Does anyone really feign illness to get out of something?

Sago

I have been seriously ill twice in my adult life and once as a child.
As a result I would never feign an illness, it’s will bring about bad Katma I’m sure!

I do however have a SIL who used to do it all the time, she was a nurse and was eventually “let go” as a result.

I also have a friend who has done despicable things re her health to avoid having to do anything.
I am not going to tell you what as it could expose her but you probably wouldn’t believe me anyway!

One could also learn to do the sort of stage make -up that can mimic a disgusting rash of itchy -looking vesicles.

Munchausen by proxy illness - I had a parent at school. She used to say, B won't be in school for Sports Day next week because he is going to have a cold then.
Very difficult to deal with.

I've also known several different people who would develop colds or non-specific gastrointestinal problems when something at work was likely to prove stressful.
Indeed, and that's unfair to those who have to take on extra tasks.

MartavTaurus

^I've also known several different people who would develop colds or non-specific gastrointestinal problems when something at work was likely to prove stressful.^
Indeed, and that's unfair to those who have to take on extra tasks.

Except that stress and strain at work or anywhere, can cause physical problems like this.

I always express stress and strain through my body rather than through my mind and it has included symptoms like an irrregular heart beat, palpitations, migraine, nausea, dizziness, all caused by stress at home or work

I don’t think the King has to lie about his health, he is in his late seventies and has cancer and chemotherapy which will have knocked the stuffing out of him. I doubt very much that he is feeling chipper right now. So if he said he didn’t feel up to performing his royal duties for health reasons I would see no reason to question it. They would probs turn to William and Kate to step up or Prince Edward and Sophie.

*and has had cancer and chemotherapy.

I’ve got enough going on without adding more illnesses.
Nothing more boring than talking about peoples ailments, (not people who are genuinely ill) but people who drone on how many pills they are taking, how many ops they have had for the attention, especially whilst on holiday.
If they are lying to the Gp, aren’t they shooting themselves in the foot if they have to buy holiday insurance as you have to declare absolutely everything.

When I was a kid my sister an I walked on eggshells every time there was a day out, family get together or event of any kind in case my mother had one of her "wobblers" as we called them. Looking back they were panic attacks, probably genuine to some extent. But my mother made an absolute meal of them to get attention from anyone who would pay attention. She did have some genuine things wrong during her lifetime - openheard and kidney surgery. However she treated her stays in hospital as major events.

She would sit by the phone and make sure that EVRERY member of the family knew she was going into hospital. And if you were unobtainable she would RING and RING and RING until she got you. The implication was that you were obliged to visit her. Thankl heaven there were no mobile phones back then and I was in an EU funded job where I could make the excuse of travelling. Or rather saying that I was travelling. My mothers wobblers were part of the reason I deliberately chose to attend a uni in another city. I think I knew back then I would never go back.

openheard + open heart.

When I returned to work with young children an excellent piece of advice was if I needed a short amount of time to take children to the doctor, see the school assembly etc, avoid saying you are ill but blame your car instead. Everyone has car problems and will sympathise and it is almost impossible to use public transport instead.

I have known people who lied about their health if they wanted a day off work, or to get out of an invitation.

I have also known people who conveniently have a genuine miagrane or upset stomach when they don't want to do something or other, These people genuinely believe they are unlucky, even although to the rest of us it looks as if there is a phsyco-somatic aspect to these sudden attacks.

Some of course are suffering from whatever form of indisposition anxiety or nerves brings on.

I was brought up never to lie about my health, and belong to a generation that soldiered on through colds, sore throats etc and thereby probably infected others at work.

I was also brought up to believe that once you had accepted an invitation, you had to turn up at the event, however little you felt like it, and that invitations from casual acquaintances could be refused on the grounds that you had a prior engagement, but close friends or family was a different kettle of fish. You turned up, behaved yourself, and left when the first guests started making tracks if you were bored stiff.

Our children and grandchildren's generations tend to make no bones about making up some thin excuse if they just don't feel like going to a party, etc.

Royalist or not, it is genuinely concerning that KC is still planning to visit Trump.
Trump is unpredictable and selfish, and the King is not in robust health.

M0nica

MartavTaurus

I've also known several different people who would develop colds or non-specific gastrointestinal problems when something at work was likely to prove stressful.
Indeed, and that's unfair to those who have to take on extra tasks.

Except that stress and strain at work or anywhere, can cause physical problems like this.

I always express stress and strain through my body rather than through my mind and it has included symptoms like an irrregular heart beat, palpitations, migraine, nausea, dizziness, all caused by stress at home or work

Agree.

