Why do people ask questions here that they should be asking their GP?

Question

Why do people ask questions here that they should be asking their GP?

Answer 1

I've been bashed for asking health questions online (not here) and I've been told to go ask my GP instead, even though I made it clear that I have already seen my GP and nothing happened. I know I'm not the only one that goes online to ask about things because the GP failed to give answers. For a period of over 8 years I've seen numerous medical doctors of different kinds, and many specialists, I've been to 5 different hospitals and I've felt like giving up and just die. I asked online and I found help to get a diagnosis that all those GP's and specialists failed to give me. I told the latest GP in the line what I thought was the diagnosis and where I had asked about it and he confirmed it with a simple test. So easy and yet they couldn't figure it out without me asking about it online.

Sometimes it does help to ask.

There are also those that are in some sort of denial about what's wrong with them and they ask online in the hope that people will tell them that it's nothing. They don't have to go online to be in denial but so many persons see online as part of their every day reality now so it's natural that it happens here too. Those are the scary ones but they are not a online phenomena they are every where.

Some ask to see what others have to say even though they already know the answer. It's more of a social thing, chatting a bit about it while they wait for their appointment with the GP. Maybe to find out if there is more to it and if there is something special that they'd like to think about when talking to the GP. They don't have to tell that they are about to see the GP, especially if they are truly chatty.

It's also a way of getting over nervousness and worries. In real life they'd talk to a friend or relative first, but they can't for some reason and they turn to strangers online instead. Many of us do like to talk things over when something potentially bad happens. It's human.