»Chronic physical invisible illness denial«: self-loathing, iatrotheology and supporting rationalizations

Abstract

The interaction of complex biopsychosocial factors may sometimes militate against the timely diagnosis of chronic physical invisible illnesses. In a recent article, also published in this journal, we developed an empirical and process-driven model through which the phenomenon of »chronic physical invisible illness denial« could be understood (McSharry, Toth & Koch, 2018). In this article we develop a coherent theoretical lens which facilitates a more substantive understanding of the process-driven model. While the earlier article explains how invisible illness denial can find expression, this article focusses on why the phenomenon exists at all. The aim of both articles is the same, however: to cast some light on the biopsychosocial lived experience of chronic invisible illness denial. By making psychotherapists and physicians more aware of the reasons behind their own potential unconscious biases against validating the symptomology of genuine cases of chronic physical invisible illnesses, it is hoped that the occurrence of cases of long-term undiagnosed chronic physical invisible illness may be reduced.