Understanding invisible disabilities needs to begin with empathy.
But, sadly, empathy seems to be disappearing in our country.
Invisible Disabilities Week takes place from the 19th to the 25th of October this year. It’s a reminder that what people need is empathy, not ignorance; support, not suspicion; compassion; not cruelty.
Chronic pain and many chronic health conditions are often invisible. People may look well, but they could be feeling awful or experiencing intense pain. When they hear the words “You don’t look sick,” it can be upsetting, especially when the phrase is used in a derogatory or judgmental way. Of…
According to the WHO, approximately 15% of the world’s population are living with some form of disability. A very large proportion of those disabilities are invisible. There are so many conditions which cannot be seen. Mental health illnesses are invisible as are fibromyalgia, chronic pain, trigeminal neuralgia, epilepsy, cancer and many other illnesses. There are actually more disabilities which can’t be seen than can. (Please click the title to read more)
Everyone is different. For some people, appearance is so important. But for others, it really doesn’t mean anything at all. Since I don’t go out much, I tend to wear comfortable clothes like leggings, tee shirts and hoodies nearly all the time. I don’t give the mirror a second glance….
People who live with chronic pain are often under scrutiny — how do we cope when we feel judged? Feeling Judged Lowers Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem Friends, family members, colleagues, doctors, social security — even strangers — can sometimes judge people who live with chronic pain or illness. And that’s such…
If you read my distractions post, you’ll know I’m keen on A – Zs, so I decided to make an A – Z to describe what life is like with chronic pain. Counteracting Negatives with Positives Partway through writing this, I realised that the A – Z was quite negative…
We struggle with pain. We struggle with the stress of living with pain. And sometimes, we struggle with all-consuming guilt, which can ultimately affect both our mental and physical health.
Sometimes our guilt makes us believe we are a burden to our families. And very often there is only one person who is pointing the finger and making us feel guilty – ourselves.
