RALEIGH, N.C. — Two friends are working to dispel misconceptions about less-visible conditions and want to educate the public on how invisible diseases can be just as impactful as other issues that are more easily seen.

Amanda Chey and Jill Kalisiak are two friends who can relate to having an invisible illness. Chey has Sjogren and lupus, Kalisiak has Celiac disease, Hashimotos disease and psoriatic disease.

“For me, the worst part of having lupus and having Sjogren is like, the finality of it. It’s like an everyday thing, it doesn’t go away,” Chey said. But when I was diagnosed, I thought I would take my medicine and I would feel better, and the idea that it is still here and it’s something that I battle with every single day is it’s very mentally draining, besides the physical aspect of it.”

For Kalisiak, she said she wants to be her best self for her family and friends, even when she isn’t feeling well.

“I’m experiencing joint pain, and I’m exhausted, and I can’t be my best self, and I feel like I’m letting myself down and my family down and my friends down and that’s hard,” Kalisiak said.

Chey and Kalisiak said having autoimmune diseases with impacts that are invisible can be challenging.

“I think the reality is that a lot of us are faking it. When you have an invisible disability, you don’t want to go around and tell people and beg them for your attention,” Chey said.

Kalisiak said she thinks it’s easy to feel comparison toward someone who is visibly suffering, and do things like open doors for them. 

“Whereas an invisible ailment or disease, sometimes less acknowledged, and we’re less likely to extend grace to that person. So, I often remind myself and people in my life that we should always choose kindness because we never know what somebody may or may not be experiencing as compared to the way we are experiencing it,” Kalisiak said.

Because of their experiences, both ladies want to educate people about invisible disabilities and make resources available.

Chey recently released a book talking about her personal story and how to navigate receiving an invisible illness diagnosis.

They aren’t alone in their struggles. So-called invisible illness affects an estimated 10% of the 61 million Americans who deal with a physical or mental ailment that limits their movements or senses.