What exactly is an “invisible illness” or “invisible disability”?
When people break an arm, throw out their back, or experience another form of injury, others can see their injury and understand their limitations. However, some of us suffer from what are called hidden disabilities or “invisible illnesses”.
A hidden disability is an umbrella term that encompasses a whole spectrum of invisible disabilities and challenges that are primarily neurological in nature. Millions of people suffer from such disorders to include, but not limited to, arthritis, fibromyalgia, systemic exertion intolerance disease (previously called chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS), chronic pain, diabetes, depression, sleep disorders and autoimmune disorders such as Hashimoto’s.
The life altering effects of having a chronic and invisible illness can be devastating and there are numerous challenges people suffering from such disorders deal with.
Dealing with family members and friends who simply don’t understand is just another one of the many uphill battles those of us who suffer from these disabilities contend with. After all, for the most part we look pretty healthy so often times there is lack of sympathy from family members and doctors alike.
Personally, my biggest battle is the inability to maintain the same type of lifestyle I did before I had these disorders. After all, when I am in a fatigue crash or am having massive pain from my numerous injuries and past surgeries, the last thing I want to do is workout, prepare healthy meals or do just about anything – sometimes it’s all I can do just to take a shower.
This doesn’t exactly make living a balanced, healthy lifestyle easy!
I still deal with my fair share of ups and downs, but for the most part I’ve managed to learn to mitigate my pain, injuries and illnesses.
I don’t want you to lose hope – Because I’ve learned so much through my own process, my goal in life now is to help YOU learn to live a wellness lifestyle, despite dealing with and living with chronic pain and invisible disabilities.
Read any of our articles below to learn more about invisible illnesses and chronic pain!
Thyroid Disorder Signs and Symptoms
Millions of Americans have thyroid disorders and sadly, most of them don’t even know they have a problem until the symptoms become so magnified that a doctor finally does a test for it. A thyroid is a gland found in your neck that regulates your hormone secretion. These particular hormones (which comes in two forms […]
Top 10 Natural Ways to Combat Fatigue
I deal with A LOT of chronic fatigue and from what I’ve learned by sharing my story is that for many reasons there are many people who seem to be living on the verge of exhaustion as well. We live in a society of tired and worn out people. Many people have desk jobs or […]
5 Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue
Being tired sucks. Being tired all the time sucks even more and with our complex lives in the 21st century, it is a well-known fact that an increasing number of people are experiencing stress-related conditions like fatigue. The negative impact of stress can affect many areas of health. One area in particular that may be […]
Stuff About Fibromyalgia
Introduction Fibromyalgia is a neurological chronic condition that affects the musculoskeletal tissues of the body. It is a complex chronic condition which predominantly affects women. In fact, the latest statistics show us that 9 out of every 10 sufferers are women. The disorder is mostly responsible for inducing discomfort, pain and fatigue in the muscles, […]