Today I actually cleaned my house. Ugh! Than I went to lunch with Norma. She is the one who is
somewhat confused. After lunch I took her to the bank and she did not know her account number or her SS #. The bank was able to find her account and she could deposit her check. Her son is a friend of C and D. She likes to be sick.
2 comments:
If she likes to be sick, Norma sounds like lots of women "of a certain age" I know, notably my neighbor, you-know-who. I don't know if that's an attention-getting device, or if they have some basic need to suffer because they think they're unworthy, or what, but boy, it makes ME sick. I live with somebody who's sick and doesn't want to be, and I'm not too patient with the other kind.
They used to refer to it as the 'secondary gain' of being sick/ill/whatever. It can get people out of doing things they don't want to do...e.g.social situations.
We even use it to "call in sick" from work when we want the day off.
However, there are many (like Mr.Pat M.) who truly are sick and don't want to be.
Folks that use illness for the 'secondary gain'....and don't realize they are doing it...may actually be sick...there is a diagnosis...hypochondria.....and it is mental illness. Docs have to be careful tho'....because as the saying goes...even Crocks get sick.
And then there are those of us who do have chronic painful conditions...but we do what we can to alleviate them...some folks don't want to take away the suffering. As Rosemary suggests, some of these people 'need' the condition. Take it away and they'll come up with something else.
We (the non ill) often tolerate and empathize with folks who have Acute (short term) problems...there is an end. We often have less tolerance for those with Chronic illnesses. People who can see light at the end of the tunnel are much more upbeat than those who know it is all part of the big decline. They have to put their hope in maintaining what they have.
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