Invisible Illness

A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID

By: Emily Mendenhall

Narrated by: Morgan Hallett

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.

"This book challenges us to address discrimination in clinical care for people with complex chronic conditions like long Covid, questioning why some are believed while others aren't—a persistent disparity in US healthcare."—Oni Blackstock, primary care and HIV physician and founder of Health Justice

©2026 Emily Mendenhall (P)2026 Recorded Books

Learned a lot about chronic illness and pain

I have friends and relatives who have chronic and pain, and this book helped me understand the long term and devastating effects of adverse childhood and adult experiences on our psyche and physical health. An enlightening read not only for those effected but for those caregiving for those effected.

It’s a hug and a punch in the gut all at the same time!

Educational, emotional, thought provoking, and insightful. Mainstream medicine has a lot to learn from researchers like Dr. Mendenhall. Society at large has even more to learn about public health as it tries to more narrowly define the lines of what is and is not acceptable to be supported. In world growing less aware and less caring this is such a great book about who, what, where and how we suffer quietly told with smarts, honesty, caring and compassion. I salute each of you who had the courage to share your stories and I congratulate Dr. Mendenhall on creating a beautiful, relatable and complex story worthy of your trust. This is a book that has arrived at a much needed time and I enjoyed it immensely.