Sometimes things like this need repeating.

[skindyedindigo]

Having an invisible disability (ID) and/or invisible chronic illness (ICI) means that many things change. Just because you can’t see the changes doesn’t mean they aren’t real.

Most people don’t understand much about these disabilities/diseases and their effects, and of those that think they know, many are actually mis-informed. In the spirit of

Comments

[tralfamadore]

This is a really excellent entry. Thank you for sharing. I really appreciate the insight, and have to admit that I saw more than one phrase mentioned here that I've used in the past. I'm going to eliminate them from my vocabulary immediately, and I'm glad to know how I might be able to express myself in a more respectful way. Thanks again! I'm going to put this in my memories.

[skindyedindigo]

thank you so much Jude. That really means a lot to me. *hugs*

Having invisible illnesses (for me, fibromyalgia is the heavy hitter) is so hard, especially for people who are younger. When I was in my teens my teachers gave me hell for "making up" my symptoms because one day I was okay and the next I wasn't.

I've learned over the years that those who are blessed with healthy bodies sometimes forget what it's like to not have that. It's not a bad thing to forget, but when you are friends with someone who doesn't have that kind of reality, it changes things.

Something else I have used often is the Spoon Theory. Giving a visual explanation of why I can't do something helps so much. And when I tell someone else who has health issues similar to mine that I am "low on spoons" it's immediately understood.

Here's the link if you want to read it. It's rather short, but super helpful. :)http://www.

[gonzo21]

I think that's it exactly, I think healthy body/minded people just forget sometimes, or can't really get their heads around what it must be like.

For example, the people who have never suffered from depression, who think it's just a case of feeling a bit down, and just having to buck yourself up to get out of it.

It's one of those things that I think only people who have experienced it directly, can really get it.

[richard_vw]

I was about to link The Spoon Theory :) I gave it to my family, but I don't think they've read it yet (partly because I printed the font small!) My sister read it and thinks it a very good way to give others who don't understand an insight, even if a small insight, to how we have to cope every day. Agreeing with that gonzo21 says, it's simply that when you're always healthy, you can't extend your mind to imagine how it is for us, day in, day out, just as we forget how it is to be healthy all the time and not have to think about these things. I certainly can't remember. Posts like this help to give people a bit more understanding, and hopefully they bear in mind a little bit more every time they're faced with something like this.