THIS is what Chronic Illness looks like.

You all obviously know about the irritating assumption that we are not sick, because we don’t LOOK sick.

People associate illness with common physical effects like pale skin, an agonised facial expression, weight loss, tubes coming out of our noses, a tumor or wound that is VISIBLE.

What does Chronic Illness look like?
What do our symptoms look like?

N O T H I N G.
They are I N V I S I B L E.
They cannot be seen, but are very much REAL.

So, lets set the story straight once and for all.
THIS is the face of Chronic Illness:

This is what Chronic Illness looks like.

Nauseous – Dizzy – Nerve Pain – Neck Pain – Stomach cramps.

I really encourage you to take a similar photo of yourself, and post it with the title “THIS is what Chronic Illness looks like“.

Tag me in it – reblog me – don’t steal this page and mark it as your own!

You don’t have to show your face if you would like to maintain privacy. Get creative!

Be the face for Chronic Illness, and,

help spread awareness for our cause!

90 comments

  2. I work in a call centre n when I tell customers I work part time or don’t drive for medical reasons (which is actually relevant, though it may sound a weird thing to discuss) they always say ‘oh well you sound well.’ What exactly does chronic illness sound like?

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    1. Bahahaha. You sound well?! I have never heard that one. I am so sorry that these people are so ignorant.

      I believe you. I know you are ill.
      One day they will too.

      I actually cannot believe that! “You sound well” wow. Humans stoop to a new alltime low

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  5. I realize I’m going off point, but you’re beautiful… eh… I mean you look nice in this picture. 🙂 I will take the challenge and post a picture of myself later. Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. It is so sad at how ignorant people can be, a couple years ago I was at the pre-op stage of my D&C, waiting my turn…the anesthesiologist came in to talk to me, he was so incredibly rude…because of my weight he assumed I had diabetes…after much bantering back and forth, he said he wouldn’t feel comfortable putting me under without making sure he was correct and would I let him take a glucose test….I did and I was correct, then the arrogant ass stood there and acted like the machine he took my blood sugar on was not working correctly…finally my wonderful surgeon came in to say hello and I was next and after a very short discussion, I had a new anesthesiologist caring for me….I agree you can never judge anyone on outside appearances alone….

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  11. Even while feeling awful, you still manage to look beautiful! This preconceived notion that you have to look sick to be sick is probably one of the biggest roadblocks in getting people to try to understand our illnesses. There are some people who understand that I may feel awful even if I look fine, but then there are people who, even though they know what’s going on with me, assume that I feel ok because I look ok.

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  12. “But you look good”- eeeerrrrrrgggggghhhh!!!!!
    I love this post, but you can take the pale, gray skin off your list, people don’t even notice that! Tubes, tumors, canes, walkers, wheelchairs and huge gashes- that’s about all they notice.
    After I was feeling better, after 9 months of treatment- all of a sudden I got “did you go away?” “You look like you were on a cruise” “were you in Florida?” It took me the longest time to figure out what this was about (since I hadn’t been anywhere, not even outside gardening since it was the winter). Then it dawned on me! I must have looked like crap for so many years, yet no one noticed. No one had any idea. Until now that I am starting to feel better, color has returned to my face. and THAT is what people were noticing!

    When I was in the worst of it, I always thought don’t people notice how awful I look? The dark circles, the gray skin, the hallow eyes, sunken cheeks, my very down looking expression, my slowness of walking? Didn’t anyone notice? Didn’t anyone care? NO. As long as it didn’t interfere with their lives, they had no idea, didn’t notice, didn’t care.

    It is so irritating, you feel like wearing a sign around your neck that you are sick and not feeling well, and to please treat with kindness. And when you tell anyone how you are feeling they say “well you look good” and it’s not even true.

    I think people are scared to really see others, to really see their suffering, because it will bring them to a very vunerable place where they have to face things like the fragility of life, and their own weaknesses.
    Keep spreading the word,
    Susan

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    1. I know how hard it is on the family and those around us, as do many of my followers here. We have no control over what is happening to us. It is a stressful situation for both parties. I’m happy to hear that you are supportive during her struggles, because not many people are. Some take it as the most appropriate time to walk away.
      She is lucky to have a sturdy support network behind her

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Don’t show any obvious signs? What do you mean? Like physical signs?
      Depression is a mental illness,
      Therefore I would call it an Invisible Illness, yes. Definitely. I suffer from Depression, and the Chronic Illness too. Does that help at all?

