Miscellaneous
The reality…today it’s our fight, it’s our invisible illness, but tomorrow it could be you because this can happen to anyone. Our bodies fall ill, we lose control and it’s NOT our fault. There is now a disconnect between our mind and body, one day we just stop moving and thinking and no one can tell us why. I accept our challenges and limitations are invisible, but this doesn’t mean we are not struggling every day. We may not have any outward signs of physical pain or any assistive devices, but this doesn’t mean our struggles are not impacting the quality of our daily lives. Our struggles are real! I know it is difficult for the world to understand our invisible illness, we may look ok, but we are not faking being ill! This illness makes us forget what we can still do, but it is a constant reminder of what we can no longer do. I believe, raising awareness may ease the burden of other people living or sharing life with a chronic and invisible illness. I will always be grateful I am the one who fell ill. I know I am one of the lucky ones. The severity of my illness has changed and slowly I was given a choice. Key takeaways We need to create a supportive and inclusive environment, giving people the choice to discuss the most vulnerable part of their identity, without the stigma of faking it. We should not feel ashamed or embarrassed to discuss our illness We need to stop blaming and learn to forgive ourselves, we did not cause this illness. Self-blame will prevent us from learning to live with this illness and we need to continue rebuild ourselves everyday Negative feelings create a vicious cycle of frustration, disappointment and anger and by listening to your inner voice, we know we are no longer in control. We need to accept these illnesses now control all of us and then we can focus on what we can still do We must accept our lives are now full of challenges and full of limitations and we need to keep moving because it we are not moving, if we are not thinking then we are not living. We must keep trying We need to encourage each other to share our journeys making the journey for someone else, less vulnerable and easier We are not lazy, or moody, nor do we need to calm down or simply cheer up, doing exercise or leaving the house will not make us feel better We don’t look different to healthy people all around, it remembering we haven’t done anything wrong, and with that you feel a sign of relief I know there will always be challenges and life will never be perfect, but we don’t know how far we can go until we get started, until we take the first step. This is our journey unlocking our visibility! Together we can still make a difference. Valuable resources: Action for ME and the NHS Connect with me on Facebook Visit our official website www.jak-group.co.uk With thanks to: Jamie York and Rob Moore Oli Corse (Intro and outro) purple-planet.com (Music) braydesign.co.uk (Darren Bray – Graphics)