I recently shared a myTake about psoriasis and my experiences with it. I wrote it because I wanted to end the stigma and educate people about it - I wasn't asking for health advice. Little did I know that about half of the comments would be people acting like they know more than myself and my own doctors, telling me to try herbal remedies and vegan and gluten free diets! Whilst I am not denying that these lifestyle changes may be beneficial in numerous ways, it is incredibly frustrating being lectured to like this. Maybe it's because it almost feels like we're being blamed for our genetic, chronic conditions that there is no cure for and if we lived a certain way, it would solve all of our issues.
As someone with chronic illnesses, I am involved in online communities of people with chronic illnesses and one of the things people complain about is being told by people, who don't understand the condition and aren't doctors, about herbal remedies or telling them to change their diet because it helped someone they knew with a similar condition. Honestly, why do you think there's so many memes about this issue?! There's a reason why it's one of the many things not to say to someone with a chronic illness and in fact, giving people you don't know, inaccurate information about diet and herbal remedies could be more damaging, because you don't know all of their health conditions. For example, if I were to reduce my salt because your friend Brenda did and it cured her health condition, it would affect another condition I have because I need to have double the daily intake of salt to help me through the day.
giving people you don't know, inaccurate information about diet and herbal remedies could be more damaging, because you don't know all of their health conditions.
The NHS states that herbal medicine can be harmful if not used correctly. There is little scientific evidence to support herbal remedies which may be why none of my doctors have mentioned them to me. I take a bunch of medications and herbal remedies could interfere with them. I don't know about you, but I prefer following things that have been heavily researched and has good evidence to support its ability of treating a condition and the medications I take now are sufficient enough to keep my symptoms under control; I'm not asking you to tell me to try something else.
The medications I take now are sufficient enough to keep my symptoms under control; I'm not asking you to tell me to try something else.
If you see someone share that they have a chronic condition, please don't lecture them on lifestyle/diet changes or to try herbal remedies unless they tell you that nothing else is working and they specifically ask you for advice (which is unlikely). Be supportive and realise they're an expert on their own body and their doctors are the experts, you're not. If something worked for you or someone you know, that's great, but it doesn't mean it'll work for someone else. People who have chronic conditions have usually tried everything they can to improve their lives, so you're really not helping by giving them unsolicited, unscientific advice.
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