"Awareness" can sometimes equal painful reminders

[Gizmo]

I know this is slightly sucky of me but I can't stand the constant barrage of Facebook chain messages and "girls status's" in the name of "awareness" of conditions.

If its a super rare condition post an informative link. If its something that you are involved with suggest a charity for people to donate to.
*sorry to anyone who feels pain because of reading this. Its ironic I can't talk and vent about this without doing somewhat the same as the people I am moaning about*


The constant "repost this if you know someone affected by" and the new Cancer "girls" only post put me in a bad place and I can't find away to tell people to stfu! I've filtered them from my feed as much as I can (Facebook Purity is a wonderful app ) but can't stop the ones people send through private messages etc.

The reason I get annoyed about these is twofold:

1) They do little for awareness. People are aware cancer exists and another chain message won't change peoples stance or make them donate any more than they do already.

2) It actually hurts. A close family member is fighting it at the moment and I don't want to be constantly reminded of that. I can't deal with it on a constant basis and don't want to have to avoid interaction to not be assailed by it.

My problem is that I can't tell people to back off without sounding evil and not caring etc.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

My problem is that I can't tell people to back off without sounding evil and not caring etc.

Which is why a lot of these people do it. They know nobody's going to tell them "Fine, I'm aware of (whatever), now piss off."

[BlaqueKatt]

My problem is that I can't tell people to back off without sounding evil and not caring etc.

my current status:

many of us are painfully "aware" of the various illnesses that can strike. For us the wounds are fresh and every "awareness" post rubs salt into it as we know one of our loved ones is suffering or gone. please stop trivializing human suffering by making it a stupid game.

[Greenday]

Which is why a lot of these people do it. They know nobody's going to tell them "Fine, I'm aware of (whatever), now piss off."

Crap, we can't? Why didn't someone tell me this earlier?

Does anyone know what cause was supposed to be supported by women posting some length of time and a food they are craving? Because I thought raising awareness for something was supposed to involve informing people of whatever you are raising awareness for.

[Mishi]

@Greenday: This is paraphrased, but it's one of those chain emails that says: "Don't tell the boys! Lets keep them guessing, show them how powerful we are and worry everyone - incidentally, this will somehow support women with breast cancer and raise awareness about their condition."

I'm still curious how anyone knows that they're pregnant at 3 weeks?

[Seshat]

Bah. Everyone knows breast cancer exists. Now can we shut up about it, except during specific fund-raisers or when we're actively supporting someone with the condition/with family with the condition?

Done?

Good. Now let's talk about stuff people don't know about. How about pancreatic cancer? Testicular cancer? Ovarian? How about not-a-cancer-at-all stuff? Fibromyalgia? Lupus? Schizoaffective disorder? Neurocardiogenic syncope?

Thank you.


Edit: I lost Aunt Shirley to breast cancer. Aunt Laurel is a survivor. I've had 2 scares. Breast cancer is a valid and important concern, but let's keep things in proportion, hmm? I lost my father in law to pancreatic cancer, and Aunt Val to ovarian. I have fibro, my wife is schizoaffective, my husband has NCG syncope. It's not a lack of care, it's caring about lots of things.
Oh, and I volunteer for the 'Mother's Day Classic' any year I'm healthy enough. (It's a breast cancer charity thingy. I provide hours of volunteer work.)

[Gizmo]

Crap, we can't? Why didn't someone tell me this earlier?

Does anyone know what cause was supposed to be supported by women posting some length of time and a food they are craving? Because I thought raising awareness for something was supposed to involve informing people of whatever you are raising awareness for.

Its the standards "lets do good by getting ourselves in the news for Breast Cancer again".

That one is even worse since not only does it hurt and hit people about cancer but it hits people who are trying to get pregnant (or have had a miscarriage etc).

Its based on Month of birth (weeks) and day of birth (type of food).

Oh, and thank all of you for restoring my faith in people. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one to hate these things with a passion!

[TruthHurts]

A little OT but I despise the ones that imply that if you don't repost this status then you don't care about people with cancer or abused children etc etc. I find them incredibly offensive and ignorant.

If you really cared so much you'd be out volunteering instead of posting on Facebook.

[AriGriffin]

There is also a fake Amber Alert going around Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. Before reposting an Amber Alert, Google it or check with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children at http://www.ncmec.org/missingkids/servlet/AmberServlet.

They go something like this:
AMBER ALERT !!!!!!! Miami (sometimes city is changed) - Little girl, 3 yrs. old picked up by a man driving a gray car (or truck), license plate: Quebec 72B 381. Canada. PLEASE RE-post ASAP. It could save her. The Kidnapping is recent so do it, 3 seconds will not kill you. If it were your child u would want the same support!!!

Here is a link to a collection of the fake Amber Alerts- http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2010...ms-twitter.htm

[Greenday]

@Greenday: This is paraphrased, but it's one of those chain emails that says: "Don't tell the boys! Lets keep them guessing, show them how powerful we are and worry everyone - incidentally, this will somehow support women with breast cancer and raise awareness about their condition."

I have a couple problems with this:

1.) Who old enough to use Facebook doesn't know such a thing called breast cancer doesn't exist?
2.) It's pretty freaking sexist. Men get breast cancer too.

[Seshat]

There is also a fake Amber Alert going around Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.

Here is a link to a collection of the fake Amber Alerts- http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2010...ms-twitter.htm

What is WRONG with people???

(yes, this deserves multiple question marks)

[Mishi]

@Greenday - Those are some of my problems with it too, as I really don't like sexism. I participated in the handbag one only because it was funny that my statement was "I like it in the closet!" (I'm straight, but most of my highschool peers thought otherwise, often very loudly.)

@Seshat: One of Rugz' workmates recently told off a younger co-irker that said something like: "Fibromyalgia doesn't exist, it's just an excuse to be lazy. They need to suck it up and quit whining." The good workmate is normally very quiet, so when he's annoyed about something, people tend to listen. Best part - "WHAT did you say about my mother!?"

[Seshat]

Mishi,

Please ask Rugz to thank your (good) workmate on my behalf. Also LewisLegion's, as I believe she's also a fibro sufferer.

[fireheart]

I got massively confused about this because people were suddenly posting that they were 8 weeks pregnant or 14 weeks pregnant....mostly because they already had kids!!!

[dragon_wings]

@TruthHurts: totally agree.

@ AriGriffin: my ex got annoyed by all the 'Amber Alert' posts that she made up and outrageously and obviously fake one and posted it on my wall.

There's a reason I avoid my news feed 99% of the time.