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Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID
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.
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.
264 pages, Hardcover
Published January 6, 2026
10 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Emily Mendenhall
16 books5 followersEmily Mendenhall is an anthropologist, Guggenheim Fellow, and Professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She has authored Syndemic Suffering (2012), Global Mental Health (2015), Rethinking Diabetes (2019), Unmasked (2022), Savoring Care (2025) and Invisible Illness (2026). She serves as Editor-in-Chief of a new publication, Science Politics, and has written for Scientific American, Vox, and Psychology Today.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 6, 2026
★★★★★ A vital, compassionate history and a necessary call to action
Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID by Emily Mendenhall is both deeply validating and rigorously informative. Blending cultural history with intimate patient interviews, Mendenhall traces how complex chronic and post-viral illnesses, from lupus and Lyme to long COVID, have long been misunderstood, minimized, or dismissed as psychological. She clearly exposes the fundamental disconnect between the lived reality of chronic illness, which is often multifaceted and individualized, and a medical system that expects uniform, easily categorized disease.
As a severely disabled, middle-aged woman who experiences ongoing medical gaslighting and neglect despite debilitating, life-altering symptoms, I found this book profoundly affirming. Mendenhall approaches post-viral illness through a trauma-informed lens, demonstrating how clinicians can, and should, center patients’ lived experiences during diagnosis and care. Importantly, she balances this compassion with nuance, acknowledging that many healthcare providers are themselves overwhelmed and under-resourced, even as patients bear the consequences of delayed or missed diagnoses.
The book also powerfully addresses inequity, making clear that while invisible illness has historically been associated with white, middle-class women, being believed is even more difficult for those who are Black, queer, trans, poor, young, disabled, or undocumented. By situating personal suffering within broader structural failures, Mendenhall reveals not only what is broken in American healthcare, but how it could be reimagined.
I highly recommend Invisible Illness to anyone living with, or caring for someone with, complex chronic illness. It should also be essential reading for all healthcare professionals. This is a compassionate, urgent book that makes patients feel seen while offering a clear-eyed path toward doing better.
Thanks to NetGalley, RBmedia, author Emily Mendenhall, and narrator Morgan Hallett for this ARC for review. All opinions are my own.
Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID by Emily Mendenhall is both deeply validating and rigorously informative. Blending cultural history with intimate patient interviews, Mendenhall traces how complex chronic and post-viral illnesses, from lupus and Lyme to long COVID, have long been misunderstood, minimized, or dismissed as psychological. She clearly exposes the fundamental disconnect between the lived reality of chronic illness, which is often multifaceted and individualized, and a medical system that expects uniform, easily categorized disease.
As a severely disabled, middle-aged woman who experiences ongoing medical gaslighting and neglect despite debilitating, life-altering symptoms, I found this book profoundly affirming. Mendenhall approaches post-viral illness through a trauma-informed lens, demonstrating how clinicians can, and should, center patients’ lived experiences during diagnosis and care. Importantly, she balances this compassion with nuance, acknowledging that many healthcare providers are themselves overwhelmed and under-resourced, even as patients bear the consequences of delayed or missed diagnoses.
The book also powerfully addresses inequity, making clear that while invisible illness has historically been associated with white, middle-class women, being believed is even more difficult for those who are Black, queer, trans, poor, young, disabled, or undocumented. By situating personal suffering within broader structural failures, Mendenhall reveals not only what is broken in American healthcare, but how it could be reimagined.
I highly recommend Invisible Illness to anyone living with, or caring for someone with, complex chronic illness. It should also be essential reading for all healthcare professionals. This is a compassionate, urgent book that makes patients feel seen while offering a clear-eyed path toward doing better.
Thanks to NetGalley, RBmedia, author Emily Mendenhall, and narrator Morgan Hallett for this ARC for review. All opinions are my own.
January 10, 2026
“Invisible illnesses like endometriosis, Lyme disease, and long Covid typically present as a constellation of vague, sometimes intermittent symptoms that include pain, chronic fatigue, and brain fog. As different as these conditions are from each other, they are also similar in how misunderstood they are in the medical community.”
Invisible Illness: A History of Illness From Hysteria to Long Covid is a compelling exploration of disability and how it affects the everyday life of those experiencing it and their communities. I am very interested in anything that includes an examination of the history of hysteria and how it’s still affecting healthcare and dismissing folks concerns, so I was very excited to receive the audio arc of this book.
