Netflix and Hill: The True Story Behind “Afflicted”

Reprinted with the kind permission of Jamison Hill.

By Jamison Hill

On August 10th Netflix released Afflicted, a seven-episode series in which I appear with six other chronically ill patients. Though I had high hopes for the series, and some parts were accurate, it has ultimately caused damage to the chronic illness community, portraying many of the participants as hypochondriacs and the illnesses they face as psychosomatic rather than their true physical nature.

I have debated about writing this blog post because in being honest about my experiences with Afflicted, I felt that might diminish my story and the stories of my fellow participants. I also didn’t want to diminish the work of some truly talented and genuine people who worked on the series and just happened to land a bad gig. But above all else I feel like this is an unjust outcome that needs to be brought to the public’s attention.

I’m not victimizing myself, or anyone else, but I am incredibly disappointed with the scope and slant of the overall series.

Nevertheless, I am still proud of my part in the series. There were some truly memorable moments to my story, glimpses into my life that I’m so grateful to have documented and to be able to revisit in the future. When filming commenced I had been bedridden for two years and was mostly unable to speak but for a few short, whispered words each day. The year and a half prior to that I had been too sick to chew food and had to survive on IV fluids and liquefied meals.

When I was approached about being in Afflicted, I had already written several essays about my fight for survival, but having it told visually was appealing to me. However, this meant giving control of the narrative to people who, unbeknownst to me at the time, had a dishonest agenda. That’s why, perhaps out of sheer instinct, I worked extremely hard to make sure my story was told in the best possible light. Now, after watching the finished product, I feel it very easily could have gone the other way.

In the days following the show’s release I’ve wondered why my story turned out relatively well when others did not. Perhaps I was the most debilitated participant and because I usually couldn’t speak loud enough for the microphones to pick up my voice, the producers decided to take it easy on me. It could also have been because, while on camera, I was fully aware that although the filmmakers said they had good intentions, people with ulterior motives can seem altruistic if they say the right thing in the right situation.

Continue reading “Netflix and Hill: The True Story Behind “Afflicted””

Netflix Launches “Afflicted,” a Docuseries about Chronic Illnesses

On Friday, August 10, Netflix is launching a docuseries called “Afflicted.” The series chronicles the stories of seven chronically ill people who are searching for answers to their baffling symptoms, and for relief.

“Afflicted” features ME patient Jamison Hill, a former bodybuilder and personal trainer, who became sick at the age of 22. His disease progressed to its most severe form, leaving him unable to speak, eat solid food, or leave his bed. His moving personal essays have been published in Men’s Journal, The Washington Post, VICE, and the New York Times. He was featured in “Forgotten Plague,” a full-length documentary about myalgic encephalomyelitis. Jamison maintains a popular blog on ME.

Visit him at jamisonwrites.com.

You can watch the trailer HERE.

You can read an interview with Jamison HERE.

Love Means Never Having to Say … Anything

By Jamison Hill, New York Times, May 25, 2018

After dating Shannon for several months, I needed to say something to her, but I couldn’t. It’s not that I was nervous or unsure of the phrasing. It’s that I couldn’t speak. My lungs and larynx couldn’t create the air pressure and vibrations needed to say the words floating around my mind.

This is our reality. I can’t talk to Shannon about anything — not the weather or her day or how beautiful she is. Worst of all, I can’t tell her I love her.

You can read the rest of this moving essay HERE.

_____________________________

About the author: A graduate of Sonoma State University, Jamison Hill is a former bodybuilder, model, and fitness instructor. He has written for, among others, The Washington PostMen’s JournalThe Los Angeles TimesVoxQuartz, VICE and The New York Times. Jamison appeared in the documentary, Forgotten Plague, and his story is featured in an upcoming Netflix documentary about mysterious diseases. He writes about living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme disease at JamisonWrites.com. Jamison is currently finishing his memoir, When Force Meets Fate.