When Chronic Illness and Intimate Partner Violence Intersect

Written By Sita Huber

The Hidden Crisis Facing Women

In Canada—and across the globe—a growing number of women are living with chronic conditions such as Long COVID, Dysautonomia (incuding POTS), Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and autoimmune conditions. Symptoms are often debilitating and invisible, quietly affecting every aspect of life; from daily functioning and employment, to relationships and a woman’s own sense of self-worth.

These illnesses do not exist in isolation. When compounded by systemic dismissal, financial pressure, or intimate partner violence, the toll becomes unthinkable. And yet, for many women, this is the unspoken reality they carry every day.

Delayed Diagnoses and Medical Gaslighting

For too many, the journey to an accurate diagnosis is long, disorienting, and retraumatizing.

  • The average diagnostic delay for POTS is nearly 6 years.

  • Approximately 50% of POTS patients are initially misdiagnosed with psychiatric conditions like anxiety or depression.

  • Women face longer diagnostic delays than men, a reflection of the persistent gender bias and medical gaslighting present in many healthcare systems.

These delays don’t just prolong symptoms—they create self-doubt. Women are often told they’re stressed, dramatic, or "just tired," while their bodies are in visible distress. The result? A slow erosion of trust in their own experience.

The Financial Burden of Being Sick

Managing chronic illness is not just emotionally and physically draining—it’s also financially devastating.

  • Adults with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome face an estimated $21,100 in excess annual healthcare costs.

  • The median out-of-pocket expenses for EDS patients alone are over $13,000 per year.

  • Even with insurance, women often pay thousands for:

    • Compression garments

    • Electrolyte and supplement therapies

    • Mobility aids and adaptive devices

    • Alternative or experimental treatments after standard care fails

These hidden costs are rarely discussed—and yet they shape daily decisions for women living on the edge of exhaustion.

Where Chronic Illness and Intimate Partner Violence Overlap

Chronic illness often increases a woman’s vulnerability to emotional, psychological, and financial abuse:

  • In Canada, 78% of police-reported IPV victims are women and girls.

  • Chronic illness can strip women of financial independence, limit their ability to physically leave, and lead to social isolation—factors that heighten the risk of being trapped in unsafe relationships.

  • Many women are also raising children while managing complex, under-treated conditions, making escape feel impossible.

The physical limitations of illness and the dependency it can create are often manipulated by abusers. Add in systemic disbelief from doctors, and the result is an environment where abuse is easier to hide—and harder to escape.

What the Research Tells Us

Long COVID & Autoimmunity:

  • According to the CDC, 8.5% of women report having had Long COVID, compared to 5.2% of men.

  • Women are at higher risk for Long COVID-related neurological symptoms:
    fatigue, brain fog, depression, headaches, and anosmia.

  • POTS affects women 5x more than men, especially those of childbearing age.

Domestic & Intimate Partner Violence:

  • Globally, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence surged, with some countries reporting up to 25% increases in emergency calls.

  • Women with Long COVID have reported increased vulnerability to IPV, due to reduced physical capacity, economic dependence, and increased caregiving burdens.

Why This Matters

These aren’t just statistics—they’re lives. They’re stories of women surviving impossible layers of physical and emotional labor, often without support, visibility, or protection.

At Steady Together, we exist for the women living in this intersection.

  • For the ones whose symptoms are real, even when unseen.

  • For the ones who’ve been silenced by systems or partners.

  • For the ones still raising children, attending appointments, managing flares—and doing it all while quietly falling apart.

To these women—and to all who identify as women without exclusion—we offer a steady hand and say:

You are not invisible.
You are not too much.
And you are not alone.

With kindness and steady strength,
Sita Huber
Wellness Leader & Empathy Advocate
www.steadytogether.org
@steady2gether

Sita Huber