Attack of the gluten intolerant sex addicts, Mark Morford

[Just Saying]

107. There are definitely a lot of people who self-diagnose this

And other ailments. There's a whole industry that puts ads on TV for drugs with commercials that could be talking about anyone. "Ever feel awkward in social situations?" We'll duh! Hasn't everyone? But we all don't need drug intervention to deal with occasional bouts of shyness. Obviously there are people with severe social anxiety but those commercials belittle the seriousness of their situation.

That being said, food allergies are very serious. I have a son who is allergic to milk among other things and people really don't understand what that means. Intolerance and allergy are 2 different things. People will ask me if he can have cheese or butter. Uh, no he can't. Nor can he take lactaid and yes, it will bother him even in a small amount. His reaction to any dairy will likey be more than a tummy ache.

Some people have a bad attitude when it comes to dealing with people with allergies. We're not making it up nor are we trying to inconvenience anyone else. Its like I'm sorry your son can't enjoy his peanut butter sandwich at school but mine can't ever have one and could go into anaphylactic shock if your son's food touches his. I don't mind if people bring in snacks that my son can't have or when they have pizza parties he can't indulge in, but if you give me a heads up, I'll make sure he has a suitable substitute. I'm thankful that my son does attend a school where people have been nice about it and over the years have become aware of what he can have and try to include him.

Sometimes health problems are very real and while it's best to see a doctor, we shouldn't belittle what others may be dealing with.