The article reveals the profound impact that observations from friends and family can have on individual health awareness. It features personal stories from the BuzzFeed Community detailing instances where individuals discovered significant health conditions they were unaware of, simply through comments or observations made by those close to them. These anecdotes illustrate the importance of external perspectives in recognizing and addressing mental and physical health issues, highlighting that self-perception can sometimes obscure serious medical conditions.
"I know it's a common issue, but I had a friend say he thought I was depressed. I thought, I'm not sad, therefore I'm not depressed. It took me years after that comment to learn he was right and seek help. Now I'm happily on antidepressants and doing so much better than before."
"Since I was a teen, I'd tell people I was allergic to the cold. My skin would get super itchy and come out in blotches and dry patches. Everyone laughed when I said I was allergic to a temperature. I'm 31 now. Two years ago, I went to the doctor for something unrelated. He saw the patches on my skin and immediately diagnosed me with psoriasis, an autoimmune skin disorder. And guess what? Cold temperatures make it worse. So in a way, I am allergic to the cold. Haha."
"Autism. Everyone said my son was just like me when I was little. He had already received an autism diagnosis, so I had myself tested too - and I'm autistic as well."
"My wife and I did foster care for 10 years. When one of our foster kids came through with severe food insecurity issues, my wife explained all the signs we needed to watch for. As she went through the list, I realized I had all of those issues myself. My wife inadvertently diagnosed me with food insecurity from my childhood."
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