Hidden Disabilities/ Invisible Illnesses

Hidden disabilities affect so many people, yet nobody ever seems to talk about it. I would like to change that.

Hidden disabilities are things like autism, dyslexia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), depression, insomnia and visual and auditory difficulties. This list is not exhaustive, it is simply a list of the more well-known ones. Yet for things like depression for example, people never seem to understand that they are actually disabilities. The lack of public awareness when it comes to these hidden disabilities makes life even more difficult for the people living with them. I would know, I have multiple hidden disabilities myself. This is why I feel so strongly that people need to be made more aware of these issues- to help people like me lead as normal a life as they can, without having to explain to strangers why they need priority seating on a bus only to be scoffed at.

We live in a world where everything is designed for those who are completely able bodied. Some buildings have lifts for people in wheelchairs for example- what if someone needed to use the lift because of a disability affecting their mobility, but they do not have a visual representation of it? They end up taking the stairs and risking themselves just to avoid unnecessary confrontation. People with hidden disabilities feel invisible. Something needs to change. It needs to change now.

Out of multiple images I saw while looking for some to put in this post, it was this one that made me stop. It was this one that made me think, because it's true.

POTS is the abbreviation of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, one of my hidden disabilities. Most people have never even heard of it before.

Instead of focusing on a disability that I do not have, I felt it would be easier to talk about one that I do because I have experience of it. This shows yet again just how little people know of hidden disabilities, since I would find it hard to find information on others.

The colours are striking and grab the viewer's attention - they also correspond to the awareness ribbon for the disability. I love the imagery of the butterfly here, I feel it is really fitting because those who are affected by this often feel like they are different people once they start learning to cope - metamorphosis is a great metaphor.

'Not all wars are fought with guns'. This quote in relation to this disability is perfect. Every day is like a battle with the symptoms, so living with it is like fighting a war by yourself.