ANVEEROY 61,232 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Because Gaga is, well… Gaga, she naturally decided to embark on her upcoming grand-scale European tour regardless. However, the time eventually came when she reluctantly had to step back and put her health first, and in an emotional statement her team announced that she was ‘suffering from severe pain that has materially impacted her ability to perform live’, and that she was ‘deeply saddened’ to cancel the final 10 dates of her tour. Although loyal fans were quick to offer their love and condolences in response to the statement, which was shared on social media on February 2nd, the messages of support were noticeably peppered with some less than sympathetic ones: Meanwhile, another collection of social media users attempted to offer solutions to the situation, most likely intending to be helpful, but again demonstrating a complete misunderstanding of the condition. ‘Just use some Tiger balm’, instructed one user, adamantly convinced that this would treat the complex neural abnormalities thought to be responsible for the condition. ‘Cut out sugar’ and use ‘herbal botanical treatment’ were among other suggestions, implying that the condition was a result of Gaga’s lifestyle choices, and something she had control over. It was whilst reading some of the above responses that I couldn’t help but cast my mind back to when Ed Sheeran cancelled his tour after breaking his arms in a motorcycle accident, so I decided to take a look back at the reporting of this news and Twitter users’ responses to it. Unsurprisingly, not once did I observe anybody telling him that his decision to cancel his tour was attention seeking, or anyone lecturing him on the lifestyle changes needed to treat his broken bones. Instead, he received outpourings of love and sympathy, and thousands of well wishes from the Twitter community. Both Lady Gaga and Ed Sheeran developed physiological limitations that prevented them from performing, but why were these cases perceived so differently? I think the difference between reactions to Ed’s broken bones and Lady Gaga’s physical health condition tells us something important about the way we think about invisible illness. Is it because people can’t personally see Gaga’s suffering that they choose to question it? Is it because chronic pain isn’t visible that they think it’s something that she has any degree of control over? If she let people into her home while having a pain flare and they saw her howl and cry, would that be enough to validate her illness? And why should she have to validate her illness in the first place? If you take one thing away from this article, make it this: believe the sufferer. If Lady Gaga, arguably one of the most prominent figures of the 21st century music and celebrity scene, needs to cancel her tour in order to look after her health, then I stand by her decision and you should too. The only thing worse than living with long-term chronic pain is living with long-term chronic pain and not having people believe you. You might not be able to see somebody’s suffering, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. We need to see a shift in attitudes towards invisible illnesses, and take steps to encourage people to get clued up on what they’re failing to understand. We need to remove the stigma and focus instead on supporting those affected by these frequently misinterpreted conditions. Some targeted treatment and a cure for chronic pain wouldn’t go amiss either… if anything, just to ensure that we get to see our Gaga continue slaying the pop icon game in years to come. Read more at http://www.mtv.co.uk/life/news/reactions-to-lady-gagas-cancelled-tour-showed-how-little-we-understand-invisible-illness#BzBobR5kcoqx83EI.99 \ Stream Kylie-Janet Discographies! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flapjack 1,264 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 It's a fairly known phenomenon that women and those who suffer from chronic pain are often told their problems aren't real or they should get over it. Like really what is this world smfh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giancarlo 89 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Many doctors consider that fibromyalgia is not real. While others obviously do. And I know this because my mom has this disease, and she has been told many times by other doctors that it doesn't exist. She has to take many pills and go through massages and therapies to overcome the pain. She can't do a lot of exercise and has to stay as far from stress as possible. Only one that knows closely what this disease is can believe it 100%, and it's sad because you have to accept the truth that there is no actual cure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vergil 2,296 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 That's why I ignore others' opinions. I don't get how someone who's just sitting in their couch doing nothing but eating sh!t has the balls to say "This is not a real disease". Like really edit: Gaga's left hand is that user's face Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doot 2 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 News? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANVEEROY 61,232 Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share Posted March 2, 2018 1 minute ago, Doot said: News? Could you please report it, Sir? Stream Kylie-Janet Discographies! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBEY 57,109 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 14 minutes ago, Flapjack said: It's a fairly known phenomenon that women and those who suffer from chronic pain are often told their problems aren't real or they should get over it. Like really what is this world smfh. A man complaints people believe a woman does they don’t, urgh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bio 23,538 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 My boyfriend is currently suffering from a condition that a lot of people and doctors say doesn't exist and it's ****ing heartbreaking. On top of that he's going through panic disorder because of that disease and I get so mad when people say that what he has doesn't exist like wtf? Can't you see what he's going through? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antichrist 9,818 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 48 minutes ago, OBEY said: A man complaints people believe a woman does they don’t, urgh ahh there we go, gotta bring feminist powah into every single discussion possible Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBEY 57,109 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 2 minutes ago, Antichrist said: ahh there we go, gotta bring feminist powah into every single discussion possible whew looks like I hit a nerve! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanripley 86,575 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 5 minutes ago, Antichrist said: ahh there we go, gotta bring feminist powah into every single discussion possible so? https://goo.gl/xMgMvJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas P 18,479 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 24 minutes ago, Antichrist said: ahh there we go, gotta bring feminist powah into every single discussion possible ....are you kidding me? I’m a simple guy to please, if you like Melodrama, we chill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Surrealist 27,470 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 48 minutes ago, Bio said: My boyfriend is currently suffering from a condition that a lot of people and doctors say doesn't exist and it's ****ing heartbreaking. On top of that he's going through panic disorder because of that disease and I get so mad when people say that what he has doesn't exist like wtf? Can't you see what he's going through? But if doctors say it doesn't exist it maybe just doesn't exist? Maybe it's psychosomatic or because of anxiety. I'm sure a doctor would exclude everything to make a diagnosis and if the patient is still feeling pain or uncomfortable he is not cured. Either those doctors bought their degree on eBay or the disease doesn't exist. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceAce 1,058 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 20 minutes ago, The Surrealist said: But if doctors say it doesn't exist it maybe just doesn't exist? Maybe it's psychosomatic or because of anxiety. I'm sure a doctor would exclude everything to make a diagnosis and if the patient is still feeling pain or uncomfortable he is not cured. Either those doctors bought their degree on eBay or the disease doesn't exist. It’s incredibly naive to believe that any one doctor has the authority to say what is a “real” disease and what isn’t, regardless of where they received their degree. And the term psychosomatic doesn’t make an illness any less real. My mother was suffering for years with a disease called sarcoidosis and many doctors claimed her pain was in her head. Those same doctors just lower their heads in shame when they see my mom now, years later, with multiple comorbid diseases that could have been slowed down or easier to manage had they done their job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Surrealist 27,470 Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 4 minutes ago, SpaceAce said: It’s incredibly naive to believe that any one doctor has the authority to say what is a “real” disease and what isn’t, regardless of where they received their degree. And the term psychosomatic doesn’t make an illness any less real. My mother was suffering for years with a disease called sarcoidosis and many doctors claimed her pain was in her head. Those same doctors just lower their heads in shame when they see my mom now - years later with multiple comorbid diseases that could have been slowed down or easier to manage had they done their job. I don't even know what to say to people who don't read my comments. So I will just leave it at that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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