What are everyone else's opinion/experience's regarding invisible illnesses? — Scope | Disability forum
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What are everyone else's opinion/experience's regarding invisible illnesses?

SarahSmith5259
SarahSmith5259 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
My disabilities are borderline personality disorder, severe depression, type 2 diabetes (insulin resistant), anxiety and I also have nafld. Who hates the stigma behind type 2 diabetes and mental health? I often get your type 2 diabetic cause your FAT, instead of your fat because you are TYPE 2, then you have the people who say ah yes it's just diet and exercise that you need, this may help but it is by no means the answer cause if it was then there would not be medication for type 2, liver disease is also a leading reason for people to develop type 2 as well as many other factors and last but not least the lack of understanding behind mental health because it's an invisible disability and people can't see it and you take meds to conceal it then it simply does not exist, many times people with no medical background, have said "you don't have mental health" to which annoys the hell out of me as im stood there thinking "today must be your lucky day, cause today I'm in a good place, I'm calm, relaxed and feel normal, "yesterday I was Satan on a power trip", the day before I was an emotional reck, the day before that I was feeling suicidal, today I'm just anxious. What are everyone else's opinion/experience's regarding invisible illnesses wether it be cancer/mental health/diabetes/fibromyalgia/MS/Autism etc? I am very interested to see how many people have experienced negativity in their life and their work life... Much love to this community x

Comments

  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @SarahSmith5259 and welcome

    Invisible conditions are so often overlooked by the many that don't understand, commonly " You don't look ill ".
    Even with physical conditions that are obvious, many people don't understand. They will ignore you at best, abuse you at worst or treat you as a child
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger

    Hello @SarahSmith5259 Pleased to meet you welcome.

    Thank you for joining and sharing.

    Understand everything you are saying.  What is important is you and how you deal with everything.

    One of the things about mental health especially anxiety you start thinking about what others think of you.

    Start to resent your self and get emotional.  It goes around in your head like a record hurting and harming you.

    I have mental health issues and have physical disability as well.

    So know every day is a struggle and strive, mainly the issues and problems vary.

    What is important and special to me is that we are a community. No matter what we are look like or come in assorted sizes or shapes.

    It is how you feeling inside, day to day. Used time to think of how can achieve a good day.  What can I do today to help my self.

    Have coping methods and strategies from various courses and wellbeing, health often can be beneficial.

    Often they are run by community units and councils.  Mental health charities as well.

    These often also help with self esteem and can be also very useful to cope with difficult situations.

    Confidence and self esteem feel are so important we all want to think positivity. Understand the negativity. Have been there some days I am but know need to find ways to deal with my moods and down days.

    I am one of a generation born in the mid Sixties so abuse, mistreatment and everything else associated with it was the normal way.

    Bullying, intimidation and the rest at school from family and you just know in your mind . How to cope and deal with it in your own way.

    Threats and every thing around that do not work it is trying to avoid that it is finding small achievements being sensible, practical.

    Using humour in awkward situations at school and college.

    Being caring, kind and supportive to those like yourself.

    Makes you feel good and know some one to turn to. Yes you may get used and abused like a door mat from some people. Yes it hurts but that is learning, educating yourself.

    Always learning, being educating myself.

    Simply to look at ones own achievements and goals and aims all identifies ways to think positivity and using that can move on to the journey of life.

    Hope that helps.

    One final point you will find many of community members like myself here.

    Please have a look around our website. We are friendly, care and share.

    You come to the right place for support, information and most of all friendship.

    Please if I can help with anything further . Please ask.  I am one of the community champions of the forum.

    We help and advise new members who join.

    Pleasure to meet you.

    Take care.

    @thespiceman

     

    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • MickConnon
    MickConnon Community member Posts: 56 Courageous
    Hi @SarahSmith5259 again welcome to the forum. Having read your post, I understand why you feel the way you do. I believe that the fact that people can’t see the illnesses says more about them. Unless it’s something that people can physically see, some develop a blinkered way of thinking. I have had personal experience in supporting those with Type 2 Diabetes, NAFLD, depression, anxiety and BPD obviously not all at the same time but how each can interconnect and influence each other. I have come across a lot of people in my time who say they don’t influence each other but I can connect each of these easily. I agree that the Stigma is still out there and am challenging each and every case I come across but some people are very set in their ways which often clouds their understanding. I will continue to do this each and every day which is why I am active on this forum. As @thespiceman said we are all friendly here and help support one another and I’d like to mirror his closing comments too. “Pleasure to meet you and please take care”
  • Waylay
    Waylay Community member, Scope Member Posts: 973 Pioneering
  • Waylay
    Waylay Community member, Scope Member Posts: 973 Pioneering
    @SarahSmith5259
    I hear you. I have mh problems (a bunch of ''em! Gotta collect 'em all!) and chronic pain. Both fluctuate a LOT. When either/both are bad I can't leave the house (or often, my bed), so people only see me when I look "good". Sometimes I wish I could carry a stick around, to show that I have chronic pain. :/
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger

    Hello @Waylay Thank you very much kind words.

    This makes my role more pleasurable to hear the responses from community members.

    Always happy to be supportive to every one who needs it.

    Keep in touch.

    Hope you doing OK.

    Take care.

    @thespiceman

    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • SarahSmith5259
    SarahSmith5259 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
    You are all so lovely, I read each and every comment and wish everyone was like this community, I have really struggled with keeping a job I'm on my 3rd job in 6 months, I'm struggling to deal with ignorant/arrogant people within  the work place because they refuse to make minor adjustments to help with my disabilities so I uncontrollably  loose my temper, I don't hit out even though I want to with some of them, then I become emotional because I can't control my emotions and end up losing my job, has anyone else experienced anything similar? Much love to you all in this community xxx

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