Since Hippocrates, history has long associated women’s health (and sexuality) with madness. Hysteria encompassed all somatic and many physical complaints of women, regardless of the real origins the illness. Think multiple sclerosis or MS, for example, and although this generally affected white middle class women, it has also made it harder to seek care if you are Black, trans, or marginalized in any other way. Mendenhall starts out her book with hysteria as the foundation of how other similarly “vague” symptoms of illnesses such as Lyme’s disease, endometriosis, and long covid are misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated even now.
I loved how well researched and how much psychology and medical narrative information was included in this book. Also, shout out to the mention of Virginia Woolf and the rest cure (Mrs Dalloway) and how much time was spent on the gendered framing of certain illnesses and how that impacts how seriously symptoms and conditions are taken by providers. Often that is is such a key factor in how well treatment goes and what the outcomes are.
Originally, I picked this book because I wanted to learn more about long covid, but as a women’s health provider myself, I also really appreciated how much focus was placed on inequality. I personally feel medicine has a responsibility to address this and felt understanding the stories and experiences highlighted in this book is great start. In addition, the section on endometriosis and the story of Tam and her trauma and feeling unsafe in her body was particularly interesting to me.
✨4.5 stars rounded up!
Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for this audio arc. Invisible Illness came out January 6, 2026.
Invisible Illness: A History of Illness From Hysteria to Long Covid is a compelling exploration of disability and how it affects the everyday life of those experiencing it and their communities. I am very interested in anything that includes an examination of the history of hysteria and how it’s still affecting healthcare and dismissing folks concerns, so I was very excited to receive the audio arc of this book.
Since Hippocrates, history has long associated women’s health (and sexuality) with madness. Hysteria encompassed all somatic and many physical complaints of women, regardless of the real origins the illness. Think multiple sclerosis or MS, for example, and although this generally affected white middle class women, it has also made it harder to seek care if you are Black, trans, or marginalized in any other way. Mendenhall starts out her book with hysteria as the foundation of how other similarly “vague” symptoms of illnesses such as Lyme’s disease, endometriosis, and long covid are misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated even now.
I loved how well researched and how much psychology and medical narrative information was included in this book. Also, shout out to the mention of Virginia Woolf and the rest cure (Mrs Dalloway) and how much time was spent on the gendered framing of certain illnesses and how that impacts how seriously symptoms and conditions are taken by providers. Often that is is such a key factor in how well treatment goes and what the outcomes are.
Originally, I picked this book because I wanted to learn more about long covid, but as a women’s health provider myself, I also really appreciated how much focus was placed on inequality. I personally feel medicine has a responsibility to address this and felt understanding the stories and experiences highlighted in this book is great start. In addition, the section on endometriosis and the story of Tam and her trauma and feeling unsafe in her body was particularly interesting to me.
✨4.5 stars rounded up!
Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for this audio arc. Invisible Illness came out January 6, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I picked up Invisible Illness thinking it would focus mostly on COVID, especially long COVID, and that ended up not being the case. COVID is part of the discussion, but the book actually spans a wide range of chronic and invisible illnesses, including lupus and Lyme disease. That broader scope isn’t a bad thing, but it wasn’t what I was expecting going in, and it took some adjustment.
The author approaches the subject as a medical anthropologist, and that perspective is felt throughout the book. The focus is less on individual illness experiences and more on how the medical system, historically and culturally, has handled conditions that don’t fit neatly into established boxes. Some of that was genuinely interesting, especially when looking at how often patients with invisible illnesses are dismissed or told their symptoms are psychological.
That said, parts of the book felt more academic and distant than I anticipated. I found myself wanting more grounding in real, lived experiences and less emphasis on theory and systems. While the message is important, the delivery sometimes felt heavy, which made it harder to stay fully engaged.
Overall, I’d say this book was fine, but not quite what I hoped for. Readers who are interested in the history and sociology of chronic illness may appreciate it more than those looking for a more personal or COVID-centered narrative. For me, it had valuable points, but it didn’t fully connect.
PUBLISH DATE: January 6, 2026
BOOK TITLE: Invisible Illness
A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID
AUTHOR: Emily Mendenhall
NARRATOR:Morgan Hallet
FORMAT: audiobook
DURATION 8 Hours, 56 Minutes
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Reader copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Amazon Review: (TBD)
Barns & Noble Review: (TBD)
The author approaches the subject as a medical anthropologist, and that perspective is felt throughout the book. The focus is less on individual illness experiences and more on how the medical system, historically and culturally, has handled conditions that don’t fit neatly into established boxes. Some of that was genuinely interesting, especially when looking at how often patients with invisible illnesses are dismissed or told their symptoms are psychological.
