Oftentimes, we are taught from a young age that when we feel sick or injured, we need to be able to point out exactly where there is pain, to show where we need help. We are trained that injuries need to be seen for treatment.
For those suffering from invisible injuries and illnesses, that is a luxury of understanding and immediate empathy not received. I learned this firsthand many years ago when a tennis injury resulted in a neurovascular condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, spreading through the entire left side of my body, a condition on many days, is classified as an invisible illness. But just because my condition was not always visible did not mean it was not real or did not deserve to be treated with the same respect.