      Liked by 2 people

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      2. No, no! Not in the slightest. I’m happy to answer any questions. I’m sure others disagree with me. But when you think about it, an illness is an illness.
        I know that depression and anxiety in some people leads to a lot of physical pain. I guess then it becomes chronic.
        I like to sum them all up in the Invisible Illness category. They might not be exactly the same, but we all suffer from them.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. You are nicer than me. My mood would have swung quick. I’m constantly being told I’m fine, look fine, and just have to learn to control my mind. Ha! If only that were possible. I guess the only chronic sign is suicide and then society still has to attack and say things like that person was weak and selfish. Sorry to go on a tangent!! I love the awareness you are bringing. Keep it up!!

        Liked by 1 person

      7. A picture of you honey? Or to repost this page?

        Just tag me via a hyperlink.
        So just type my name, or something like “this post” and highlight it and then go up to the little icon that looks like a paperclip. If you click that it should say “url” and you copy and paste my url in that box.

        Or, for a reblog, just click the two little arrows at the bottom of my page (it should be)

        I’m not very tech savvy either. This is probably a bad explanation.

        Better yet – google or youtube “hyperlink on wordpress”
        Haha

        Liked by 2 people

  26. Reblogged this on The Ill Represented and commented:
    Indisposed and Undiagnosed has highlighted the ignorance that many of us who have an invisible illness suffer from on a regular basis. This ignorance is incredibly harmful to the individual and destructive to a community of people who fight everyday for themselves and their rights to be recognised. x

    Liked by 1 person

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  27. Reblogged this on Beautiful Chaos and commented:
    People can’t see past my make up and extensions. I must be doing great if I can put that much effort into my looks…Meanwhile, my brain is finding a way to sabotage my existence. Side note: I rarely get all done up and people make it a point to remind me of it. Yess, I have all my limbs, fingers, toes and all. However, the battle with my mind and emotions is unbearable most of the time. Mental illnesses are CHRONIC ILLNESSES!!

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  28. Pingback: This is what chronic illness looks like … | A Time of Renaissance

  31. I have epilepsy and RA. My brain and body are at war to see who can take me down first. I got money on my liver! Now when people ask me why I’m hurting, or limping, I just tell them too many dead lifts at the gym… I’m tired of hearing how I look “normal”. Hold on I get my forehead stamps! Did I forget to put them on again? DAMIT!! *stamps forehead with huge “I’M SUPER SICK” stamp. Ok there can you tell now??

    Liked by 1 person

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  32. I did this the day before you posted yours. I was having a good make up day. I rarely wear make up anymore unless I’m feeling semi okay. I have gone to doctor’s offices looking like I did in my picture and have actually had doctors tell me I didn’t look like I felt bad. Just because I put make up on to mask how I’m feeling internally does not mean I feel well at all. It means I wanted to look pretty on the outside. I wanted to fake looking well, when inside I want to die. It’s so frustrating that even the medical community doesn’t understand that just because you look alright you are still sick!

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  35. This is brilliant. I will definitely be doing my own version of this and sharing. I am new to blogging, can you explain how I tag you in the blog? Is it as simple as face book where I put @indisposedandundiagnosed in my text to credit you? Stated reading through some of your old posts to, they are brilliant and so true to life as to what living with Chronic Illness is like x

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    1. Welcome and thank you.
      Wordpress is a bit delayed on the whole tagging thing, so you’ll have to write my blog name, copy my link above and then hyperlink it back to my website/blogpage.
      The hyperlink button can be found where the Bold and Italics Buttons are when you wrote your piece (:
      As far as I know, that is the only way to do it!

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  37. Hi, I just wanted to say that I’ve just discovered your blog and I can relate to so much. I’m also undiagnosed and feel like there’s no one who really understands or appreciates how ill I am because I don’t have a ‘label’. It’s frustrating and lonely. thanks for writing and creating awareness of the chronic illness experience 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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