Recent Maplewood Middle School graduate Bryn Healy published an article, “Hysteria Diagnosis Still Hounds Some Girls with Invisible Disabilities,” in Women’s eNews in hopes of raising awareness about a condition called RSD, or CRPS – Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
This condition, which Healy and five other Maplewood teens suffer from, causes nerves to misfire and send messages indicating severe pain to the brain. To make matters worse, victims are often perceived negatively and told they are faking their illness.
Healy refers to this as an “invisible disability,” meaning its symptoms are not visible to others. Because it is not readily apparent that these teenagers are sick, they are often diagnosed with different mental illnesses to explain their symptoms. Their pain is seen as a mere exaggeration and medical professionals often do not take them seriously.
Healy’s article included interviews with teens Hannah Epstein and Sarah Kleppe, who suffered from the illness and struggled with constant doubt from classmates and physicians. She also included research on the stigmas attached to females seeking medical attention for unapparent symptoms.
To learn more about Healy’s story and invisible disabilities, read the full article here.
