An Invisible Illnesses Haunting: The Ghosts That Plague Our Existence

Chains rattle. There is an audible groan in the air. You feel some unseen air pass by you... It's a ghost! Unfortunately, this ghost isn't haunting your house, but rather, your body. After all, that rattling chain is actually your grumbling belly, the groan you heard came from your own mouth, and, let's face it, that air you felt, came from you.

The Ghost of IBS

Sometimes it's easy to forget that others don't see the troubles you face every day. As sufferers of IBS, mental health, fibromyalgia, etc., we are not always so lucky. We are constantly reminded of our annoying illnesses like ghosts haunting our days. This ghost, however, does not resemble the friendly little cartoons we grew up with, but rather, often resemble that of a nasty poltergeist destroying our lives. Within IBS, specifically, the similarities are legion: instead of throwing books across the room, you throw up; rather than blowing ghostly wind through your house, you blow gas out of your body; and, instead of hearing creepy moans at night, we hear our own stomachs' cacophony of sounds.

When You're Haunted by Many Ghosts

Of course, IBS is not the only invisible illness that haunts us. Our mental health (anxiety, depression, personality disorders) can spook us out of living our lives as we see fit. We feel too scared to leave the house because the ghosts that haunt us aren't confined to one location; they follow us around every second of every day. Our anxiety lingers in our minds like the bumps and creeks we hear in the night, our depression holds us back like the spirit that tries to hold us.

Physical illnesses, such as fibromyalgia can haunt our days and nights, too. We feel possessed by an aching, decaying body. We're as tired as the walking dead, and can't help but constantly feel bogged down by the ghostly fog that lingers in our heads.

Learn to Exorcise the Ghosts

Whether we feel haunted by many ghosts or plagued by vicious poltergeists, our bodies can be terrifying. Our lives resemble the horror movies we love watching and we can't help but feel scared to turn every corner. But we must remember that despite the fact that we are haunted, we are not helpless. We can become our own ghost hunters, exorcists and demonologists. We can find the weaknesses of our ghosts, rather than assuming we are weak. We can research our illnesses and become experts in the paranormal. And, even if we can't eradicate our ghosts entirely, perhaps, with the help of our friends and family, we can get one step closer to exorcising these invisible demons.

Ultimately, we must remember that although it feels that we are constantly followed by grumpy, scary ghosts, we are not walking through this haunted house alone. We have a team with us, whether it be IrritableBowelSyndrome.net, our family, partner, or friends. When we remember this we can have the strength and courage to face the ghosts we encounter every day.