The chronical other

Normal health, normal bodies, normal minds. It seems that in our society anything other than a visually abled body and mind is considered other than normal. Especially people who are preoccupied with their bodies over a long period of time because of chronic illnesses eventually no longer fit into this normal picture. Why are we so obsessed with having this rigid outline of what is and isn't normal?

*Chronic illnesses are conditions that produce a long developing syndrome or syndromes that come with time.

According to the European Commission, over one third of the European population aged over 15 suffers from a chronic illness*. They can come in many shapes, some more visible such as MS which affects the brain and nerves more severely over time. However, others such as Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are far less obvious as their symptoms, which include pain and fatigue, are often trivialized or seen as subjective.

A 2021 study led by the National Institute of Mental Health clearly linked chronic illness to a myriad of mental health conditions. The lack of recognition and understanding of these illnesses are one of the factors that lead people with chronic illnesses to be categorised and, at times, self-categorise as outside of the norm. 

Being viewed as “others”

The idea of normality is defined differently depending on the field of study. The sociologist Emile Durkheim opposed normality to pathology and decided that normality simply was defined by the actions taken by the greater majority. Although in this definition ‘pathology’ is taken for its sociological definition, it is very telling that in its definition ‘normality’ opposes what we think of as medical pathology. Although this could be a simple coincidence, it sets a precedent for the way we view people with chronic illnesses as out of the ordinary and in some cases threatening. The kind of stigma that chronic illness carries means that in addition to being viewed as ‘others’, chronically ill people often cannot benefit from services and infrastructures put in place ‘for normal people’ by ‘normal people’. This encompasses many access issues ranging from access to medical professionals and learning aids to physical tools to help people move freely.

With invisible illness in particular the pressure to adhere to the norm and present as a healthy or non-ill individual is extremely high. This constitutes emotional and sometimes physical labour in order to be seen as normal and make those around us more comfortable. Being in this situation means that there are only two choices presented to the ill person: Making an incredible effort everyday not to seem ill and continue to live with the benefits of being ‘normal’ or vocalise one's own illness and risk being marginalised by the greater ableist pressures of society.

Ideas of a single normality

Some of our greatest cultural icons have historically fallen outside of the ‘normal’ definition. Scientist and mathematician Charles Darwin had a number of chronic illnesses stemming from a mitochondrial disorder, Michealangelo suffered from lifelong arthritis. These are just two names from a long list of figures who saw life differently partly due to their chronic illness. Furthermore many of them have documented how their chronic illness has benefited in some way, their ability to think outside the confines of mainstream knowledge. 

Chronic illness can also lead to great creative practices that allow the viewer to expand their perception of what reality and normality could be. Chronic illness is a theme that has often been at the centre of many different artistic practices. Some of the most poignant literary endeavours that centre illness and disease have come from artists and practitioners who, themselves, suffered from chronic illness. The ill condition of certain individuals has been more politicised than others, as with all categorizations, there is a social hierarchy waiting to be dismantled. Women and particularly Women of Colour have not always had the luxury or chance to name their chronic illness, and therefore, were simply placed outside the bounds of “normality”. By studying and listening to their perceived realities we can better understand how truly restrictive the idea of a single normality can be.

We fear what we cannot understand

Perceiving the human body beyond standardized norms will not only help to create tolerance and acceptance for people with chronic illnesses and integrate their individual needs better, but it can help us as a society to work more creatively and individually on a common future.

Normality truly is a concept that was invented by the few people at the top of the social and economic pyramid in order to keep themselves and their peers there. The lack of flexibility in our late capitalist Western society for any view of life and reality that is outside the norm reflects how scared we are as a population of any kind of difference and the unknown. We fear what we cannot understand, this is true of most of the marginalised groups in society but never more than those who feel burdened by their chronic illness.