Over a year ago, I agreed to write about my personal experience with fibromyalgia for a new health and wellness site. The piece wasn’t going to be published for a while and although I was comfy with what I’d written, I was in no rush for it to go live. After all, I’d spent 25 years keeping this information private, and only very close personal friends knew.

But then I decided to post “My Fibromyalgia Story” on my personal blog and on Twitter for Fibro Awareness Day (May 12, 2011). The swift and supportive response included lots of back channel communications along the lines of, “Wow, you have fibro? I had no idea.” Yep, that was my goal.

I had my reasons for not wanting to communicate about what can, at times, be a fairly debilitating chronic illness. Most come under the general heading of stigma and the management thereof. As a sociologist, I knew about the perils of adopting any illness as a primary identity and didn’t want to get caught up in that. I had a tough enough time managing my identity as a writer, educator, and gadfly.

Plus, I had neither energy for nor interest in naming and claiming an illness that’s basically inexplicable, untreatable, and invisible. For me, this denial served an additional function — it kept me ambulatory and active. Magical thinking? Creative coping mechanism? Whatever. Over the years, fibromyalgia has dinged my professional career(s), inhibited my income earning potential, and trashed my health insurance coverage situation. I was not about to invite even more trouble.

So, why go public now about my fibro?

Active involvement with healthcare social media communities has me convinced that patient participation leads to patient empowerment. Patient empowerment, in turn, leads to patient engagement. And, as we know, patient engagement enhances the diagnosis and treatment process, especially when the illness baffles medical professionals. Fibromyalgia qualifies as that type of illness. Simply put, it was time for me to speak up. Any other questions?

That world is here. Well, not right here, but up north in Canada.

Yes, a Canadian insurance company decided to keep tabs on a woman it was paying sick leave benefits to, and lo and behold, that woman was having — wait for it — fun!

Nathalie Blanchard, a 29-year-old IBM employee from Quebec, took a long-term sick leave from her job after being diagnosed with major depression. Her doctor told her to try & have fun, and to take a sunny vacation to get away from her problems. She did just that while she received monthly sick-leave benefits from Manulife.

And she posted her vacation photos on her private Facebook profile. But recently, the monthly payments stopped.

Why? Because Manulife, her insurance company, found the photos and made the medical diagnosis — from a photo, mind you — that she no longer suffered from major depression. From a photo.

After all, if you’re having fun, there’s no way you could still have clinical depression, right? I mean, depressed people aren’t allowed on vacation. They can’t go to parties. And last time I saw one dancing, it must’ve been what, 20 years ago?

The insurance company not only has shot itself in the foot by acknowledging that it spies on its customers through any means possible — including their online social media profiles — but in also the thoughtless, stigmatizing way it treats people with a mental health concern, as second class citizens.

Depressed people can’t have moments of joy? Depressed people can’t have a fun day, but still get home and feel the weight of their major depression weighing down on them? Depressed people can’t dance?

Ignorance + Stigma = Ridiculous.

So while this serves as a warning to anyone who thinks that what they post to Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter is harmless or innocuous — think again. It can and will be used against you to deny you coverage and services. It will be used against you to deny you future employment, or insurance (or insurance will be offered to you at much higher rates). Companies like Manulife will continue to get away with this sort of behavior as long as they have customers.

Read the full story: Woman Loses Sick-Leave Benefits for Depression Thanks to Facebook Pics