MT62

I’ve got enough going on without adding more illnesses.
Nothing more boring than talking about peoples ailments, (not people who are genuinely ill) but people who drone on how many pills they are taking, how many ops they have had for the attention, especially whilst on holiday.
If they are lying to the Gp, aren’t they shooting themselves in the foot if they have to buy holiday insurance as you have to declare absolutely everything.

Munchausens / factitious disorder is an illness, a compulsion. It is still rare.
Good point about reporting false symptoms to the GP & insurance, but if they don't lead to a diagnosis, then there is still nothing to declare on the form & nothing concrete in the GP records.

I have no idea about King Charles specifically. Obviously he has been seriously ill.

But people "pull sickies" and feign illness in my place of work all the time.

It annoys me as I would literally have to be incapacitated to do that.

The fact that people lie to get out of things shows that they know they should be doing them, and are letting others down by ducking out.

I'm sure we've all felt like staying in instead of sticking to an arrangement before, but the thought that someone else may have juggled things around so they can go, or may have shopped and cooked, or have been looking forward to it should be enough to make us stick to our word. It's very selfish to pull out without good reason, IMO.

I have a very low tolerance of people who cancel at the last minute, and stop inviting them to things or agreeing to go out with them. Obviously not if there is good reason, or if someone has a health condition, but I have more than once dropped people for serial 'not feeling well' excuses.

I can't for a minute imagine KC doing it.

Aren't you all virtuous. I will admit that on a couple of occasions, not often, but done all the same. I have rung in sick when I wasn't.

I never did it to avoid work, on one occasion, I had run out of leave and had an invitation to a very smart naval ball, the other occcasion I was on an errand of mercy to visit my sick fiance, and my manager refused me leave, for no reason other than because he could, he was like that.

However, I have certainly missed work for stress related symptoms.

Yes! I pull a sickie at the mention of my snarly DIL!

Honestly I don’t think it’s ‘virtuous’ in any sort of a self-righteous way, as seems to be being suggested. I hate being messed about, and if I have set aside an evening, shopped and tidied up only to have someone cry off because it’s raining or whatever I don’t like it at all, and I wouldn’t do that to other people.

I had a colleague who regularly took time off with stress, and left me to pick up the stressful situation on top of my own work. It was infuriating.

I don’t think it’s ‘virtuous’ to say so.

When I was younger I sometimes told an older relative that I was not feeling well in order not to have to visit. I feel pretty bad about it now because I am the age they would have been and realise that I am also probably dull as ditch water to younger relatives, so won’t hold it against them if they suddenly develop a bad cold when supposed to be visiting us.

Doodledog

Honestly I don’t think it’s ‘virtuous’ in any sort of a self-righteous way, as seems to be being suggested. I hate being messed about, and if I have set aside an evening, shopped and tidied up only to have someone cry off because it’s raining or whatever I don’t like it at all, and I wouldn’t do that to other people.

I had a colleague who regularly took time off with stress, and left me to pick up the stressful situation on top of my own work. It was infuriating.

I don’t think it’s ‘virtuous’ to say so.

But is what you describe what the OP is referring to? I thought the reference to King Charles refers to someone who lets someone know in advance that they cannot do something and uses health problems as the reason.

For example, someone who invites me come and stay for a weekend in a months time and I thank them and say regretfully, I cannot come because I have several key medical appointments. on the Friday and may need several days to recover from the tests I will have.

The virtue is all those who say they have never used sickness as an excuse for taking a day off work. yes, some people do use stress as an excuse, but many more people are genuinely ill with stress and there is nothing indulgent about their being off sick.

Perhaps, health permitting, the King should attend.

Any state banquet would be a hoot - not to mention a demonstration to Mister Trump of how to do dignity.

Charles would be wearing formal dress with his various honours and regalia and Trump.........would (very likely) be wearing his silly Make America Great Again baseball hat.

Likewise, Queen Camilla will be displaying one of the many magnificent tiara's that come with the job and the title. But the best Melania Trump will be able to come up with is 'Jimmy Choo' 5 inch stiletto's.

Game, set and match to the Windsor's.

If someone is genuinely ill vice and virtue don’t come into it though. The OP question is about feigning illness to get out of something.

Doodledog

If someone is genuinely ill vice and virtue don’t come into it though. The OP question is about feigning illness to get out of something.

Maybe like Ernest Saunders who was given a 5 year sentence in 1990 for his part in the Guinness shares scandal, was released after 10 months due to being deemed to be in the throes of dementia and subsequently made a full recovery?

Probably the only dementia 'sufferer' ever to do so.

Well, blow me down! He's still alive and kicking today. Not that I think he deliberately hoodwinked the doctors.......

I don't need to pretend illnesses, as I have plenty of my own, sadly.