an ever-changing swarm of fragments

Some people are housebound. Bed bound. Some people physically can’t eat, shower, or use the toilet without the assistance of a caretaker. Some people don’t have the spoons to get out of bed in the morning, let alone work a 9-5 job in this capitalist hellhole.

You’re not lazy. You’re not less than.

And this is coming from a disabled person with chronic pain who can leave the house and walk (with some pain) without mobility aids.

You deserve to take up space. You deserve to cost money. You deserve to be here without feeling guilty just because you can’t give back in the traditional way.

There isn't a time line. It's okay if it took you awhile to realize you'd been through trauma. It's okay if it took you awhile to realize the extent to which you were affected by it. It's okay if it took you awhile to be ready to begin processing and/or healing.

and thinking about how this almost certainly applies to systems and dissociation as well. like yeah, it's entirely possible and valid to be a completely non-disordered, non-dissociative system, but I think a lot of plurals are vastly underestimating the amount of dissociation they experience because it's common to them so they don't even notice. I know that's definitely how it went for us

Of course someone so "severely" disabled wouldn't be in the room with you or reading your post, right? Right??

And if they were, surely they could just intuit that you don't mean them. Despite their disability that you consider so terribly severe. Right???

Someone who is capable of protesting your words with relative eloquence clearly can't be that severely disabled and must therefore be exaggerating. Of course.

You're exclusively annoyed by people who "refuse to learn" out of laziness or stubbornness, of which there are sooo many, and you know that because ... you've read all their minds to make sure they're not facing genuine obstacles?

It makes sense that for many systems, their physical disabilities affect their plurality in some way. Whether the impact your disability has on your system is positive or negative, anticipated or unexpected, you belong in our spaces as you are! So here’s to all the systems whose plurality is affected by their physical disabilities!

💖 Shoutout to systems with headmates who hold symptoms of their disabilities!

🎵 Shoutout to systems whose communication and access to each other is affected by their levels of pain, fatigue, brain fog, or awareness!

🌻 Shoutout to mobility aid users who use different mobility aids depending on which headmate is fronting!

💖 Shoutout to systems with some members who cope with their disabilities better or worse than the rest of their headmates!

🎵 Shoutout to systems whose plurality developed as a result of their physical disabilities!

🌻 Shoutout to systems with headmates who each have different ideas about how their disabilities should be handled or dealt with!

💖 Shoutout to systems whose physical disabilities make it challenging for them to do things that many other systems find comes easily or naturally!

🎵 Shoutout to systems whose physical disabilities cause their plurality to present in unique or distinct ways!

🌻 Shoutout to systems whose physical disabilities affect their headmates to varying degrees!

💖 Shoutout to physically disabled systems with lots of headmates whose roles involve caring for their system or their body!

🎵 Shoutout to systems who need different accessibility accommodations depending on which headmate is fronting!

Our plurality and our disabilities are often both intrinsic aspects of who we are. It’s okay and honestly to be expected to experience multiplicity that is informed or influenced by your physical disabilities. If your own system’s plurality is impacted by your disabilities, please know that you are still lovely, special, and unique just the way you are.

It’s okay if you aren’t able to do things a lot of systems take for granted because of your disabilities. It’s okay if your disabilities cause your plurality to present in distinct ways. Regardless of what your system looks like, your multiplicity is valid and you belong in the plural community just the way you are. We are so happy to have you here! We are rooting for you and we are wishing the very best for you and your system. Thank you so much for reading, and take care!

It's okay if you don't know your system origin.

It's okay if you don't know the roles of your headmates.

It's okay if you have a headcount you lost track of.

It's okay if you don't want to identify as plural.

It's okay if you're still figuring it out.

Don't let the other blogs on here make you think you need to have it all figured out as soon as you make this revelation.

Take your time. Do your research. Get to know these headmates. (or don't, it's up to you) Everything will come to you in due time.

You're going to be okay. I promise.

(Longer explanation below)

(Also tagging any system origin i think of for reach as i feel this is important for any group to remember)