Do you have an Invisible Illness?

“But you don’t look sick” is a common catch-cry those with an invisible illness hear. So what do you do when you look fine – all your blood tests say your normal yet you feel anything but.

An invisible illness is an umbrella term for any medical condition that isn’t easily visible to others. Conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, mental illness and others fit this description. However there are also those suffering a range of symptoms, those who’s test are all normal, who have never been given a diagnosis, never been offered a reason or explanation for their suffering- the truly invisible illnesses.

It can be pretty tough living with an invisible illness – you look “normal” to those around you which can lead to not only judgement and criticism but also a lack of understanding, social isolation and incredible frustration. Many times people coming to me with an invisible illness have been told they’re fine, that there is nothing wrong. Sometimes they’ve been told (or had it hinted at) that it’s all in their head and offered antidepressants when they feel it in their gut that it’s not the answer.

Perhaps you’re bone tired or get knocked around for days with the slightest exertion. Maybe you’re experiencing unusual aches and pains or are struggling with brain fog, hormonal or emotional complaints. It could be that your experiencing unexplained digestive symptoms or skin reactions.

This is where I find Functional Naturopathic Medicine so very valuable. I integrate the best of modern functional testing with thousands of years of traditional naturopathic medicine. I look at your body as a whole, check out how each system is functioning and aim to find the underlying drivers – not simply prescribe based on your symptoms. Systems medicine, not symptoms medicine.

Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there. In saying that sometimes what I can “see” when assessing your health and looking at your pathology results may be more than has been seen before – I’m looking at it from another angle, with a different perspective.

My aim is for you to leave our consult together with a better understanding of how your body is working and what your tests tell me about your health. I will share areas that can be improved on and together we can begin to turn things around with simple diet and lifestyle changes alongside nutritional and herbal support.

If you would like to book a FREE 15 minute Health Strategy session where I can support you to understand your health options and the next steps available to you . . . can click here