S U I T S & S N E A K S
WORKING WITH AN INVISIBLE ILLNESS
by Kristin Leigh
An invisible illness is something that can ’ t be seen from the outside . It ’ s not a broken bone , a limp , or a scar . Nobody can see it ; therefore nobody knows it is there .
An invisible illness could be depression , addiction , and anxiety , basically anything internal that only you know about . The problem is these are not one-and-done illnesses like a cold or a broken arm . They ’ re usually chronic . And they ’ re usually consuming .
As a current fighter of an invisible illness , I want to talk about the impacts it can have on your career . And based on my experience , I can share what almost broke me and what saved me .
I Was Failing at Work
I was having stabbing pains , massive blood loss , vertigo , 10 pounds lost , and a fainting episode . You would never know it if you saw me because I don ’ t have a scar on the outside of my body to prove it to you .
What people did see , though , was that I started to miss deadlines ; again , and again . I ’ d disappear from work for hours because I was either sick to my stomach , or having another dizzy spell . “ You should go on Short-Term Disability ,” my boss eventually advised . I declined at first , but after a month of not delivering any work output and letting my team down , I agreed it was the right thing to do .
My insurance provider didn ’ t recognize my situation as a diagnosed condition with a specified start and end date . My doctors ’ offices were too busy to ever provide the documentation that was requested of them . I was young , a non-smoker , and therefore
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