Callie Arcale
It’s a tale told by an idiot signifying nothing
- Feb 10, 2021
- 848
All my life I I was very close to a family member but during the last year I decided to cut contact with them. The reason is that they were always giving me advice about my health problems.
I am not one to argue with people, mainly because I lack the stamina to deal with conflicts. So I never made a big deal out of it, although it bothered me immensely. For the longest time I tried to explain to this person - in a gentle but firm manner - that what they were saying was simply wrong and that they didn't know the first thing about my diagnoses.
Their answer was invariably the same "Well, I'm not a doctor, of course, but I've read boks, I watch tv, and it must be that you are ill because of lack of exercise, or lack of sunshine, or you not following the coconut oil diet, or you not doing yoga, or this ... or that... "
This way of thinking is very common amongst folks who give health advice. "I don't know what X is, I am not a trained medical professional, but I'm sure that you need Y."
So you just said you didn't know, but you still dish out advice.
It's like people claiming to have seen UFOs. "I don't know what it was up there is the sky, officer, so it must be an alien ship". (Face slap!)
Tonight I am a bit sad that this relative is no longer in my life and I felt the need to share this story. I don't regret distancing myself from them, as they had crossed too many lines, but it feels weird.
Anyone else cut contact with people or relatives due to similar reasons?
I am not one to argue with people, mainly because I lack the stamina to deal with conflicts. So I never made a big deal out of it, although it bothered me immensely. For the longest time I tried to explain to this person - in a gentle but firm manner - that what they were saying was simply wrong and that they didn't know the first thing about my diagnoses.
Their answer was invariably the same "Well, I'm not a doctor, of course, but I've read boks, I watch tv, and it must be that you are ill because of lack of exercise, or lack of sunshine, or you not following the coconut oil diet, or you not doing yoga, or this ... or that... "
This way of thinking is very common amongst folks who give health advice. "I don't know what X is, I am not a trained medical professional, but I'm sure that you need Y."
So you just said you didn't know, but you still dish out advice.
It's like people claiming to have seen UFOs. "I don't know what it was up there is the sky, officer, so it must be an alien ship". (Face slap!)
Tonight I am a bit sad that this relative is no longer in my life and I felt the need to share this story. I don't regret distancing myself from them, as they had crossed too many lines, but it feels weird.
Anyone else cut contact with people or relatives due to similar reasons?
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