That said, parts of the book felt more academic and distant than I anticipated. I found myself wanting more grounding in real, lived experiences and less emphasis on theory and systems. While the message is important, the delivery sometimes felt heavy, which made it harder to stay fully engaged.
Overall, I’d say this book was fine, but not quite what I hoped for. Readers who are interested in the history and sociology of chronic illness may appreciate it more than those looking for a more personal or COVID-centered narrative. For me, it had valuable points, but it didn’t fully connect.
PUBLISH DATE: January 6, 2026
BOOK TITLE: Invisible Illness
A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID
AUTHOR: Emily Mendenhall
NARRATOR:Morgan Hallet
FORMAT: audiobook
DURATION 8 Hours, 56 Minutes
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Reader copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Amazon Review: (TBD)
Barns & Noble Review: (TBD)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This audiobook was both informative and eye-opening. I appreciated how clearly it explored the body–mind connection and how biases in medical diagnosis and treatment impact people with complex chronic conditions. The historical context around invisible illnesses, leading up to current conversations about Long COVID, added important depth. As a healthcare provider, I found this information to be especially valuable.
This book does a powerful job highlighting the barriers disabled people face, not only within the medical system, but also from political and structural perspectives, and the ongoing disconnect between patient lived experiences and the medical community. The personal stories from patients navigating the healthcare system while living with complex chronic conditions were especially impactful.
Overall, this was a thoughtful and meaningful listen that encouraged deeper reflection on how healthcare systems engage with and how the general population perceive chronic and invisible illness. I highly recommend this book and am definitely planning to purchase a physical copy to revisit and reference in the future.
This book does a powerful job highlighting the barriers disabled people face, not only within the medical system, but also from political and structural perspectives, and the ongoing disconnect between patient lived experiences and the medical community. The personal stories from patients navigating the healthcare system while living with complex chronic conditions were especially impactful.
Overall, this was a thoughtful and meaningful listen that encouraged deeper reflection on how healthcare systems engage with and how the general population perceive chronic and invisible illness. I highly recommend this book and am definitely planning to purchase a physical copy to revisit and reference in the future.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and rb media for providing an ARC of the audiobook.
As someone who lives with invisible illnesses, I found this book deeply informative, validating, and at times infuriating in the way only truth can be. Emily Mendenhall does an excellent job tracing the historical roots of how medicine has treated (and dismissed) illnesses that are not easily seen, from hysteria to Long COVID. The connections she draws make it impossible to ignore how gender, power, and bias continue to shape medical care today.
Listening to this on audio was especially impactful. The narration is clear, engaging, and well-suited to the material, making complex history and research feel accessible rather than academic or dry. This is the kind of book that makes you pause, rewind, and think about your own experiences or those of people you love.
This is absolutely a book I plan to purchase in physical form for my own shelf, and one I will be recommending to friends, especially those who live with chronic or invisible conditions or who work in healthcare. Invisible Illness feels both necessary and timely, and it left me feeling more informed, more seen, and more empowered.
As someone who lives with invisible illnesses, I found this book deeply informative, validating, and at times infuriating in the way only truth can be. Emily Mendenhall does an excellent job tracing the historical roots of how medicine has treated (and dismissed) illnesses that are not easily seen, from hysteria to Long COVID. The connections she draws make it impossible to ignore how gender, power, and bias continue to shape medical care today.
Listening to this on audio was especially impactful. The narration is clear, engaging, and well-suited to the material, making complex history and research feel accessible rather than academic or dry. This is the kind of book that makes you pause, rewind, and think about your own experiences or those of people you love.
This is absolutely a book I plan to purchase in physical form for my own shelf, and one I will be recommending to friends, especially those who live with chronic or invisible conditions or who work in healthcare. Invisible Illness feels both necessary and timely, and it left me feeling more informed, more seen, and more empowered.
January 6, 2026
As a chronically ill girlie, I just had to read this. And I sped through it.
If you have a chronically ill friend, I especially think you need to read this.
