[Mountaindewed]

Someone I know on Facebook has talked about how bad her heart problems are. She says she is always passing out and had to get a heart monitor.

A couple of weeks later she was reviewing energy drinks, and posting about iced coffees.

If her heart problems are as bad as she says they are, then wouldn’t she have serious consequences drinking them?

So I’m guessing she’s exaggerating her heart problems?

I think she just wants attention. Anyone who reviews energy drinks just do it because they think they are cool when they drink them.

After she said that, she talked about her bad migraine and needing to drink a pedalyte.

I truly don’t understand why anyone would post those things unless they wanted attention or a reaction out of people?

Why can’t people keep their stories straight?

[nicoleflynn]

No one has the answer to this.

[Mountaindewed]

Sorry I was being rude.

I just have a hard time understanding other people’s situations.

I do think people want attention on Facebook, and that seems like a normal thing for Facebook and really, humans in general. Whether or not she's exaggerating or not though, I don't know.

I think that your question is a valid one, Bozdickens. I don't know if she was seeking attention, but she seems to make herself look a bit foolish, stating that she has heart problems and then guzzling highly caffeinated drinks.

[FallDuskTrain]

Lots of people do demonstrate inconsistency in behavior such as this one; especially on Facebook. Why is she in particular important to you?
If she is lying and in fact trying to get attention, then it means she is feeling neglected in other aspects of her live and that is sad. Of course, she should not be manipulating others’ emotions like that but if she feels hurt and neglected, she is not going to see outside of herself.
On the other hand, she may not be lying. May be she has no idea about the coffee connection and heart health.

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by FallDuskTrain

Lots of people do demonstrate inconsistency in behavior such as this one; especially on Facebook. Why is she in particular important to you?
If she is lying and in fact trying to get attention, then it means she is feeling neglected in other aspects of her live and that is sad. Of course, she should not be manipulating others’ emotions like that but if she feels hurt and neglected, she is not going to see outside of herself.
On the other hand, she may not be lying. May be she has no idea about the coffee connection and heart health.

My reaction is similar: why does it matter? As in, why are you wasting your energy worrying about her motives on Facebook?

If you are concerned and wondering why she is behaving that way, I think you could politely point out the next time she posts about guzzling energy drinks "Don't you have a heart condition? I'm curious, doesn't drinking an energy drink affect your heart condition? Please be careful."

Then you've kinda pointed it out, but also expressed your concern.

But trying to understand why people post anything on Facebook is futile. Everyone is vying for attention, that's the whole point.

Seesaw

[amandalouise]

only the person who posted that can say whether they are exaggerating their problems, that said people with heart problems can drink and review energy drinks, and no it doesnt have to cause serious consequences for them....

if the person has consulted with their doctor and they understand where their limits of intake are and how to manage their health issues they dont have to a problem with drinking energy drinks...

example energy drinks have caffeine in them. thats what they are a drink high in caffeine. they have no more in them than drinking a couple cups of coffee. they give a person the same amount of energy that drinking a couple cups of coffee in 5 minutes would do. yes the heart would speed up but no more than say someone who was jogging or running or walking on a tread mill. (all of which are acceptable activities to do with heart problems)

the trick here is moderation. a person with a heart problem can do anything anyone else can do including eating and drinking. they just need to contact their treatment providers and understand where their limitations are and what to do.

think of it like your mental disorders. your profile says you have anxiety and depression. does that mean you cant watch tv, go shopping, review nastalgic foods from the '90s because they may have appeared in scary movies, ..... of course not right... you know your limits and do what you want based on how you feel and what you think is right for you...

well people on facebook with mental and physical health problems do the same thing, they know their limits and dont let their mental or physical health problems stop them from doing what they want.

another example I have MS a physical health disease. does that mean I cant go camping, swimming, sailing, skating in central park and eating the foods I like and drinking the drinks I like.... no, it just means I have to know what my limitations are and base what I am doing on how i am feeling in the moment.

my opinion I see nothing wrong with someone on facebook posting about their health problems and their consumption of energy drinks. I just leave their activities up to them and their own treatment providers. obviously the person didnt have any heart issues because of it, I mean they were alive and well and posting about it so as far as I can see no harm done.

[katydid777]

Originally Posted by ForWhatItsWorth2U

I think that your question is a valid one, Bozdickens. I don't know if she was seeking attention, but she seems to make herself look a bit foolish, stating that she has heart problems and then guzzling highly caffeinated drinks.

Unfortunately I have CHF, and 3 bad valves, and I drink mountain dew. I know it is a no, no but I can't help it I like them. I take a B/P med Lasix, atenolol, and 20 meq of potassium, but I still like my mountain dew.

[possum220]

None of us can really understand why a person does what they do. Is she exaggerating? Who knows. Even understanding why we do our own things can be a mystery. If it was my friend who was doing this I may suggest that she see how she goes without caffeine. But it's up to her.

Try not to get bogged down with other people's stuff.

Good questionning. Yet, I wish to point out that if she is exaggerating a physical illness that she may have a mental illness instead.

How close are you to this individual. Are they a Facebook acquaintance or someone close to you in real life. I ask because personally for me there is a big difference between the two. If it is the former I would be inclined to shrug it off as not my business. However, were this to be person you also know apart from social media I would gently indicate I am troubled by the whole matter. I would approach it from a standpoint of letting her know you are concerned. "That seems like a great deal of caffeine to me. It causes me to worry about you a little." It need not be an intervention. The discussion could even go like, "I didn't realise coffee was good for cardiac patients. Is this a new idea?"

[Ysabet]

It's difficult to judge another's motives. She could be exaggerating for attention, or she could be desperate for someone to just listen to her. I know what it's like to have a problem and have to hide it because people accuse of seeking attention when one simply is reaching out for help or understanding.

My late husband had heart failure. His meds made him tired, on top of being tired from heart failure. Eventually he was fainting and needed a heart monitor, and that led to a pacemaker.

He drank coffee because he was so tired.

So the fb friend might be dealing with fatigue is my guess.