There are a number of medical concerns which are largely invisible to most people. Not only can we not see them but sometimes when people say they have them, they don’t always sound as serious as they actually and people don’t understand what the person suffering is going through. Anyone suffering from an ‘invisible illness‘ or from an illness which no one understands needs to educate the rest of us by sharing their stories. Take a look at a few examples of debilitating illnesses which many people are suffering in silence with today. 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Also known as ME (myalgic encephalopathy) CFS is a long-term illness with a wide range of symptoms, but the most common one is extreme tiredness. People who don’t suffer from this often think that all you have to do for this is sleep. However, extreme tiredness is debilitating; it can mean falling asleep at your desk, being unable to concentrate so you can’t work or even cook dinner. It really can disrupt your life. There are other symptoms as well as the tiredness which also contribute to a very tough way of living, these include sleep problems, muscle or joint pain, headaches, a sore throat or sore glands that are not swollen, problems thinking, remembering or concentrating, flu-like symptoms, feeling dizzy or sick and fast or irregular heartbeats.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is reported to be an annoying condition, but in some cases, tinnitus can be a debilitating condition from which there is little relief. Some people with normal hearing can experience tinnitus, but the loss of hearing is a gradual process when associated with tinnitus which you can learn more about. They may also suffer from a chronic lack of sleep, persistent anxiety and depression, and they might be unable to concentrate or to experience relaxation or quiet time. Bad days consist of tinnitus and an endless sound annoyance that could last for days, weeks, or months. Many people who are suffering will stay away from family and friends, isolate themselves from sound, inappropriately use hearing protection, and restrict their daily interactions to avoid discomfort.

Anxiety

Anxiety is not just about anxious feelings and anxious thoughts. Anxiety can be debilitating for sufferers who can’t even understand it themselves. They might be so excited for a social event, and then anxiety sets in and they just can’t go. They could be one of the most confident and talented people you’ve ever met, yet when anxiety strikes, they can’t perform normal tasks that they know that they are brilliant at. Sometimes they can’t even see friends and family who they know that they love and get on with and always have a good time with; anxiety can be so overpowering, and it is often the people you would never imagine who suffer from it. Other more physical feelings of anxiety include shortness of breath and tightness in your chest, feelings of dizziness and nausea, lack of appetite, lack of concentration, pain in your arms, skin breakouts and feeling very lethargic. 

Depression

Depression can have very similar symptoms to anxiety and is often linked to it. However, when people are depressed, they will often also feel an overwhelming sense of sadness, and it can be debilitating if they are crying uncontrollably for days at a time which can happen. 

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a debilitating condition in which overwhelming pain signals affect everyday function and quality of life. It may have an underlying cause such as trauma, wear, and tear, infection, inflammation, or abnormal cell growth. There is little relief from chronic pain, and it sadly is something people often have to learn to live with.

There are Ways to Help

All of these conditions can be debilitating but you don’t have to suffer with them forever. There are scientifically-backed things you can do to help your body and mind heal, and start feeling better again. These things are:

• Healing your gut
• Restoring a healthy microbiome
• Eating an anti-inflammatory diet
• Meditation and mindfulness
• Acupuncture
• Counseling

Health and healing are a holistic effort that is worth the effort.