In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Heather explores the heart of what Living Beyond the Invisible stands for: the importance of advocacy and awareness for people living with invisible disabilities.

Heather breaks down what invisible disabilities are, why they’re so widely misunderstood, and how this lack of awareness fuels stigma, isolation, and discrimination. From emotional tolls to workplace challenges, this episode highlights how society often doubts what it cannot see—and why changing that mindset is essential.

With research, real-life examples, and compelling quotes, Heather also unpacks the power of storytelling in advocacy, the dangers of misinformation and fabricated illnesses on social media, and what it means to be a genuine ally in today’s digital age.

• 📌 What defines an invisible disability
• 💡 Why awareness is the first step toward inclusion
• 💬 The emotional impact of being doubted or dismissed
• 📉 The consequences of faking illness on social media
• 📢 How advocacy shows up in both big movements and small conversations
• 🧠 How to be a responsible ally or advocate in your community

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090200150738#

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingbeyondwalkwithheather

Email: livingbeyondtheinvisible@gmail.com

• Invisible Disabilities Association – www.invisibledisabilities.org
• CDC Disability Statistics – cdc.gov
• Asbring & Narvanen (2002), Journal of Health Psychology
• Job Accommodation Network Report (2022) – askjan.org
• Ruderman Family Foundation (2018 Survey)
• Hannah Soyer in Teen Vogue – "Faking Disabilities on TikTok"
• Psychology Today (2023) – "Faking Illness on Social Media"
• Amanda C. Riley (Scamanda Case) – Justice.gov
• Belle Gibson Case – BBC News
• Crutches & Spice Blog by Imani Barbarin – crutchesandspice.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Heather explores the heart of what Living Beyond the Invisible stands for: the importance of advocacy and awareness for people living with invisible disabilities.

Heather breaks down what invisible disabilities are, why they’re so widely misunderstood, and how this lack of awareness fuels stigma, isolation, and discrimination. From emotional tolls to workplace challenges, this episode highlights how society often doubts what it cannot see—and why changing that mindset is essential.

With research, real-life examples, and compelling quotes, Heather also unpacks the power of storytelling in advocacy, the dangers of misinformation and fabricated illnesses on social media, and what it means to be a genuine ally in today’s digital age.

• 📌 What defines an invisible disability
• 💡 Why awareness is the first step toward inclusion
• 💬 The emotional impact of being doubted or dismissed
• 📉 The consequences of faking illness on social media
• 📢 How advocacy shows up in both big movements and small conversations
• 🧠 How to be a responsible ally or advocate in your community

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090200150738#

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingbeyondwalkwithheather

Email: livingbeyondtheinvisible@gmail.com

• Invisible Disabilities Association – www.invisibledisabilities.org
• CDC Disability Statistics – cdc.gov
• Asbring & Narvanen (2002), Journal of Health Psychology
• Job Accommodation Network Report (2022) – askjan.org
• Ruderman Family Foundation (2018 Survey)
• Hannah Soyer in Teen Vogue – "Faking Disabilities on TikTok"
• Psychology Today (2023) – "Faking Illness on Social Media"
• Amanda C. Riley (Scamanda Case) – Justice.gov
• Belle Gibson Case – BBC News
• Crutches & Spice Blog by Imani Barbarin – crutchesandspice.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Heather dives into the deceptive practices of certain weight loss influencers who promote unrealistic and potentially harmful dietary habits. She discusses the impact of these influencers on individuals with invisible disabilities, emphasizes the importance of whole foods over processed alternatives, and provides guidance on identifying misleading nutrition advice.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090200150738#

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingbeyondwalkwithheather

Email: livingbeyondtheinvisible@gmail.com

"Health and Wellness Influencer Sparks Backlash for Using Weight Loss Medication" – People.com

https://people.com/health-and-wellness-influencer-sparks-backlash-for-using-weight-loss-medication-11722799

"Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Higher Risk of Early Parkinson's Symptoms, New Study Finds" – Health.com

https://www.health.com/ultra-processed-foods-parkinsons-symptoms-11733780

"What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About Ultraprocessed Foods" – American Medical Association

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-ultraprocessed-foods

"Fact-Checking Nutrition Influencers: 8 Red Flags to Help You Spot Nutrition Misinformation" – Mayo Clinic Press

https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/nutrition-fitness/fact-checking-nutrition-influencers-8-red-flags-to-help-you-spot-nutrition-misinformation/

"Fake Fitness Influencers: The Secrets and Lies Behind the World's Most Envied Physiques" – The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/may/15/fake-fitness-influencers-the-secrets-and-lies-behind-the-worlds-most-enviable-physiques

