Invisible Illness

Life Interrupted: Living With an Invisible Illness

Millions of women who look perfectly healthy on the outside are grappling w...

Millions of women who look perfectly healthy on the outside are grappling with chronic conditions that make normal life anything but. They have what’s been dubbed an invisible illness, because their struggles go unseen. Here are their stories.

Digestive Health

Everyone Thinks I'm the Picture of Health—but Every Day I Struggle With Ulcerative Colitis

Autoimmune Disease

What It's like to Have Your Immune System Attack Your Hair

At 23, I discovered a coin-sized bald spot on the back of my head.

Chronic Pain

How One Couple Works Together to Conquer Chronic Back Pain

Dealing with chronic pain puts an undeniable strain on the strongest of rel...

Dealing with chronic pain puts an undeniable strain on the strongest of relationships. Jan and her husband, Bill, who have known each other since college, have lived through five years of Jan's debilitating back pain, which developed after she learned a new golf swing. Jan's journey for pain relief (she has spent thousands of dollars for treatments including acupuncture, core strengthening sessions, physical therapy, Rolfing, and chiropractic care) has been incredibly hard on this athletic couple and their family. Here, Jan and Bill open up about how divisive and isolating pain can be and what they do to bridge that divide and stay strong together. Their quotes are taken from an interview with Jan and an interview with Bill. They have been edited and combined to show two sides of one painful story.

Chronic Pain

'I've Lived With Chronic Pain for Years—and It's Made My Relationship Stronger'

"I never allowed anyone to get close to me, romantic or otherwise."

Bipolar Disorder

What It's Like to Live With Bipolar Disorder—a Mental Health Condition No One Can See

Mackenzie Driscoll, 26, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 6 years ago. Th...

Mackenzie Driscoll, 26, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 6 years ago. This is how she's learned to manage work, social situations, and daily life with an illness that's not just invisible but also carries a stigma.

Infertility

How Having a Hysterectomy at 17 Changed My Life

Julie Jacques, 27, underwent a hysterectomy when she was just 17–but her ch...

Julie Jacques, 27, underwent a hysterectomy when she was just 17–but her chronic pelvic pain only got worse.

Anxiety

17 Women Reveal What It's Really Like to Live With an Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorders are so much more than being stressed.

Thyroid

I Survived Thyroid Cancer—but Dealing With the Side Effects Has Been Harder Than I Ever Imagined

Eczema

My Struggle With Eczema Cost My Parents $35,000

One woman opens up about her lifelong struggle with eczema, which she devel...

One woman opens up about her lifelong struggle with eczema, which she developed at birth—and both she and her parents have been juggling the costs ever since.

Psoriatic Arthritis

9 Things People With Psoriatic Arthritis Want You to Know

Psoriatic arthritis patients tell us what it's like to live with the au...

Psoriatic arthritis patients tell us what it's like to live with the autoimmune disease.

Thyroid

I Have a Disease That Makes My Thyroid Go Haywire

Here's what it's actually like to live with Graves' disease.

Coping: Tips From Women Who Know

illustration illo woman double suffering pain juxtaposed-silhouette woman-silhouette scribble

Autoimmune Disease

Millions of Women are Living With 'Invisible Illnesses': Here's What That Means

Millions of women who look perfectly healthy on the outside are grappling w...

Millions of women who look perfectly healthy on the outside are grappling with chronic conditions that make “normal” life anything but. This is what it’s really like to have an invisible illness.