My friend is faking mental health
My best friend, who I have known for a long time, keeps diagnosing herself with mental and normal health conditions. I have anxiety and she knows I have it so she then decides to start saying she does too and makes everyone believe that she has it so she fakes leg bouncing and fidgeting and acts like she’s not doing it on purpose but she is because she has only started doing it since I found out I had anxiety and told her. She has also told me that her parents think she has anemia which would make her constantly tired, but considering she does lots of sport she clearly doesn’t. She also said she has anger issues, but she never gets angry and if she does it’s only a small dig at someone which she sooner or later forgets and becomes friends with them. I know she fakes it all because I have known her for 9 years and she never did this before- only recently when I came forward and told her about my mental health and it’s like she wants herself to be the main character and she completely disregards my feelings when she fakes it all.
Original post by Anonymous
My best friend, who I have known for a long time, keeps diagnosing herself with mental and normal health conditions. I have anxiety and she knows I have it so she then decides to start saying she does too and makes everyone believe that she has it so she fakes leg bouncing and fidgeting and acts like she’s not doing it on purpose but she is because she has only started doing it since I found out I had anxiety and told her. She has also told me that her parents think she has anemia which would make her constantly tired, but considering she does lots of sport she clearly doesn’t. She also said she has anger issues, but she never gets angry and if she does it’s only a small dig at someone which she sooner or later forgets and becomes friends with them. I know she fakes it all because I have known her for 9 years and she never did this before- only recently when I came forward and told her about my mental health and it’s like she wants herself to be the main character and she completely disregards my feelings when she fakes it all.
Do you know, properly know, that she is faking it?
I understand how frustrating this much be for you. Especially if you have been diagnosed yourself with Anxiety.
However, I think it’s important to not disregard her feelings. Perhaps she isn’t formally diagnosed with anxiety, but she could be having anxious thoughts? I think speaking to her and acknowledging her tiredness / anger / anxiety will help her to realise that she doesn’t need to make a big display of her emotions for help. She may be too scared to approach you or others for help, so she displays the physical characteristics of mental health issues to try and get help.
I know it’s feeling hard because it seems as though she’s disregarding your emotions, but there could be other (more hidden) reasons for her actions x
However, I think it’s important to not disregard her feelings. Perhaps she isn’t formally diagnosed with anxiety, but she could be having anxious thoughts? I think speaking to her and acknowledging her tiredness / anger / anxiety will help her to realise that she doesn’t need to make a big display of her emotions for help. She may be too scared to approach you or others for help, so she displays the physical characteristics of mental health issues to try and get help.
I know it’s feeling hard because it seems as though she’s disregarding your emotions, but there could be other (more hidden) reasons for her actions x
