THE SILENT BATTLES OF THOSE WITH INVISIBLE MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITIES
In a world that often prioritizes what meets the eye, it's easy to overlook the silent battles fought by individuals with invisible mental health disabilities. Unlike physical ailments and disabilities, they are not visible to others even though they can significantly affect a person's daily life. So, most individuals who suffer are set on a lonely path and might end up not getting the support they need to heal. General awareness about these invisible disabilities is crucial for us to create an environment of support and empathy so that everyone can thrive in this world. In this blog, let's take the first step and learn about some of these disabilities to increase our awareness.
1) Psychological Disabilities
You might see a colleague who is always on time and has a very high work ethic. Their work is always better than it needs to be! While this is what you see, the narrative could be very different behind the scenes. The person could have anxiety making them too worried to take it easy even a little. They feel constant pressure to do everything at such high standards for fear of being removed from the company. They might be all smiles or engrossed in work in the office. But because of the amount of pressure they take, they are exhausted to the point where they simply can't do anything else after they get home.
This is a classic example of anxiety disorder where the high functioning itself is anxiety-driven. Psychological disabilities include a spectrum of conditions like major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While they might seem okay to us, they deserve a compassionate environment to share their struggles and get the support they need to have a slightly easier time.
2) Neurodivergence
Some people's brains are different in a way that affects how it works. For the average individual, cognition and behaviours are expected to meet certain standards set by society. Those who veer from these parameters could be classified as neurodivergent. It includes conditions like Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities.
Have you tried touching fire? You might not, even though you consciously tried. It's because our brain is hard-wired to protect us. Now, imagine if your brain sees work tasks as fire. This is what happens to people with ADD or ADHD. Without proper understanding, we might assume they are lazy. In reality, they are struggling to match the attention and overwhelming demands of the fast world when their brain is not made for it.
3) Hidden Physical Health Challenges with Mental Health Implications
Not all physical disabilities are visible either. Take chronic migraines for example, they are severe headaches that leave people feeling debilitated, nauseous and with extreme sensitivity to light and sound. They might not appear to be suffering and hence might be expected to go through life like an average person. Apart from the overwhelming physical pain, this might lead to frustration, depression and other mental health implications.
Some other common ailments that fall in this category are:
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): Persistent fatigue that no amount of rest can ease.
- Chronic Pain Disorders: Conditions that can cause persistent pain in some areas of the body.
- Thyroid Disorders: Can lead to fatigue, mood swings, and cognitive difficulties.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): A gastrointestinal disorder that causes abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits.
4) Conditions Requiring Constant Vigilance
Imagine this - you might get sudden seizures and have no control over when and where they happen. Or that you have to constantly watch the ingredients of whatever you are eating so that you don't have to be rushed to the emergency room. The former is a condition called epilepsy, and the latter is severe food allergies. Conditions like these require individuals to be very vigilant about things around them that the average person can afford to overlook. This hypervigilance can be draining and can affect their work, social and personal lives in a variety of ways.
Auto-immune disorders, asthma, and severe skin conditions like eczema are a few other examples of conditions that warrant hypervigilance.
Conclusion:
All battles are hard, whether or not it's visible to others. As a society, it's our responsibility to listen, learn, and adapt. By understanding the diverse challenges posed by conditions such as psychological disabilities, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, ADD/ADHD, and learning disabilities, we can pave the way for a more inclusive world—one that celebrates the strength and resilience of every individual, seen and unseen.
Author: Nivetha Kannan
Nivetha writes blogs on mental health and wellbeing topics for Silver Oak Health. She is a professional content writer and is passionate about the field of psychology & personal development. She writes impactful content that brings positive changes in people. Her mantra for life is to ‘be curious, and not judgemental’.