Are You Suffering from an “Invisible Illness”?

August 31, 2019February 28, 2020 admin 2 Comments allergies, anxiety, depression, invisible illness, panic attacks

By Joy Bing Fleming, MBA, CC

So, what is an Invisible Illness? It refers to any medical condition that is not easily visible to others (fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, allergies, diabetes, arthritis, lupus, lyme disease, dyslexia, depression/anxiety, brain injuries, PMDD, and more). Since the sufferers don’t look sick, they are often judged, criticized, not taken seriously, & misdiagnosed. They’re left feeling alone & in despair.

“Just because you don’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The stars are always there.”
– R.C. Lewis, Spinning Starlight

There needs to be more awareness, compassion, and empathy for those suffering with invisible illnesses.

Brandonn Mixon (Diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury) The true story of Brandonn Mixon was shown on an episode of the Nextflix series, Queer Eye (Season 4, Episode – Soldier Returns Homes). Brandonn, an ex-soldier describes his experience with an invisible illness. “As soon as I got into Afghanistan, I actually got hurt, landed on my left shoulder, landed on my head. I actually suffered a traumatic brain injury. They said “Hey Brandonn, to be honest with you, we’re actually gonna want to get you out medically.” That was the worse news I’ve ever gotten in my life. And I literally kind of broke down in tears and hated myself, absolutely hated myself. And then, all my friends were kinda like “You’re a faker. You just want to go home.” That sent me down in more of a spiral.”

Brandonn later said, “I literally started praying that I would get in a car accident, I would lose my arm, I would lose my leg so people would look at me like “Okay, yeah, I get it.” He was praying to have a visible injury.

He went on to say “I personally feel that I’m failing. I’m failing as a human being, a man.” He helps veterans every single day; he co-founded a nonprofit organization called the Veterans Community Organization. No one ever told him he was failing at life; however, he was beginning to judge himself.

Karamo Brown then said “You were judged once you got discharged from the Army, and so you’re just starting to judge yourself. And when you start to judge yourself, it’s just adding on negative pressures. And you have to understand that judging yourself is not healthy for you.”

Selma Blair (Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis) Click here to watch a video from Good Morning America where Selma opens up about her diagnosis. She said “Ever since my son was born, I was in an MS flare up and didn’t know, and I was giving it everything to seem normal.” She goes on to say “I was really struggling with how am I going to get by in life. And not taken seriously by doctors (just single mother, you’re exhausted, financial burden, blah, blah, blah…” Selma reached out to Michael J. Fox who was able to help & provide hope. When she ultimately received her diagnosis, she said “I cried. I had tears. They weren’t tears of panic. They were tears of knowing I now had to give in to a body that had loss of control, and there was some relief in that.”

Susannah Cahalan (Diagnosed with Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis) Susannah’s story was detailed in her book, Brain on Fire, and her book also became a Netflix movie. Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is a type of brain inflammation. Susannah was previously misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder. Finally, a doctor suspected that she may have an autoimmune disease, and the doctor asked her to draw a clock. She drew all the numbers (1-12) on the right side of the clock. That was the first indication that the right side of her brain was experiencing inflammation. She underwent surgery to reduce the inflammation, and that began her road to recovery.

Many Doctors weren’t familiar with this disease because it had only been discovered 3 years prior to Susannah getting diagnosed. Most sufferers were either misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. She was very fortunate.

Anonymous (Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia) In 2018, I met a man who had fibromyalgia, but wasn’t diagnosed until he was in his 50’s. He experienced a lot of pain, but for years, his doctors didn’t believe him. He was told that he was fabricating his symptoms.

Anonymous (Diagnosed with a Metal Dental Filling Allergy) I have a friend who suffered from migraine headaches for 10+ years. He tried many different treatment options, but nothing helped. He wondered if he would have to live the rest of his life like this. Finally, he discovered that the cause was metal dental fillings. Once they were removed, the migraines dissipated.

Joy Bing Fleming (Diagnosed with severe Allergies) For years, I was unaware that I had allergies because I didn’t have any of the most common symptoms like sneezing or watery eyes. Instead, I suffered with severe anxiety, panic attacks, & depression. My symptoms weren’t taken seriously because from the outside looking in, I seemed fine.

However, I still underwent a myriad of treatment options, but nothing helped, and I began experiencing suicidal thoughts. Finally I was tested for allergies. I had no idea that allergies could even cause severe panic attacks. This was a huge discovery for me. I learned that I have severe food allergies, mold/inhalant allergies, and a sensitivity to the hormone, Progesterone. The hormone sensitivity ultimately led to a hormone-based disorder called PMDD.

My Doctor custom made drops for all my allergies/sensitivities, and within a few weeks, my symptoms began to lessen dramatically. Wow! I can’t even express the happiness & relief that I felt and still feel everyday!!

If you or someone you know is suffering from an invisible illness, DON’T GIVE UP! Love yourself, advocate for yourself, and keep searching for the right doctors and medical professionals to help. If 1 doctor doesn’t take you seriously, go to another doctor. KEEP PERSEVERING! KEEP GOING! YOU ARE STRONG! YOU ARE A WARRIOR!

I hope this article helps to bring more awareness to the issue of invisible illnesses. I hope it’s a reminder to everyone to show others more compassion, empathy, support, and encouragement.

*Please note that I am not a medical doctor (I can not provide a medical diagnosis), but I am here for support & guidance to help you through a misdiagnosis.*

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