5 Advantages of Living With an Invisible Illness No One Sees
Oftentimes we only see the negative side of living with an illness that invisible to most people.
But as time progresses, so does my own illness, rheumatoid arthritis.
I can now see that there are advantages to having an illness that can be hidden or revealed, based on one's own desires or certain circumstances.
I rarely see the changes in my own body, such as my hands or feet deformities, unless I see a reflection in the mirror, for example when I am trying to clothes in a dressing room at a store.
I've heard children ask their mom, "What is wrong with her feet?" as they've looked under the divider from a nearby dressing room.
I can't help but wonder how people don't realize I have some sort of illness when they see my hands and fingers.
In the television show about the documentary of Farrah Fawcett's battle with cancer her son said something like, "I know she will be fine.
She just looks so good.
" Those of us with invisible illness are tempted to throw up our hands in frustration at these sort of comments.
They sound like the familiar "You don't look sick" observations people tell us.
Yet, it was true.
Some days she did look like the beautiful bombshell most of us remember.
But other days she looked like someone struggling to survive cancer, in the fight of her life.
So yes, it can be frustrating to look healthy when you are feeling terrible.
And yet we do truly want to look as bad as we feel? There are advantages to having an illness that is invisible.
Lets look at a few or the benefits.
[1] You get to choose who to reveal your illness to and who not to.
Some people you may immediately confide in; others you may wait and see if they feel "safe.
" Some people you may never tell about your illness.
[2] You can avoid unwanted advice.
When your illness is visible, even the person in line at the grocery store feels the burden to share the latest cure for your condition or tell you what you should be eating.
With an invisible illness, no one knows and offers comments unless you choose to mention it.
And then you chose to open up that whole can of worms.
[3] You can have a career without word spreading through the grapevine that you have a chronic illness that may eventually get in the way of you doing your job.
You can avoid the preconceptions people may have about what your illness is and how it will impact your work.
You can reveal it to who you want, when you want, as long as you are able to do you job.
You may, in fact, never tell anyone.
[4] You don't have to deal with sympathetic looks or pity stares.
The many people who have visible conditions, such as Parkinson's Disease, or those who use an assistive device like a cane or scooter, must learn not to care what other people think.
Both friends and strangers often stares and don't know how to respond when they see someone struggling to tie a show, sit, stands, or walk.
[5] You can fake it when you want.
If you wish to go out to a party with friends, no one there has to know how many medications you took to be able to move.
They don't need to know why you aren't dancing.
Though your life may still seem controlled by your illness, ultimately, you have moments where you can overrule it and pretend to be healthy and carefree.
Living with an invisible illness can have plenty of disadvantages.
This articles doesn't mean to make light of the struggles of living with what many call hidden or invisible disabilities.
However, it's important for us to step back and recognize that to truly live life the way God intended, we must take time out to count our blessings.
There are many days when the simple miracle of being able to look like we are well, despite feeling very ill, is worth admitting and accepting it for what is is.
But as time progresses, so does my own illness, rheumatoid arthritis.
I can now see that there are advantages to having an illness that can be hidden or revealed, based on one's own desires or certain circumstances.
I rarely see the changes in my own body, such as my hands or feet deformities, unless I see a reflection in the mirror, for example when I am trying to clothes in a dressing room at a store.
I've heard children ask their mom, "What is wrong with her feet?" as they've looked under the divider from a nearby dressing room.
I can't help but wonder how people don't realize I have some sort of illness when they see my hands and fingers.
In the television show about the documentary of Farrah Fawcett's battle with cancer her son said something like, "I know she will be fine.
She just looks so good.
" Those of us with invisible illness are tempted to throw up our hands in frustration at these sort of comments.
They sound like the familiar "You don't look sick" observations people tell us.
Yet, it was true.
Some days she did look like the beautiful bombshell most of us remember.
But other days she looked like someone struggling to survive cancer, in the fight of her life.
So yes, it can be frustrating to look healthy when you are feeling terrible.
And yet we do truly want to look as bad as we feel? There are advantages to having an illness that is invisible.
Lets look at a few or the benefits.
[1] You get to choose who to reveal your illness to and who not to.
Some people you may immediately confide in; others you may wait and see if they feel "safe.
" Some people you may never tell about your illness.
[2] You can avoid unwanted advice.
When your illness is visible, even the person in line at the grocery store feels the burden to share the latest cure for your condition or tell you what you should be eating.
With an invisible illness, no one knows and offers comments unless you choose to mention it.
And then you chose to open up that whole can of worms.
[3] You can have a career without word spreading through the grapevine that you have a chronic illness that may eventually get in the way of you doing your job.
You can avoid the preconceptions people may have about what your illness is and how it will impact your work.
You can reveal it to who you want, when you want, as long as you are able to do you job.
You may, in fact, never tell anyone.
[4] You don't have to deal with sympathetic looks or pity stares.
The many people who have visible conditions, such as Parkinson's Disease, or those who use an assistive device like a cane or scooter, must learn not to care what other people think.
Both friends and strangers often stares and don't know how to respond when they see someone struggling to tie a show, sit, stands, or walk.
[5] You can fake it when you want.
If you wish to go out to a party with friends, no one there has to know how many medications you took to be able to move.
They don't need to know why you aren't dancing.
Though your life may still seem controlled by your illness, ultimately, you have moments where you can overrule it and pretend to be healthy and carefree.
Living with an invisible illness can have plenty of disadvantages.
This articles doesn't mean to make light of the struggles of living with what many call hidden or invisible disabilities.
However, it's important for us to step back and recognize that to truly live life the way God intended, we must take time out to count our blessings.
There are many days when the simple miracle of being able to look like we are well, despite feeling very ill, is worth admitting and accepting it for what is is.
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