I immediately thought about this #goodlongread from a couple days ago: The Lying Disease.

Like other forms of the disorder, Feldman explains that Munchausen by internet usually manifests in the late teens or early 20s. It's often preempted or accompanied by other psychological issues, most commonly personality disorders. And it predominantly affects women. "I'm not clear on all the reasons for that, but it's a pretty consistent finding," Feldman explains. "And many of them have medical or nursing training... Their fascination with medical issues is expressed in their career choices."

The lies escalate slowly, which makes them harder to detect. Someone might sound like a walking textbook when talking about their symptoms, or they may be quick to duplicate the symptoms of other people around them. The lies are intricate, detailed, engrossing. Terrible setbacks are followed by miraculous recoveries. And if someone else becomes the center of attention, their condition will dramatically worsen or they will become the victim of a sudden tragic event.

Sound familiar?

Both this Hysteria and Munchausen by Internet is they are almost archaic illnesses that are coming back to life because of our new connected world. No longer do we need to be in close proximity to people to develop emotional connections to them. Also the spread, observation and noting of these diseases is now easier to do as we can learn about the incidents regardless of their location. It's interesting that both of these also seem to manifest almost exclusively in females. (bitches be craaaaazy...)

It's one of the unexpected consequences of having a more connected world. Bizarre & endlessly interesting. Thanks for posting, zebra2.