Making the Inivisible Visible

How many people do you know who have an invisible condition? If they don't tell you, how would you know? It's invisible.

So, could be many more than you realise.

Very many more.

We never know what goesver know what goes on behind a happy, smiling face.

People living with a physical or mental health problem which cannot be seen look fine. They look healthy. But in actual fact, they are living with something which may be quite horrendous. Something frightening. Something painful. Something which has a huge impact on their life. But....they look fine.

Their disability is already bad enough, without having to then deal with obstacles and prejudice.

The world needs to learn to see beyond disabilities. But it also needs to learn to see beyond the invisibility of some disabilities.

We never know what goes on behind closed doors. Likewise, we never know what goes on behind a happy, smiling face.

People with invisible disabilaties often get criticised when using disabled parking areas. "They shouldn't be using that space. Look at them. They look healthier than me!" But the truth is that they have been granted the disabled parking badge, because they have a disability. A doctor has signed off on it, and the person has paid for it. Looking fine doesn't mean being fine. They need that space close to where they are going for a reason. Do they need to have notes left on their cars saying they have no right to the space? Or strangers approaching them demanding they move their cars? No, but this is often the reality for the invisibly disabled. It is difficult enough dealing with the disability itself, without this added problem.

Another big issue is medication. Sometimes people are accused of being drug addicts. They are not. They do need to take regular medication to manage their condition. This is not a choice. Yet even pharmacists sometimes question the patient's prescription. 

Trigeminal Neuralgia and other facial pain conditions are just some of the many invisible conditions. People can be living with unbearable pain, but nothing can be seen. Not even by a doctor. 

We have created the following short video about Trigeminal Neuralgia, in the hope that it can possibly help bring some awareness about this extremely painful, but invisible, condition. 

Invisible illness week

This is invisible illness week (28th September - 4th October). End TN has joined with many other groups for other invisible conditions to try to get more awareness for the many conditions which cannot be seen.

We want to make the invisible visible.

We can make a difference, but we need your help.

Please share blog posts, videos and posters about invisible conditions, using the following hashtags when you post: #MyInvisibleFight #iiwk2015 #Invisibleillness along with the name of the condition which you or someone you know lives with.

Please help us make the invisible visible.