The room moves even when I am standing still

Dear Delyara, I developed severe vertigo after an inner-ear illness. Some days I can function. Other days, walls tilt and floors feel as if they are moving under me. I have stopped driving. I work from home when possible. What hurts most is how invisible it looks. If I am sitting still, I appear fine. Friends invite me out and say, “Just come for an hour.” They do not understand that a busy restaurant can make my brain feel as if the table is sliding across the room. Yesterday, my daughter asked me to attend her school performance. I went. Halfway through, the lights and movement became too much. I left quietly before her part. She said she understands. She looked disappointed anyway. Doctors say vestibular therapy may help, but progress is slow. I am forty-three and have started calculating every outing based on where I can sit, what moves around me, whether someone can collect me if the room begins to spin. I miss trusting the ground.