Most people understand what it means when someone has an invisible illness. It is just that - invisible - so sufferers are forever trying to find new and better ways to describe and compare the plethora of internal discomfort.
Without looking sick, it is nearly impossible for the average person to truly empathize with the symptoms of an invisible illness.
Last year was one of the most debilitating (if not the most debilitating) episodes in my life so far. Apart from drastic weight loss to a frightening size, as long as I took the time to put on makeup, a nice-looking outfit, and fix my hair, I could hide most outward signs of illness.
On one particular afternoon, I was watching tv with my parents, and a news hour was showing a young girl (about my age) who was battling some damaging health issues, and a video was taken while she was in the hospital.
With sunken eyes, a ghostly pallor, eyes with dark circles and puffiness caused by tears, along with a facial expression exuding unfathomable nausea, this girl LOOKED as though she was seriously ill. With unkempt hair and eyelids that were not quite open, despite her apparent beauty, there was no denying how she felt internally.
I immediately paused the tv, pointed to the screen, and said:
"She looks exactly like how I feel."
It was a little odd because I kind of sounded pretty excited when I blurted it out... Oops. It simply felt satisfying to finally have a visual reference to describe how I was feeling.
It must have 'struck a chord' because they both looked utterly shocked. They even had tears threatening to make an appearance.
You can try and try and try to come up with the perfect explanation - the one comparison that will put a figurative lightbulb above an individual's head - but having a visual aid alongside the written or verbal description is what can really make an impact on someone else's understanding of your internal pain.
The majority of people become far more understanding when there is something visible that goes hand-in-hand with a particular type of pain.