Is it just me or do an unusual amount of young women claim to have "chronic" or autoimmune illnesses?
Is this real or are they just attention/ sympathy whores?
I think a lot is, though not all, psychosomatic. I don't think it's for attention or sympathy.
I knew a lot of young women with everything from food sensitivities to gastrointestinal distress to lupus and everything in between. Sometimes you draw crappy genetic cards and an XX chromosome combo. But women growing up in America are often socialized to be hyper-vigilant and overthink a lot. Women in their 20s especially seem prone to this.
By the time women get into their 30s, they almost kind of benefit from their growing invisibility ... they're more self-confident, a bit less stressed. Many women I knew who seem to be autoimmune problematic in their 20s came out differently by the time they hit their 30s.