Prejudice and Discrimination

There is an abundance of research showing that people with chronic and invisible medical

conditions are discriminated against by physicians, who overwhelmingly express disbelief

regarding patients’ symptoms. As a direct result of prejudice and discrimination, conditions that

are chronic and invisible are associated with a lower quality of life than other illnesses that are

better understood. There is also a disproportionately low amount of funding for research into

chronic, invisible conditions given the level of disability and suffering that these conditions

cause. Research also shows that there is pervasive discrimination in employment, as well as

discrimination in education and obtainment of social services. Discrimination in each of these

areas of life amounts to challenges that can be exceedingly difficult to overcome. Lack of

appropriate medical care, lack of income, and lack of social support each contribute to the

potential worsening of illness, and can engender a vicious cycle where illness and discrimination

repeatedly perpetuate one another.

At CARE, we are committed to acknowledging the horrific injustices perpetrated on people with

invisible and chronic illness and ending stigma. It is our goal to help break the perpetuating

cycle of illness and discrimination so that people experiencing invisible chronic illness can heal

physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

If you are experiencing prejudice and discrimination as a result of chronic and invisible illness,

please know that you are not alone, and that support is available! We are in the process of

creating resources to help you find educated and compassionate practitioners more easily. We

are also creating materials to help families and medical providers understand the experience of

people with invisible chronic illnesses.

We understand what it is like to endure prejudice and discrimination as a result of chronic and

invisible illness, and it is our goal to make the world a more inclusive, fair, and compassionate

place for people living with these conditions.