Lyme Facebook Group Archetypes

I am probably not going to make a lot of friends with this post, but the reality is, this needs to be said and talked about. Lyme groups can be helpful when you are finding your path to healing, but they can also be a very negative wormhole that you can get stuck in. The years I spent in the Lyme groups trying to find my own healing I found the same pattern and archetypes in each one. This post is to hopefully shed some light on the facebook group dynamics before you get dragged down the rabbit hole. 

Negative Nancy

Nothing has ever worked for me so I doubt this would work. I have tried everything so I am just set to be sick forever. 

Rain On Your Parade

This is the narcissist that makes it all about them and how that didn’t work for them when you are asking about yourself. There are positive posts in the groups, but they only focus on the negative ones.

The Perpetual Researcher

This is the person that spends 24/7 researching and asking questions but never takes the plunge to try a treatment. They are in over 100 Facebook groups and want to have the perfect treatment, even if it means they will study their options for years before trying something.  

The Know It All

This person seems to think they know everything about all treatments yet most have never actually contacted the clinics themselves to get the correct info. It’s like playing the game telephone and you don't know what kind of fake news you are going to get from them. It is an important reminder to do your own homework and contact the clinics directly. 

The Procrastinator

They tell you the same old story of how they can’t afford treatment or they are not ready to do a treatment yet they complain about how they are not better yet. No matter what suggestions you give them to try and get treated and take baby steps, they have an excuse for it all.  Basically it's an easy way of getting out of treating. When people really want something, they find a way to do it or make it happen. I have heard amazing stories of people that could not afford treatments end up getting their treatments sponsored by a friend or family member or get money they were not expecting. There are also resources that can help with treatment costs. The reality is the chronic illness world is no different from our daily lives. Their is financial disparity in all aspects of life and you have to do what you can with the means that you have instead of complaining that life is not fair and that you can’t afford things. It is not an excuse when your life depends on it. 

The Lost Cause 

This is someone who thinks they have been sick too long to get better. They have gotten used to their life with illness and it would be to weird and scary to change it and get better so they suffer everyday and don't take steps to change it. 

The “Truth” Speaker

The person that had one bad experience yet when they post in the group everyone takes their word and experience as the ultimate truth. Sometimes these people can be delusional and post things that don’t even seem real yet they have a following of their "truths". Each post has a heavy dose of conspiracy theory too so it does make for an enjoyable read sometimes. 

The Mean Girls

Their are always going to be mean girls. You know, the ones that go out of there way to cause drama and spend their day manipulating posts by asking questions when you know they have ulterior motives? Yep them. Watch out for them. 

The Medical Professional

They think that since they have been sick for so long they essentially have a medical degree.  Granted you do gain an immense amount of knowledge during your illness, it does not mean you are qualified to give medical advise to others, yet it happens everyday. 

The Fake Profile

These are malicious people that seem to have it out for specific clinics or people. This happens more often then you think and they constantly post like they are compassionate or interested in the treatment but they are just there to stir the pot and convince people not to treat there. You have to wonder what intense pain and suffering these people are going through emotionally that they spend their days commenting lies in these groups. Guess what Karma is a real thing and imagine what you could do if you put all that energy to your healing. Pro Tip: When you see a suspicious profile image, make sure to google image search it.  

The Positive Poster

Now we have some good ones. They start off positive and share good news about their progress, but then once they get negative feedback they post less and less and can even be tainted to start posting negativity. They also post trying to encourage people but no one really notices the good. They just gravitate towards the negative drama. 
 

Bye Felicia

These are the people that left the group because the negativity was just too much. They tried to be positive and encourage people but they know its important to focus on themselves and get better. When these people leave, everyone that is left in the groups continue to complain that there is no one getting better. Its a vicious cycle.