Invisible Illness

Name: Invisible Illness
Price: 47.95 AUD
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ISBN: 9780520421523

A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID

Emily Mendenhall

$47.95

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Miscellaneous
27 March 2026

Disability: social aspects; Illness & addiction: social aspects; Gender studies: women; Medicine; Medical sociology; History of medicine; Greeting cards

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 from hysteria to long Covid 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 illnesses 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 when you're Black, trans, poor, young, disabled, or undocumented. Weaving together cultural history with intimate interviews, Invisible Illness lifts up the experiences of those living with complex illness to expose the failures of the American healthcare system—and how we can do better.

By: Emily Mendenhall
Imprint: Miscellaneous
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9780520421523
ISBN 10: 0520421523
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 27 March 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Undergraduate , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

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

Emily Mendenhall is Professor in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, a Guggenheim Fellow, and contributor to Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Vox.

Reviews for Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID

“Elegantly written and rigorously researched . . . An incisive study that illuminates the myriad complexities of chronic illness.” * Kirkus Reviews, starred review * ""Movingly spotlights the struggles of chronically ill patients who experience maddening dismissals by their own doctors. An urgent argument for updating standards of care and a hopeful look at how long Covid could prompt a major medical turning point."" * Publishers Weekly *

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Invisible Illness

A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID

Emily Mendenhall

$47.95

Hardback

Forthcoming
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Invisible Illness

A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID

Emily Mendenhall

$47.95

Hardback

Forthcoming Pre-Order now

Reviews for Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID

See Also

Forthcoming
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