if someone's faking, you don't get to get all high and mighty when someone tries to figure out if you are. Munchausen by Internet has emerged literally because society now encourages and rewards victimhood culture. This isn't the fault of the sceptical, it's the fault of everyone who cried wolf.

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19. 

    @Spiderswebinc

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    At the end she should have said, "This house….is clean"

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20. 

    @anthonybrown7489

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    NEWSFLASH . . . . . PRESENTABLE REAL OVER TALK DOWN OF REAL (BECAUSE CORRUPT RUNS THE MEDIA PUSHED MAINSTREAM ) . . . . .. . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBwFzdHSsIM. . . . .. . . . . . .

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21. 

    @janaw4111

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    It’s this catch-22 with invisible/semi-visible disabilities: There’s scarcity of medical resources needed, as well as a ton of policing/harassment of disabled people.
    So yes, it is very frustrating to be attacked for lying when you’re telling the truth – especially if the accuser’s goal is to deny you life-saving medical care (or in some cases; discrediting/destroying the patient’s reputation). So I can see why CI/disabled folks double down.

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22. 

    @adamguymon7096

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    This is why this subreddit needs to be shut down.

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23. 

    @michellethompson8515

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    I am also grateful that people continue to share their chronic illness journeys. I have struggled with chronic illness for over ten years. I tune in to learn how others cope or even tips and tricks to handle symptoms. Thank you, strong warriors.

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24. 

    @FreeJulianAssange23

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Influencers are pathetic

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25. 

    @quinnemilepoe9604

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Out of all the things to be faked, why would someone choose chronic illness?

    It isn't glamorous, you'd have to limit your activity to prove your incapabilities if you're actually well, it pays peanuts, and the whole ambience around it isn't the most pleasant.

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26. 

    @bisexualfrenchfry1953

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    To the people getting mad bc they are disabled and not faking it – THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU. It’s abt the people who ARE faking and there is proof of it. Not the people who actually have a chronic illness.

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27. 

    @boscoitalics

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    as an actual disabled person with an invisible illness these FAKERS anger me so much.

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28. 

    @95mudshovel

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    I joined the chronic illness community after being diagnosed with POTS. there are a lot of folks who become hyper-fixated on their health to the point of obsessing over every number and every symptom. it gets frustrating.

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29. 

    @trashboat2777

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Fibromyalgia is 100% made up and I will die on this hill

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30. 

    @julianamack125

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    If people have their cashapp/Venmo etc in their profile I side eye immediately.

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31. 

    @mylifewithankylosingspondyliti

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Everything seems to be a competition, if someone is unwell/ill/in chronic pain, it doesn't matter about the level of pain or discomfort, it's all about the individual and how THEY feel with it. Everyone has a different threshold of pain, illness etc.
    RESPECT the individual.
    If someone goes onto social media to bare all to the world, maybe that's their way of dealing with their illness.
    From a monetary aspect, I can understand why people want to monetise their videos, as they may be too unfit or unwell to work what we regard in society as a 'regular' job.
    LET PEOPLE JUST BE!
    As long as the are not harming anyone, there is no issue.

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32. 

    @soniczforever5470

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    I have chronic illness for 17 years I'm 7 and a half stone at the age of 36. I have appointment but considering cancelling it. I often lose feeling in my hands and order symtoms. With aspergers I'd been advised see counsellor she became hostile. I'm trying to get to the bottom of my unknown illness. It's a disgrace 😔

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33. 

    @quackityquack1

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    These b!tches make the rest of us look like fakers too. Embarrassing.

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34. 

    @chicade4810

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    If you put your life on the internet, people are going to judge you. If you share your chronic illness (AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU GET MONEY AND ATTENTION) people will doubt you because Munchausen exists and no one likes being taken advantage of. If you don't like people looking into your claims…well it's a bit late for that, you should've considered all of that before you put your life online.
    Getting defensive over something like this is just going to make people doubt you more. Try to understand no one owes you their trust and move on.

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35. 

