psychosomatic asthma?

[Guest guest]

What do the rest of you say when acquaintances insist on making the

pronouncement that " Oh, asthma is mostly just psychomatic " ?

I'm sure this happens to other people too: You cite asthma as the

reason you don't want to swim in a chlorinated pool, go hiking in

flower-infested meadows, get the kid a pet cat, or whatever. Your

acquaintance puts on a rather smug, knowing look and tells you it's all

in your head. Sometimes they helpfully explain that you just need to

calm down and breathe deeply. Okay, they're just repeating what

they've heard somewhere; on the other hand, they're pretty much telling

you to your face that you have a debilitating mental disorder.

I usually let it drop, having found few people can be dissuaded from

this belief (why give up the position of superior, knowing person to

mollify an admitted nut case?) although I do find this really annoying.

Of course, silence accomplishes nothing in terms of raising public

awareness.

Anyone?