Chronic Illness and Disability: Why We Need Awareness For Both?

"Autism is a part of a person but it does not define them." This is true along with other disabilities or chronic illnesses as well. But why such advocacies and awareness are being put across out in the open?

This is one of the questions, Michelle Cuttler posed as she is also battling her own challenges with postural orthostatic trachycardia syndrome (POTS). Cuttler is also a contributor writer for The Mighty, and she was brave enough to be open about why people advocate and promote awareness on chronic illnesses even though other people do are not going through it.

Cuttler recalled how people once went to social media posting videos of them doing the ice bucket challenge to the point that it becomes sickening after seeing it post after post. That was the main objective of the ALS awareness. So now that there are other chronic illness and disabilities out there as well, why is there a need to promote awareness for both?

Michelle Cuttler explains why. According to her, when a person is diagnosed with a disease, it alters their life tremendously. Chronic illness and disabilities make the affected individual feel alone. Imagine a child with cancer, she says. That child's happy life will be replaced with doctor visits and hospital stay, instead of being able to go out and play, their childhood is lost.

When others are aware, then there is strength. Proper knowledge provides proper treatment and support. As for Cuttler, her experience from her doctors telling her that she was just depressed or needed attention just because she is sick was daunting. That however is not the only point of focus for promoting awareness. Promoting chronic illness and disability awareness alleviates heartaches as well. It also helps in making the doctors become non-judgmental to their patients by providing the proper care instead of mocking them. 

It is not about asking for pity. Her answer was simple. It's as simple as going down to the golden rule: "Treat others how you want to be treated." 

To know more about POTS, you can visit the website, Dysautonomia International. You can also watch what POTS is all about here: