[imagesource: BBC / Screenshot]

The chronically ill community has gathered steam online, with celebrities like Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, and Lena Dunham being fairly frank about their various conditions and struggles.

Other chronically ill folks out there are also not shying away from sharing their stories and are becoming influencers of sorts, garnering huge followings in the process.

With an increased number of people living with a long-term condition (there are 15 million people in England alone), creating a community where people can share their stories is appreciated and cherished.

But then some rogue users come along with alternative motives, stirring up plenty of controversy.

A number of chronically ill influencers have been accused of faking their conditions, and the BBC has released a new short documentary, Sickness & Lies.

The doccie digs deeper into whether some influencers are faking illnesses for fame, money and attention:

As someone who is disabled, journalist Octavia Woodward, 23, is horrified by the thought of people faking it – but she’s equally horrified to see sick people being disbelieved.

In this film, she meets both accusers and their targets. And she meets the eminent psychologist Marc Feldman, who defined the condition Munchausens By Internet to describe people who fake illnesses online.

Octavia soon realises she isn’t really investigating whether people are faking it or not, but witnessing callout culture at its most extreme.

Part of the documentary can be seen below:

The full doccie is currently available in the UK.

[source:bbc]