Anonymous, SHE/ HER, UK.

/inˈvizəb(ə)l/ /disəˈbilədē/.

A poem for my Aunt

 

In visualising

(your)

mental restlessness,

the challenges of

your

invisible disabilities

I reflect upon our relationship

as my Auntie

Aunt

Gwenyth

‘Gwen’

 

Schizophrenia, OCD, Manic Depressive

All these labels

that society attributes to you

To me

you are more than

the sum of these

Moving

parts

 

We spoke once, Only once

about how you often

‘don’t feel well’

And how no-one understands

Not wanting to talk about it,

Because you ‘didn’t want to talk’

I know the signs.

You feel the signs

Of

Relapse.

Of wanting to run away

Because you said you were scared

 

The Stress

Of life-long Medication

Daily Injections

alongside

The yearning for home

For family

For wanting to be ‘well’

normal

 

Sick, Strange, Unwell, Abnormal

Not a part of this world

You once revealed to me

Of simply wanting

to fit in

This illness of ‘mine’

As you sigh

and

laugh.

 

The white walls of Maudsley

encapsulate

the mental health system

Strict

Visiting hours

Daily

Eating Schedules

Silent Hallways

Endless

Muted

 

Now

You say

you’re back with us

We speak a little more

We promise to be

Open

Truthful

Honest

Because ultimately

In this movement towards flexibility,

We open the doors

of communication

and understanding.

List of SOME Invisible Disabilities

 

• ADHD
• Anxiety disorders
• Allergies
• Arachnoiditis
• Asperger Syndrome
• Asthma
• Autism
• Bipolar disorder
• Brain injuries
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Chronic pain
• Circadian rhythm sleep disorders
• Coeliac Disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Epilepsy
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
• Fibromyalgia
• Food allergies
• Fructose malabsorption
• Hereditary Fructose Intolerance
• Hyperhidrosis
• Hypoglycemia
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Interstitial cystitis
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Lactose Intolerance
• Lupus
• Lyme Disease
• Major depression
• Metabolic syndrome
• Migraines
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Narcolepsy
• Personality disorders
• Primary immunodeficiency
• Psychiatric disabilities
• Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
• Repetitive stress injuries
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Schnitzler’s Syndrome
• Schizophrenia
• Scleroderma
• Sjögren’s Syndrome
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Spinal Disorders
• Temporomandibular joint disorder
• Transverse Myelitis
• Ulcerative Colitis

 

To read more about invisible disabilities, visit:
www.disabled-world.com/disability/types/invisible/