What do migraines, mental illness, asthma, cancer, MS, lupus, crohns disease, fibromyalgia and arthritis have in common? They are all illnesses in which they don't have many outward physical symptoms. In fact, people with these illnesses often look "well" and may not even be perceived as being ill. Unlike illnesses that have strong physical symptoms, diseases such as those mentioned above cause people to feel horrible on the inside but outwardly may exhibit few, if any symptoms. It is true, however, that even if you suffer from an "invisible illness", occasionally there will be outward symptoms. However, on a daily basis much of the anguish happens inside the body and it not as obvious to others. Having this type of illness poses many problems for people. Aside from living with daily pain and lifestyle restrictions, you also have to contend with others (and yourself) not believing that you are ill. It often takes many visits to doctors before an accurate diagnosis is given. Once a diagnosis is received the ill person goes through many stages before coming to terms with their illness. The book Living Well With a Hidden Disability, by Stacy Taylor and Robert Epstein gives an accurate description of what stages an ill person may go through.

Stage one: Denial
Denial can be both healthy and unhealthy. Healthy denial allows the ill individual to live life without obsessing about their illness. However, too much denial leads to ignoring the body's signals that it is time to slow down or that medial intervention is necessary. Eventually unhealthy denial can lead to serious medical complications.

Stage two: Anger
Learning that you have an illness creates many emotions. One of the strongest is anger. A person may become angry at many things including:

Anger may become the only way to be in the world. Suddenly the person who cuts in front of you at the grocery store makes you more angry than ever before, or you have more arguments with loved ones. Anger is a natural and understandable stage of illness, however too much anger can have detrimental consequences. It is essential that one learns to manage anger. The book offers some practical ideas such as:

Stage Three: Bargaining
In this stage the ill person may make a last attempt to rid him or herself from this illness. It is similar to the childhood thinking that if they wish hard enough they might get a pony! People in this stage often turn to a greater power, to yet another doctor, or try to find alternative ways to rid themselves of the disease. Essentially they are bargaining something for a change in the diagnosis. Fortunately this is a short stage as the ill person quickly learns that in most cases they remain with the illness.

Stage Four: Depression
This type of depression is the type that is a reaction to the fact that you have an illness. This type of depression is not what is often called clinical depression or the result of a chemical imbalance. The depression is a direct result of the new situation that the ill person finds him/herself in and a result of the symptoms of the illness to be faced daily. Depression is different from sadness. Depression is a deeper feeling that doesn't lift easily. Depression is a serious stage to go through and often requires the help of a physician, counselor, or mental health agency. Signs of depression include:

Stage Five: Acceptance
This is a final stage. During this stage the ill person begins to accept, at least partially, that they have an illness complete with symptoms and restrictions. At this stage the ill person begins to accept themselves as valuable and embraces life as it is. It is at this stage the whole picture is visible, complete with the frustrations and pleasures of life. This stage does not mean that the ill person has stopped fighting the illness or given up hope. On the contrary, it is at this stage that the strongest fights may occur.

It is important to note that not all people will go through all stages. There is also no time limit on how long or short each stage may be. It is important that family members understand the stages that their loved ones may go through, so that they can be supportive and understanding.