The tangible effects of invisible illness
A variety of invisible illnesses can greatly impact both the physical and mental health of individuals. Some of these illnesses are debilitating, preventing participation in the normal activities of daily living. Examples include chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, fibromyalgia, lupus, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), regional complex pain syndrome and Sjogren’s syndrome.
Many chronic illnesses are not terminal conditions, but they can severely impact a person’s quality of life for decades. For example, imagine that you have POTS. You feel lightheaded every time that you stand, and you faint several times per day. You experience neuropathic pain that feels like bees stinging your arms and legs. Hot flashes arrive without warning, and you begin to sweat. Despite possessing above-average intelligence, you have difficulty concentrating and analyzing problems. Simply taking a shower drains your energy, and it doesn’t replenish itself. Your physical isolation and illness create feelings of being misunderstood and not belonging. Many with chronic illness feel ignored or abandoned by doctors and nurses. Some individuals have even been told to stop fainting or to bring down their heart rate, as if they are making choices meant to curry attention. Many physicians aren’t educated about these debilitating illnesses, and specialists in these fields often have waiting lists that are years long. Imagine how such repeated, negative experiences might erode hope for recovery and lead to suicidal thinking. What is a patient to do? In the case of those with POTS, the incidence of mental illness is the same as is found in the general population. The seemingly paranoid behavior these individuals demonstrate related to their health can be the result of medical mistreatment and neglect, and it is often justified and understandable. http://ct.counseling.org/2016/04/the-tangible-effects-of-invisible-illness/
