"We may not look sick, but turn our bodies inside out and they would tell different stories." -Wade Sutherland
Invisible illnesses are chronic illnesses that notably hinders the daily activities of those struggling beneath these ailments. The part that makes invisible illnesses invisible is that one can only see the surface of the pain a person with an Invisible Illnesses is experiencing. More often than not, we appear healthy from the outside. An Invisible Illness may be in a range of anything between debilitating Anxiety to Crohn's Disease.
Often times, Invisible Illnesses are referred to as Invisible disabilities. Often times, a disability is thought of to be visual ailment. Perhaps the person is blind or is in a wheel chair. This is not always the chase. Having a disability means that a person has an ongoing physical struggle. It is also important to keep in mind that when a person has a disability it does not mean that they are disabled. There are 26 million Americans, according to the SIPP, that are considered to have a severe disability. Only 1.8 million use a wheel chair and 5.2 million use a cane, which helps show the different range of disabilities.
Because of the difference between people with disabilities is best to never assume what person can or can't do. I have had times where people have both told me that I shouldn't be involved in something because of my health, or either yelled at me for sitting when they thought I should be standing. Though I have a disability does not mean that I can not function from day to day. I struggle daily, but I am able to live decently normal life.
Some of the more common illnesses that are recognized as Invisible Illnesses are lupus, fibromyalgia, Crohn's disease, and chronic fatigue. These are just a few of the illnesses that fall beneath this category. There are so many illnesses with their individual symptoms that differ from person to person. I don't think it will ever be possible for every person to know each and every invisible illness. Rather, I think it is more important to spread awareness for Invisible Illnesses as a whole. As a nation, and really as a world, we need to work towards recognizing that everyone is fighting a battle that we know nothing about. We must try to be kind. Always.
