Living With Invisible Illnesses

What I hope to accomplish with this site is awareness of invisible illnesses and the way they affect the ones that have them.

Interstitial cystitis (IC), fibromyalgia (fibro), diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, pelvic floor dysfunction, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, generalized anxiety disorder, TMJ, PTSD, migraines, chronic pain syndrome, chronic fatigue, Epstein Barr virus, hypothyroidism, chemical sensitivities…these are the ones I suffer. There are many more out there, such as impaired hearing, Cushing’s syndrome, Lupus, asthma,  literally thousands of illnesses, disorders, diseases, dysfunctions, birth defects, impairments and injuries that can be debilitating.

Unfortunately people judge you by the way you look, if you are too thin they say you need to eat, if you are over weight, they think you are just not trying to lose weight. If you park in a handicap parking spot and don’t have a walker or a cane, they think you are abusing the system, but they don’t see you when you exit the establishment after shopping and are so weak and tired you are struggling to reach the car, if you can even remember where the car is parked. It is a lose-lose situation for the person with the invisible illness because everyone is quick to judge these days and not take into consideration the circumstances that put that person in need of the handicapped parking spot.

118 thoughts on “Living With Invisible Illnesses”

  1. So glad I found your website on mostlyblogging.com!! Bipolar 1 disorder is my invisible illness, and I managed to hide it for 7 years before completely devolving. No one knew or expected. And I find that mostly reassuring, but also a little sad. Thank you for spreading awareness!

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  2. I know my mom has an invisible illness -debilitating neck pain from a car accident that she’s carried around for years. Even though I know it, sometimes it’s easy to forget when you get caught up with life events. So I can understand those who only look at what they can see, but I agree that it’s better to be gracious and understanding because there might be a real need.

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      1. Thank you. She’s a trooper but it’s hard for her and hard for us to be unable to help alleviate it. I know this isn’t how God works, generally, but I’ve prayed that if He was willing He would give me the pain and take it off her. I doubt it’s happening that way, but I’m still thankful each time I have a headache, and remember that it’s nothing compared to eight years without reprieve. :-/

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