dirt

I struggle with this a lot as well, but if we're trying to get accommodations and treatments in a system created by and for abled and usually healthy bodies we have to speak their language and it really is a matter of having to constantly translate back and forth.

If I want an able-bodied person to take my state seriously I can't just say "I'm a little tired today". Even if to MY chronic fatigue standards that really is just a little more tired than usual. MY "a little more tired than usual" doesn't look like what an able-bodied person understands as "a little more tired than usual" and it sure as hell doesn't require the same care as what they understand by it... But they're the ones with the power to concede or deny me the level of care or at least basic consideration I do need.

Same with pain. The things I consider to be ok regarding pain and discomfort are things an able-bodied person would call in sick for. Same too with the cognitive dysfunction when I'm flaring.

If we as individuals want to get anything from a little understanding to (God fucking forbid) tangible help for our impairments then we have to start articulating what we're going through in terms they could understand. It's why I tend to tell people to "exaggerate"; because most of the time we won't be exaggerating, we'll be more accurate than we otherwise would.

These have the number scale but also a level of activity/pain that goes along with it, which based on the responses to the other post none of us had ever seen before.

I have all 3 saved on my laptop, my ipad, and my phone so I have them handy most of the time.

The anatomy of a “narc crash”: what it feels like and what triggers it (and why provoking a narc crash is cruel)

People love to throw around the term “narc crash” like it’s karmic justice; as if watching someone with NPD emotionally implode is entertainment. What they don’t grasp is that it’s not an ego tantrum; it’s an identity rupture. It’s the brain’s version of a full system error.

Happy disability pride month! I use my oc Dia to cope with a lot of my feelings relating to my own disabilities.

Like me and many other disabled people who are ambulant users of our disability aids, Dia can go from using none to a wheelchair depending on the day and walking requirements.

The accessibility specialist asks why the door at the top of the small set of stairs has a wheelchair symbol on it. The owner replies that's the accessible bathroom. The camera zooms in on the specialist as they process this information.

A customer with a service dog comes in to a restaurant. The hostess tells them they don't allow dogs. The accessibly specialist looks over at the hostess like

And there are web accessibility episodes too. The accessibility specialist stares at the white text on the light pink background of the home page like

The specialist asks why not a single product picture has alt text, and the business owner says "Well I mean, it's makeup, why would a blind person be shopping for makeup?" The specialist just

good for u that turning off the lights and lighting a scented candle instead and listening to music or put on a show and using a bath bomb etc etc helps u but like none of those tips are that beneficial for physically disabled ppl specifically.

grab bars or shower chair as ^^^ said

sponge bath or wipes for a quick clean

dry shampoo

sit in the shower

make sure the water isn't too hot, especially my POTS folks! Temp changes make us pass out, reduce your risk of fainting or getting dizzy and nauseous pls

lay down immediately after ur done showering, seriously

no don't get dressed first, give yourself a lil bit

if you NEED to get dressed immediately, do so sitting or laying down in bed

Compression socks after are a GODSEND

This one's also aimed towards POTS folks, have a gatorade or liquid iv ready to down the second you're out

clean bottom to top, because chances are ur energy to bend down will be higher at the start of your shower

for my ppl with inflammation, don't discount epsom salt baths. they're not for everyone but i find them quite nice

for ppl who live with other ppl that they completely trust, and who are afraid they may fall: You don't have to have someone in the bathroom with you, but talk about leaving the door unlocked so they can get to you in an emergency, and let them know when ur in and out of the shower too

my fellow ehlers danlos ppl, the hot water WILL relax your muscles and that WILL result in a higher chance of dislocations during and after showering. Have all available braces at the READY and be extra careful pls

KT tape ppl, take your tape off in the shower or with baby oil. do NOT just peel it off dry skin for the love of GOD

Me in my millionth flare up this year (if I do not romanticize having to lie in bed I will lose my mind)

