Your loved ones’ support can make a huge difference in every area of your life, whether you’re aiming for the stars with your projects or having to deal with a health scare. However, there are limits to what you can ask for: the world doesn’t stop turning just for you. And it’s best to not make mountains out of molehills just for the sake of sympathy.
Redditor u/Inevitable-Trip3538 recently went viral on the AITA subreddit after sharing how her boyfriend got mad at her when she didn’t cancel her plans once she learned about his medical diagnosis. It turns out that the man has anemia. Scroll down for the full story. Bored Panda has reached out to u/Inevitable-Trip3538 and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
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It feels wonderful to have your significant other support you when you urgently need them. However, not everyone has the same definition of urgency
Image credits: Priscilla Du Preez (not the actual photo)
A woman shared how her boyfriend expected her to cancel her social plans after he was diagnosed with anemia
Image credits: Nguyễn Hiệp (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Vishnu R Nair (not the actual photo)
There are some bigger relationship issues at play here than a medical diagnosis
Like in most cases with AITA posts, the story isn’t the actual story. The woman’s tale about what happened isn’t just about anemia: it’s about passive aggression, power and control in relationships, personal boundaries, and the need for attention.
We all want to be loved, respected, and cared for. It’s natural. However, no matter how wonderful we might be, we simply can’t expect our significant others to prioritize us 24/7. We’re all individuals with our very own needs, goals, and responsibilities. No matter how much we love someone, we can’t sacrifice all of our plans to focus exclusively on them and them alone. It’s not practical. It’s not healthy.
Making mountains out of molehills isn’t the way to go
Health conditions are nothing to laugh at. However, there’s definitely a hierarchy of urgency here. It’s perfectly reasonable to reach out to your nearest and dearest for support. What isn’t quite so reasonable is to expect absolutely everyone to cancel their plans (which they were really looking forward to) just to be with you in your time of need.
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To put it bluntly (and we’re writing this with all the empathy we can muster), anemia is nowhere near in the same ballpark as, say, learning that you have cancer, a heart condition, or a genetic disease.
Anemia is a health issue and it can be dangerous, but it is fairly easily treatable. Cancer is something that you cancel plans for. Anemia is something that you simply… treat… and then you get on with your life. Yes, it can be scary to learn that something’s wrong with your body. But making the situation seem more urgent than it actually is smells of manipulation and desperation. All we’re saying is that, yes, it can be scary, but we wouldn’t be acting all passive-aggressive if our partners didn’t drop out of their social events because, say, our cholesterol levels were too high or we had a vitamin D deficiency.
Treating anemia is fairly straightforward
You can treat anemia in two main ways: either with iron tablets or by eating iron-rich food. If you have anemia, some of the symptoms include having pale skin, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and lacking energy. There are other types of anemia, but iron deficiency is by far the most common one.
Aside from taking the iron tablets your doctor will prescribe you, you can supplement your iron intake by eating dark-green leafy veggies (e.g. watercress and kale), cereals, meat, dried raisins, and pulses (e.g. lentils, peas, and beans). You should also aim to consume less milk and dairy, tea and coffee, as well as wholegrain cereals, because they make it harder for your body to absorb iron. If left untreated, anemia can affect your immune system and may even lead to heart failure.
The woman shared some more information in the comments of her post
Here’s how the internet reacted after people read her story
The post Guy Gets Passive-Aggressive With Girlfriend Because She Went Out To Party Right After Learning About His Anemia Diagnosis, The Internet Makes Fun Of Him first appeared on Bored Panda.
Source: boredpanda.com