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itsjunghan 's review for:
[5 stars] Part memoir and part scientific review, Invisible delves into the biases, prejudice, stigma, and shame surrounding chronic illness, mental health, and disability for young cisgender and transgender women. As I read the chronicle of other people's experiences seeking care in Western medical settings, I found myself seeing the same words that doctors had repeated to me throughout the past five years as doctors have struggled to diagnose my constellations of orthopedic, neurological, rhematological, endocrinological, and psychological symptoms. It made me sad to know that others shared my experiences while also validating that I wasn't alone and also didn't have faulty intuition with regards to my health and my body. Lent Hirsch definitely did her research but I didn't find her writing dense or overly academic. She explored some of the intersections of disability and illness alongside gender, race, and geography, doing a somewhat decent job while also recognizing her own privilege in seeking care, though I would've liked to see a deeper class analysis, especially when folks lack insurance, and the inclusion of a disability justice frame alongside chronic illness. I'd recommend this book for my fellow sick and disabled folks, as well as those who work in health or healing settings to learn more about chronic illness and/or navigate implicit biases.