(note: these are just headcanons because i as an obsessive compulsive see no obsessive compulsive characters who aren’t just outright offensive stereotypes of ocd, or don’t even have symptoms i have. the symptom headcanons moreso line up with their personalities. also note, this includes schizo ocd as schizo ocd is on the ocd spectrum, yes, but separate from ocd because of it’s schizophrenia spectrum components)

usopp, one piece: reassurance seeking compulsions and rumination compulsions, and obsessions regarding if his friends like him, if he’s weak or strong, or if people are going to abandon him. his last compulsion is VERY comorbid with his bpd and some days he’s VERY preoccupied with “are people going to abandon me”, which causes his reassurance seeking compulsions to flare up. he sometimes asks the going merry at least 5 times an hour if they still like him or if they’re going to leave him, and before chopper diagnosed him with ocd (and yes, dr. kureha trained him in recognizing MENTAL illnesses as well) he thought he was just an unlikeable freak and his constant reassurance seeking makes people hate him. he’s also (in the obsessive compulsive way in addition to the colloquial way) a compulsive liar. sometimes he just. if someone asks him if he’s done something wrong and he worries they’d get mad at him he will just get these thoughts in his head like “LIE LIE LIE DON’T TELL THEM THE TRUTH HIDE EVERY THOUGHT YOU’VE EVER HAD” and he’ll lie and then he’ll worry that people can tell he’s lying by. well, mind reading. usually people can just tell he’s lying but because he’s usopp, he’s a known fibber. but he still feels immensely guilty if he lies about things that AREN’T related to “i am the strongest warrior of the sea” because like…he feels like he’s done something wrong and he’ll ruminate on that all day. when he ruminates he has to ruminate a set amount of times or else he hasn’t “thought about it enough” and that makes him “bad” and “worthy of punishment” even when he hasn’t done anything wrong. like usopp will think a harmless horny thought that DOESN’T come from ocd intrusive thoughts and he’ll realize he’s thinking a natural thought that comes from having sexual and romantic desires and he’ll be like “oh god i’m a bad person and i’m violating the person with my slutty slutty eyes”. in case you can’t tell a lot of usopp’s compulsions and obsessions are my own because i heavily relate to him.

If you can't, then you need to practice this at least twice a day until you can.

Maintaining your ability to balance is one of THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU CAN DO to ensure your future safety. If your ability to balance is eroded, then your likelihood of being a repeat victim of trips and falls as you get older is SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED. And with falls, comes injuries. Comes sprains and bruises at best - breaks, dislocations, and hospitalisations at worst.

And when you're older, breaks and dislocations can lead to complications which can lead to severely decreased quality of life, and/or outright death. The number of people who are relatively healthy, but fall, break something, and then never make it home, is a significant number.

So stand up. Right now. See if you can balance on your right foot for 10 seconds without wobbling or grabbing onto something. Then do your left foot.

Practice stepping into your underwear whilst standing. Can you navigate your foot into the leghole without having to sit down or grab onto something? If you're otherwise able-bodied, that is something you should be able to do.

If you can't do it, practice it until you can.

If you can do it, check periodically to make sure that you can STILL do it.

- The picture test: If you can’t tell if something is a hallucination or not, take a photo! If it shows up in the picture then you have a keepsake of that crazy creepy Halloween decoration. If not it’s a hallucination (or a vampire. No, i’m kidding it’s a hallucination.)

- Is some kid in mask causing paranoia? Ask them where they got their costume. Did they make it? How did they get the idea? Focusing on the person inside of the costume will help you remember that it’s just a person!

- Avoid haunted houses, haunted hayrides, ect. Actors will not stop scaring unless it’s an emergency, and I’ve yet to find a place that teaches actors how to deal with anything other than physical injuries. (I once met a haunted house actor who said causing a panic attack meant he was “doing his job right.”)

- There’s no shame in asking friends and relatives to avoid sending jump scare videos or anything else that could cause paranoia.

- Here are some tips on how to tell if a video is a screamer.

- (from freeasthepaperburns) Boggart it! If something is making you upset, make it silly. dance with the shadows, sing to the creepies, I bet if make a fish face at the scary face it’ll be a little less scary. I know this is harder than it sounds, but I’ve gotten better at it over the time, and find it helps!