"Catfish: The TV Show" – MTV

https://www.mtv.com/shows/catfish-the-tv-show

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In this episode, our host Heather explores what it really takes to get and train a service dog, how they differ from emotional support and therapy animals, and the harm caused by fake service dogs. Learn what the law says, how to protect access rights, and why service dogs are more than just pets.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090200150738#

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingbeyondwalkwithheather

Email: livingbeyondtheinvisible@gmail.com

1. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – Service Animal FAQs

https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/

2. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – Assistance Animals in Housing

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/assistance_animals

3. U.S. Department of Transportation – Service Animal Final Rule (Air Travel)

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals-final-rule

4. Pet Partners – What Is a Therapy Animal?

https://petpartners.org/volunteer/therapy-animal-program/what-is-a-therapy-animal/

5. Alliance of Therapy Dogs – Therapy Dog Info

https://www.therapydogs.com/

6. Psychology Today – The Differences Between Therapy Animals and Emotional Support Animals

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-equation/201906/the-difference-between-service-emotional-support-and-therapy

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On this weeks episode, we will discuss how delays in diagnosis can impact someone's over all life.

1. https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/about-us/leading-the-way/fibromyalgia

2. https://www.lupus.org/resources/reducing-time-to-diagnosis

3. https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/factors-influencing-time-to-diagnosis-in-u-s-patients-with-systemic-lupus-erythematosus/

4. https://www.facebook.com/ehlers.danlos/posts/the-average-time-to-diagnosis-of-an-ehlers-danlos-syndrome-eds-or-hypermobility-/10159251586630336

5. https://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php?ID=184

6. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20210727.651552/full/

7. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-022-07524-1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090200150738#

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingbeyondwalkwithheather

Email: livingbeyondtheinvisible@gmail.com

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Hey friends—welcome back to Living Beyond the Invisible! I’m your host, Heather, and today I’m diving into something that hits close to home for so many of us: how invisible disabilities impact our mental health.

As always, I want to remind you that I’m not a medical professional—just someone living with invisible disabilities, sharing what I’ve learned through personal experience and research. This podcast is here to inform, encourage, and connect—not replace medical advice.

In this episode, I talk about the mental and emotional toll of living with conditions people can’t see. Things like fibromyalgia, CHD, autoimmune issues, chronic pain, and more. These illnesses might be invisible, but the weight they carry definitely isn’t.

• Depression — how chronic illness changes your view of yourself and the world
• Anxiety — from health anxiety to fear of not being believed
• Medical PTSD — and my own experiences navigating trauma from surgeries and misdiagnoses
• Loneliness & Isolation — when your body keeps you from participating and people drift away
• Imposter Syndrome — those awful moments of doubt: "Am I really sick enough?"
• 
  

I also get personal and share part of my own journey, including surviving multiple open-heart surgeries, my battle with breast cancer, and how trauma from these experiences has shaped my mental health journey.

Whether you're living with invisible disabilities or love someone who is, I hope this episode reminds you that you're not alone—and that what you're feeling is real and valid.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090200150738#

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingbeyondwalkwithheather

Email: livingbeyondtheinvisible@gmail.com

• Journal of Affective Disorders (2021): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032721001213
• Anxiety & Depression Association of America: https://adaa.org
• CDC Mental Health and Disability Data: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/features/mental-health-for-all.html
• PTSD in Chronic Illness (General Hospital Psychiatry, 2022): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163834321001081
• Disability and Rehabilitation Journal (2022): https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/idre20/current

Thanks so much for listening. If this episode resonated with you, feel free to share it, leave a review, or message me—I truly love hearing from you.

Until next time, keep walking your walk—you're doing better than you think. 💜

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Join me this week to discuss what it's like working with invisible disabilities. We'll talk about disclosure, accommodations and discriminations along with sharing a few personal stories of others.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN) – https://askjan.org

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – https://www.eeoc.gov

Center for Talent Innovation (2021) – "Disabilities and Inclusion" Report

SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), Workplace Disability Report, 2020 – https://shrm.org

ADA National Network – https://adata.org

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) – https://dredf.org

A Better Balance – https://www.abetterbalance.org

Disability:IN – https://disabilityin.org

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. Start a conversation, raise awareness, and remember—you are not alone in this.

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🔹 Leave a review—it helps more people find this community!

Thanks for tuning in! Until next time, take care and remember: some of the bravest things we do are the things no one can see. 💙

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Join me to learn more about Masking and why it's something that the majority of people with invisible disabilities often hide behind.

Find me on Facebook here

Resources:

Invisible Disabilities Association: invisibledisabilities.org

NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness: nami.org

“Unmasking Autism” by Dr. Devon Price

“The Spoon Theory” by Christine Miserandino

Neurodivergent Insights on Instagram – great psychoeducational content

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