Jackie Chisholm is one of 125 million Americans suffering from what doctors call “invisible illnesses,” or a set of diseases that can limit daily activities without showing visible symptoms.

Often greeted with the phrase, “but you look so good,” Chisholm said this can be one of the most frustrating things to hear when dealing with an invisible illness diagnosis.

“I would tell people that you don’t know what’s going on in other peoples lives so you can’t judge them,” said Chisholm, a Freeland senior. “Yes, you can look completely healthy but be in a lot of pain, so you shouldn’t be judging.”

Chisholm battles three invisible illnesses at once: rheumatoid arthritis, uveitis, and Crohn’s disease. Battling three illnesses can be a daily struggle for Chisholm.

“Every day is different, you have your good days and your bad days,” Chisholm said. “I wake up every morning in some sort of pain and still tired. I take my handful of medicine to help with my arthritis, uveitis, and Crohn’s. I work and go to school everyday, and at the end of it I’m exhausted and ready for bed. Also you have to remember all the different doctor appointments you have, the blood draws you need to get and the prescriptions you can’t forget to refill before you run out.”

It can be frustrating for Chisholm when people don’t understand the meaning of an invisible illness.

“You can look completely normal and healthy even though you are in pain everyday,” Chisholm said. “People look at you and can’t tell you’re in pain, they don’t understand why you are tired all the time, and they don’t understand why you’d want to stay home and watch Netflix instead of going out, especially being in college.”

Aside from pain, people with invisible illnesses can deal with symptoms including weakness, mental impairments, fatigue, hearing and vision impairments, and cognitive dysfunction.

With these types of diagnoses, it is important to remember that there is more to health than just the physical sense, said Irene O’Boyle, a professor in the school of Health Sciences.

“Wellness consists of six dimensions: Spiritual, physical, social, environmental, occupational and intellectual,” O’Boyle said. “When one of these dimensions is not functioning, then the individual will not maintain optimal health and wellness.”

There are a variety of resources for students on campus battling an invisible illness. Students with an invisible illness can contact the counseling center as well as sign up for student disability services at the Student Disability Center on the first floor of the Charles V. Park Library.

From there, students can fill out a form with their doctors stating the illnesses and how it affects the student’s daily life. Waiting for approval from Student Disability Services (SDS) is the next step.

“SDS is on campus to help students be successful at CMU,” Chisholm said. “If they have special needs for class, SDS will try their best to accommodate those needs.”

Student Health Services can also provide local resources that are available. A second resource in Mount Pleasant for students is Listening Ear, O’Boyle said. There is a 24-hour crisis hotline, referral service and a crisis response team.

For the millions of people diagnosed with invisible illnesses, getting help isn’t the only issue – it’s about raising awareness to avoid further judgment.

“Sometimes it can be as simple as just starting the conversation,” O’Boyle said. “The more we learn and discuss a particular illness or disease, the more awareness can be raised.”