Respect

For the unwell

Quote from Cleanse To Heal

When someone starts to feel unwell, the respect they receive from those around them tends to drop, unless they’re an elder (in which case they’re expected to have problems) or a child. For the people in between, it’s almost like a class system, with the class of the sick and the class of the not-so-sick.

More often than not, family and friends alike respond in disbelief when I reveal my conditions to them. I don’t blame them because to the untrained eye, I was the epitome of health. Within me, I felt horrible physically, mentally and emotionally.

For one, feeling unwell had a major impact on my communication skills. A persistent and heavy brain fog impaired my train of thought. Add to that a disastrous combination of a stammer, facial tics and a runny nose. Apart from feeling self-conscious about it, I sensed that people didn’t take me seriously.

This is where, I feel, respect was lost.