This covers the stories of several chronically ill people, but also goes over the history and understand of these sorts of conditions. This goes over how diseases used to be only viewed by how they physically manifested (if you can't see the problem, there's no problem there), hysteria being a catch-all term to conditions no one understood, how long COVID made people start to care about and understand chronic illness, chronic fatigue, how some people don't believe in Lyme Disease because it's dynamic and can't be seen, and the struggles of dealing with the medical system.
This was incredibly relatable to me.
I didn't love the mentions of functional medicine doctors, but that's due to my own terrible and dangerous experiences with them. I just think you should go to specialists when you have complicated health issues instead of people who paint all chronic illnesses with a broad brush and only one solution.
Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
If you have a chronically ill friend, I especially think you need to read this.
This covers the stories of several chronically ill people, but also goes over the history and understand of these sorts of conditions. This goes over how diseases used to be only viewed by how they physically manifested (if you can't see the problem, there's no problem there), hysteria being a catch-all term to conditions no one understood, how long COVID made people start to care about and understand chronic illness, chronic fatigue, how some people don't believe in Lyme Disease because it's dynamic and can't be seen, and the struggles of dealing with the medical system.
This was incredibly relatable to me.
I didn't love the mentions of functional medicine doctors, but that's due to my own terrible and dangerous experiences with them. I just think you should go to specialists when you have complicated health issues instead of people who paint all chronic illnesses with a broad brush and only one solution.
Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
January 7, 2026
I don’t usually rate non fiction books but I think this is a must read, especially if you know someone who has an invisible illness.
Although this research is based on American society, laws, politics and financial system, so much of it also rings true to mine and that of others I know who live with invisible illnesses.
It’s a very uncomfortable read but I found my Ely constantly thinking ‘yeah, me too!’ or ‘oh I know someone who has experienced that’. It’s sad but knowing you’re not alone when going through everything long term/ chronic illness is such a relief.
With all this data and information fresh in my mind, I feel freshly empowered to stand up for myself and others and fight for what I/ they need 💪
(Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC)
Although this research is based on American society, laws, politics and financial system, so much of it also rings true to mine and that of others I know who live with invisible illnesses.
It’s a very uncomfortable read but I found my Ely constantly thinking ‘yeah, me too!’ or ‘oh I know someone who has experienced that’. It’s sad but knowing you’re not alone when going through everything long term/ chronic illness is such a relief.
With all this data and information fresh in my mind, I feel freshly empowered to stand up for myself and others and fight for what I/ they need 💪
(Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC)
January 6, 2026
As someone with a chronic illness, this book really intrigued me. I love hearing other people's stories and experiences dealing with similar things. This book presented a look into the history of many "invisible illnesses" by providing some historical evidence as well as first hand narrative experiences. I found it very personal and very interesting, however, I didn't feel like I was really gaining any NEW information. Many of the anecdotes and facts that were being shared felt very repetitive, much of it felt like it was the same thing being told over and over again. Not a bad book by any means, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in the topic.
January 6, 2026
I’m someone who was recently diagnosed with alpha gal syndrome and MCAS. This book was very informative! I’m planning on buying a copy to keep for reference. It does read a bit (especially at the beginning) like someone just reading different studies to you. The middle to the end was my favorite so hang in there! 4 stars!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to the audiobook for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to the audiobook for my honest review.
January 17, 2026
This is a very well-written novel conceptualizing chronic illnesses and how they are often diminished, minimized, and dismissed by the medical system. Mendenhall takes readers from the origins of medical dismissiveness from women with Hysteria all the way through Lyme Disease to Long COVID. Blending a mixture of personal research, case studies, and exploring history Mendenhall creates a compelling narrative.
As someone who suffers from chronic illnesses, I felt seen and understood from this novel. I learned how the history of medical dismissiveness impacts me today. I feel empowered after reading Invisible Illness and recommend it to anyone personally impacted by chronic illnesses, their loved ones, those who value social justice, and those working in the medical field.
As someone who suffers from chronic illnesses, I felt seen and understood from this novel. I learned how the history of medical dismissiveness impacts me today. I feel empowered after reading Invisible Illness and recommend it to anyone personally impacted by chronic illnesses, their loved ones, those who value social justice, and those working in the medical field.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was informative and well researched with personal interviews conducted with people living with a number of different invisible illnesses from endometriosis, lupus, MS, long COVID and more. Good on audio but more history and critique than biographical which I hoping for it to be. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
January 11, 2026
This book shares personal stories that truly capture the reality of living with long COVID. It sheds light on the struggle to get answers and reveals how much our healthcare system is failing those who need it most.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews