As someone who is battling an invisible illness, (I have always wondered why they call it that, because as you will see, mine isn’t always invisible) I’m no stranger to ignorant comments from people who quite simply, don’t have a clue.
I’ve created this series of images to reveal some of the comments that people have said to me, or about me regarding my condition. The images were taken to reflect my every day life and what it's like to live with an invisible illness. As you will see, there are some days when I can pass as "normal" but there are also others where I am confined to my bed, when simply having a shower or preparing a meal is an epic obstacle. Most of the comments that have been made come from people who are close to me. That's the reality of having a condition like this, it isolates you.
I’m sure that many other people can relate to this, but the aim of this post is to challenge the ignorance that people like myself are faced with, and to encourage those who are ignorant to think before they speak.
Here goes…
P.s.... please excuse my amateurish technological skills..
"I'm not being funny...but you look like a junkie"
"I wish I could stay in bed all day, but some of us have to work"
"She's faking it for attention" and "We all get sick. You just have to plough through it"
"You have too much time to dwell on things"
"it's funny, you don't look sick"
"You should never have had a child"
"You need to be realistic about what you can achieve"
"Do you feel anxious or depressed lately?"
"You're probably just unfit"
"What have you been doing all day???"
"It's all in your head"
"We all get a bit bloated from time to time"
"Are you pregnant??"
"You should stop talking about it so much. People will think you enjoy it"
