Chronic Illness, Invisible and Otherwise

[Key-Glyph]

This week is apparently National Invisible Chronic Illness Week. I never knew there was such a thing, and it got me wondering if any Racketeers had stories they'd like to tell.

We had an interesting discussion going on in the General Gaming section, almost exactly a year ago, about gaming with disabilities. There was also a more specific one elsewhere about how colorblindness affects gameplay. I was hoping to get a similar discussion going. I didn't anticipate this particular thread would necessarily be strictly gaming-related, though, so I stuck it here.

If anyone is willing to share their experiences, please do! It's always good to appreciate and understand what other people have to deal with.

[KillerJuan77]

I have something called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (It haves no cure, I have to take sleeping pills and another pill to control my ADD). It causes major sleeping and fatigue disorders, extremely low tolerance to pain, etc.

I had to leave school 3-4 years ago due to it and thanks to my gaming and movie love, my friends, my therapists, the constant support of my parents, my family and my BFF I think I managed to get past that and now I'm finishing high school so I can enter into filmmaking and maybe even game development.

However... it hasn't been easy and there are times where the simple act of playing a game can be tortous.

[cookie monster]

I suffer from depression and fibermyalga and arthritis other than that i am in decent shape.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Been battling depression for about 4 years now. Got over my severe agoraphobia and most of my social anxiety. The depression kicks in now and then but exercise has done wonders for almost all my mental ailments. Still pretty "damn weird" as my friends would say, but they like me.

Also have insane post-nasal drip, to the point that it's actually painful at certain times. Winters are particularly bad.

[Ack]

I take medication for my anxiety and depression issues. It runs in my family, both of my parents take anti-depressants. So I'll likely be on them for the rest of my life. The anti-anxiety meds are the ones I take normally, though due to the side effects of my depression medication, it was prescribed on a "take as needed" basis. I've become more adept at recognizing when I'm not doing well and need to take it, though the side effects from sustained usage really, really suck. Also, counseling helps tremendously.

[Michi]

My mother has an anxiety disorder. It started around the time I turned 11 or 12. She describes it as feeling like the inside of her body is shaking, even if she's sitting completely still.

She initially didn't want to take anything for it. She changed her diet and started exercising every day: Forty-five minute on the treadmill every morning. She's one of the few people I know who actually uses their machine the way it's meant to be used and not treat it like a clothes hanger.

It didn't work though, so she's been taking medication for it for several years. She is a much happier woman for it, though lately she's been thinking about trying to ween herself off of the drugs. She's hoping that at the very least she'll be fine with a smaller dosage.

[Luke]

I suffer from nocturnal penile tumescence, almost daily. This has also made my wife suffer, as she can't get a decent nights sleep with my affliction. I have a prescription for "Umbros" which allows me to have my symptoms with minimal discomfort.

[BoringSupreez]

I used to have some depression (runs in my family) and was very shy and lonely, but entering the work force and exercising regularly have greatly alleviated both. In fact, I've found that I don't really like having more than two or three friends at a time now that I have any... too much bother. I'm definitely a loner, always have been.

As far as physical stuff goes, I have floaters in my eyes but I'm used to them. They don't hurt, of course, and I can't even see them unless I'm outside with the sun. Other than that I'm pretty in perfect health, except for the cold I have right now.

[Zing]

I don't really understand the "invisible illness" thing, but I will share something. For almost a year now, I have been afflicted with labyrinthitis. It's an affliction of the balance center of the ear, which means that I constantly feel off-balance. When it first started last year, it was really bad. I had about two months where I could only leave the house for a few hours at a time. It is mentally fatiguing, as the brain is constantly compensation for the feeling of motion. Also causes eye strain, as the eye muscles are directly connected, causing the eyes to be constantly moving.

It's significantly better now, but I still have a general feeling of instability and sometimes I wake up and almost the whole day is a write off.

[D.D.D.]

I suffer from nocturnal penile tumescence, almost daily. This has also made my wife suffer, as she can't get a decent nights sleep with my affliction. I have a prescription for "Umbros" which allows me to have my symptoms with minimal discomfort.

Oh you~

Man, yous guys are messed up something fierce. I'm sure I am too but I try not to dwell on it. My allergies give me enough grief so I figure that's plenty to deal with.
And Ryan, I too understand your pain of postnasal-drip... without my morning shower I feel stuffy/cloudy-headed or can't wake up all day.