Invisible illness a history, from hysteria to long COVID Emily Mendenhall

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mendenhall, Emily, 1982- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Chronic diseases--United States--History.

Chronic diseases.

Chronically ill--Care--Social aspects--United States.

Chronically ill.

Discrimination in medical care--United States--History.

Discrimination in medical care.

Hysteria--United States--History.

Hysteria.

Medical anthropology--United States.

Medical anthropology.

People with disabilities--Care--Social aspects--United States.

People with disabilities.

Post COVID-19 condition (Disease)--United States--History.

Post COVID-19 condition (Disease).

Chronically ill--Care.

Discrimination in medical care--History.

Hysteria--History.

People with disabilities--Care.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Oakland University of California Press 2026

Summary:

"An incisive study that illuminates the myriad complexities of chronic illness."--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) "Movingly spotlights the struggles of chronically ill patients."--Publishers Weekly A moving cultural history of disability--and a powerful call to action to change how our medical system and society supports those with complex chronic conditions From lupus to Lyme, invisible illness is often dismissed by everyone but the sufferers. Why does the medical establishment continually insist that, when symptoms are hard to explain, they are probably just in your head? Inspired by her work with long COVID patients, medical anthropologist Emily Mendenhall traces the story of complex chronic conditions to show why both research and practice fail so many. Mendenhall points out disconnects between the reality of chronic disease--which typically involves multiple intersecting problems resulting in unique, individualized illness--and the assumptions of medical providers, who behave as though chronic diseases have uniform effects for everyone. And while invisible illnesses have historically been associated with white middle-class women, being believed that you are sick is even more difficult for patients whose social identities and lived experiences may not align with dominant medical thought. Weaving together cultural history with intimate interviews, Invisible Illness upholds the experiences of those living with complex illness to expose the failures of the American healthcare system--and how we can do better

Contents:

Frontmatter Contents A Note on Names A Glossary of Conditions INTRODUCTION PART ONE HISTORY 1 HYSTERIA IS AN OLD STORY 2 THE CASE OF CHRONIC FATIGUE 3 LYME WARS 4 PAIN WITHOUT VERIFIABILITY PART TWO POLITICS 5 DISABLING CULTURE 6 THE RISE OF PATIENT ACTIVISM 7 STRUCTURAL SILENCING 8 DISABILITY CONSCIOUSNESS CONCLUSION Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description based on CIP data; resource not viewed

Other Format:

Print version:

ISBN:

9780520421530

0520421531

OCLC:

1559962891

Publisher Number:

CIPO000314356

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license