    @jademitchell9956

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    You absolutely hit the nail on the head–most of us are women with chronic or life shortening illnesses who are furious that other people are using our disabilities as accessories. What these fakers do has a wider net effect on our quality of life. Medications are withheld. Clinical trials do not receive the correct results or they do not move forward. Chronic pain becomes so out of control that the root problems become buried and overgrown with weeds. Doctors dont know who is who and want to err on the side of caution, which more often than not, is doing very little themselves and referrals, referrals. We are mad because while yall were getting notoriety for being the sickest, we were losing our lives and livlihoods. And if we weren't willing to milk it enough to get above the frey, we were suffering. Being chronically ill online never had cruel intentions. Not when it started in my mind, at least. So how did it end up like this? No matter what, i still find it vile that someone could use my story to get more views online. If you dont understand it, how would you feel about a movement of women lying about being sexually assaulted? See what i am saying? To me its a bit like that, its its something you just don't lie about .

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36. 

    @AlwaysAskQuestion

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    I know what they mean cause everyone has anxiety now…

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37. 

    @ixykix

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    How can you tell who is faking? even an expert in this type of psychology said on the programme that you cannot always tell. Coming at this from the point of view that there are "all these fakers" breeds a culture of suspicion, which disabled and chronically ill people have had to live with already. No more is needed or should be tolerated. Just because something looks unusual health wise, or treatment wise, doesn't mean it's fake. It's most often just rare. Also the worst thing for those who have fluctuating conditions (of which there are many many 'official' diagnoses) is that the illnesses are very unpredictable. Some are ambulatory wheelchair users (who can sometimes walk and at other times need a wheelchair). This means differing levels of disability and restricted mobility and pain levels on different days and sometimes at different times of the same day. Many with fluctuating conditions (in this are included many diseases commonly known including MS, rheumatoid arthritis, EDS and Lupus and many many more, some common, some very rare) live in fear of being 'shopped' to the benefits system for 'faking' when nothing could be further from the truth. Heaven forbid I should paint my wheelchair a nice colour, or dress up or wear makeup – should I "look ill" for you? Nope. I shall carry on being me. I know many are saying genuinely ill and disabled people need protecting from such damaging behaviour and I completely agree, but I just don't see how it's possible to tell who is 100% genuine. You get comments about 'not being disabled enough to be called disabled' as if there's some sort of ranking system. If people, subreddits and sites are going after people for proof, more chronically ill people are going to get hurt or worse.
    I'm angry with the BBC for putting this programme out, the entire programme and the short edit. Both feel to me that the journalist's work has been manipulated for ratings, especially with the click bait title. Take some responsibility BBC, as a chronically ill, disabled person and not a young person, I am so very tired of all this. Stop feeding in to the victimisation of disabled and chronically ill people. I include any and all programming that focuses on the idea of health benefit cheating (ask the Office for National Statistics if it's statistically significant?…) and the idea that disabled and ill people are attempting to manipulate others for sympathy and/or money. I am so angry and do not usually post much on how I feel about this. What the hell does such behaviour say of a society who treats it's citizens this way or encourages victimisation?

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38. 

    @ForTheLoveOfMike

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    I wonder if Hanna realizes how absurd she sounds saying "I want to have kids one day but I have a stoma. How does that work?"
    Um. Being an Ostomate is not a disability, nor does it affect your ability to have children or be a Mother or anything else.
    She should be raising awareness, not spreading a stigma others fight to erase.
    All for the clicks and money I suppose. 🤦

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39. 

    @MorganVsTheInternet

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    So a bunch of attention seeking jealous people want after chronically ill women. And this is what you’re focusing on.

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40. 

    @pumpkinpantsu4811

    January 2, 2024 at 11:55 am

    I’m really not a fan of this video Octavia. Five minutes isn’t enough time to cover such a complicated issue. Had you more time you could have probably covered all sides better including the positives of these communities rather than just focusing on a few individuals that may or may not have lied (keep in mind it’s allegedly and a lot of the people being accused of lying are being accused by people who aren’t even doctors and have no idea about the conditions) – it makes it seem like you’re trying to push a narrative for shock value rather than an introspective look at these communities through a journalistic lens

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