Many people are struggling each and every day with challenges and disabilities that the people around them can’t necessarily see. Numerous health conditions are invisible and are often only known to the person themselves such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, bipolar disorder, autism, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and epilepsy. A common phrase heard by people with invisible disabilities is “But you don’t look sick”. And sadly people are often not apt to believe what they can’t see. Christina Irene, an invisible-disabilities speaker says “Invisible conditions can be just as disabling as visible conditions — oftentimes more so — but they don’t get the empathy or credibility that visible conditions get”. And to make matters even tougher advocate Eileen Davidson felt the fact that her illness wasn't apparent made her delay getting care.
