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Too often young people with illness hear, "you're too young to be that sick." Uh.... no. Unfortunately, one is never too young to be sick.

Nearly 1 in 2 people in the USA have a chronic illness and about 96% of it is invisible.* With the knowledge that this number is continuing to grow as our population ages, National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week offers three workshops that focus on coping mechanisms and emotional support.

Nearly 1 in 2 people in the USA have a chronic illness, over 133 million. Where do they turn for encouragment when times get tough? One way it to attend some of the workshops online that National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week sponsors September 8-12,

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is offering twenty free online seminars this week with well-known experts in the areas of patient rights, how to win disability cases (even with invisible illnesses) and financial planning when you are chronically ill.

Some would argue having an illness that is invisible is a good thing. And at times it can be because one gets to choose who to share what information with. But it's also difficult because no one ever believes the seriousness of one's illness or pain level.

Traveling expenses, hard beds, peers wearing too much perfume, long treks to conference rooms, and exhausting days make up the typical conference--all which make it nearly impossible for the chronically ill to attend events where they can find encouragement and education. National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week's “virtual” conference online is more than just practical. It's necessary.

Living with an invisible illness can cause heartache and bitterness when one feels no one understands the significance of the illness. Invisible Illness Week provides that validation that people with invisible diseases often seek.

Through blogs, social networks and book marking tools, this non-profit plans to unite the thousands who live with a variety of invisible illnesses to increase the awareness that illnesses are legitimate even though most people who live with it "look just fine."

In a recent survey of 611 chronically ill individuals, done by the National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week committee, 53.27% of the respondents said that the most frustrating or annoying comment people make about their illness is “But you look so good!”