I was going to post a thread of my own on this very subject.
Lying to friends and family about my disability.
Here is the thing. As far as I'm concerned, we're not obligated to tell the truth to anybody.
I have reasons for lying...or not being totally honest about my disability. People do not understand. I actually understand why they don't get it. Anxiety disorders are hard to understand. Panic disorder. Agoraphobia. Social anxiety disorder. etc.
I started having panic attacks in 1962 at the age of ten. In 1972 I was 20 and started into full-blown agoraphobia, and it was another 13 years, at least, before I was diagnosed.
So all that time when I didn't know what was going on, I learned to lie or find an excuse for not being able to go someplace. Because all those years I never knew what was wrong.
Now my first inclination is to lie.
I've had it with people saying there's nothing wrong. With people telling me I can go someplace if I close my eyes till we get there.
That's not how it works.
Oh, and I had a niece joke around (maybe half joking) with Mr Pipi that he should just slip me some Xanax when I'm not looking so I could go to her Bridal shower last month. Ummmm....no.
I have a phobia of drugs anyway. I've tried medications for panic and agoraphobia (and depression) and the side effects were terrible.
One of the worst things anyone could ever do would be to sneak meds into me. Talk about trust issues? My trust for that person would be less than zero after that.
anyway...if anyone ever does find out you lied to them about your condition, there's a good explanation. If you've ever been shamed or denigrated for your condition, that's good enough reason NOT to trust anyone with the truth again, as far as I'm concerned.
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