#MyPainFace & #MyInvisiblePain : Two Fun, Easy Ways to Spread Awareness

I’m not having a good week, so I haven’t worn my human mask much. But I did recently share THIS POST about Making Invisible Illness Visible. LonBonLonLon on Tumblr is trying to get the hashtag #MyInvisiblePain to trend, and I’m trying to get #MyPainFace to trend. So I thought I’d do a little of both this morning…

Here is #MyPainFace from this past February, playing in the snow until the brightness got to me.

And here is #MyInvisiblePain … the things you can’t see going on with me, but I assure you were happening in this picture. I’m not squinting to be cute.

That’s just from the neck up, really. I left off things like nausea and dizziness because I couldn’t figure out how to illustrate them.

Share your lovely face with the world. Show everyone that people who are suffering can look like everyone else! Tag your photo #MyPainFace on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Instagram!

Or get to doodling, and share your symptoms to help spread awareness of invisible illnesses! Use #MyInvisiblePain on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or Instagram!

And if you’d like to share it with My Brain Hates Me, tag me too! @MyBrainHatesMe on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and @niansahc on Instagram!

My Pain Face

This is my face of chronic pain. This is me wearing makeup. I am smiling. I have bathed. I have a bow in my hair. I am wearing clothing. You won’t see me curled up in a ball or wincing because I don’t want you to see me like that. I don’t want to live in pain, but I do. I am a human being, and pain takes away my humanity. I do everything I can to maintain that humanity by putting on my human mask when I’m around friends and family. I don’t look sick, but I’m in agony. I choose to hide that pain. I feel happiness. I laugh. It does not mean I’m better. #mypainface