“For centuries, community builders, social justice engineers and freedom fighters–most of whom are multiply marginalized–have been doing exhausting and traumatizing life-changing & life-saving work with and for no money; with no sleep, health or mental health care; and with no institutional support. Our work is done for advancement not accolades; for freedom, not financing; for liberation, not to be lauded. Our work is not trackable, billable, fungible, settlement negotiable. Our work is invaluable. Our work is deeply rooted in love. I honor you.”
- Talila A. Lewis, Fighting for Freedom & the Expense of Erasure
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As always, we ask that in order to participate in the weekly megathread, one self-identifies as some form of disabled, which is broadly defined in the community sidebar:
“Disability” is an umbrella term which encompasses physical disabilities, emotional/psychiatric disabilities, neurodivergence, intellectual/developmental disabilities, sensory disabilities, invisible disabilities, and more. You do not have to have an official diagnosis to consider yourself disabled.
Mask up, love one another, and stay alive for one more week.
My therapist wants me to watch and apply the movie A Beautiful Mind. From what she says, it sounds like I’m supposed to learn some miraculous mental technique that would allow me to not be troubled by my hallucinations anymore. Am I misunderstanding, and/or am I wrong for thinking that’s a ridiculous thing? She points out that the voices come from my head, therefore I should be able to use my head to stop them? Like, there’s a dysfunction going on? I don’t actually have control over them? Am I totally wrong here?
Therapists are lazy AF. They tell you any old nonsense just to keep getting their paycheque.
Yeah… I keep wanting to think she’s a Good Therapist, but sometimes I really wonder…
no you’re right. most talk therapy is for neurotypicals who just need a little brainwashing to accept being slaves to capital. most therapists seem to not know wtf to do for anyone else
Yeah. Thankfully mine seems to understand why I have such a hard time working and hasn’t been trying to urge me to keep searching for and/or working at soul-crushing jobs. Or at least jobs that crush my soul. There are people who genuinely enjoy cleaning, but a combination of perfectionism and psychosis made it hell for me.
My therapist wants me to watch and apply the movie A Beautiful Mind.
No matter which movie, it’s an absolute shit thing to suggest watching movies as a therapy method. Is this person actually a therapist or are they just dressing up as one? You can of course watch the movie, but like… that’s not a therapy approach. I honestly don’t know if you can “use your head to stop the voices”, I’m no expert on the topic. Maybe you can consult some reading on your condition? Maybe there’s other approaches that could help you.
Wishing you all the best sweetie
I had the period pain from hell today. it was like being a teenager all over again. This is the first time in years I’ve had a period pain, I thought I was over all that. It was so awful I had no choice but to take painkillers, even though I’ve developed an allergy to them. I took an anti histamine with them so it wasn’t so bad. I had to spend most of the day in bed. I hope this isn’t going to be a regular occurrence.
As one currently suffering from menstrual cramps, I am silently suffering with you and will mentally hold your hand.
And it’s been so long since I had a proper period, I made a nasty laundry mistake. I soaked some bloody clothes for 2 days then threw them in the laundry and they’ve made all my clothes stink of damp.
Oh no
I wish I could show you, when you’re lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being. You are loved, you matter, and we’re grateful you’re here with us.
When I find myself in times of trouble / un_mask_me comes to me / speaking words of widom / You are loved. / And in my hour of darkness / they are standing right in front of me / speaking words of wisdom / You are loved.
I love it when my brain randomly decides its going to forget what social skills are.
Oh see i dont have that problem because I just never learned social skills
tourette’s discourse
Oh man, you’ve seen it too? Some people just really shouldn’t talk about a condition they don’t understand.
all I’m gonna say is there is one malicious party here and it is the BBC which decided to censor stuff about Palestine but not cut out the Disability-Induced Public Humiliation Moment
And you are correct about the BBC being the malicious party.
yea that was my opinion on it too
the discourse is really not great, just people straight up saying disabled people shouldn’t be able to be visible in polite society, or people being racist, eugh
With the recent incident of Tourettes being in people’s circles of talking, while IDK if the guy who did say the N-word apologized, but let’s say he did and has no actual hate.
It’s kind of disgusting how everyone is spreading around what would be a very embarrassing moment for someone as a smug gotcha “he said the funny word. Suck it, moralists!” like he doesn’t want to hide behind Tourettes, a tic put him in an embarrassing situation.
You’re literally acting like a south park joke.
I have put tabbouleh and seitan on wheat bread. I am serving wheat on wheat on wheat to myself.
I know you tried to make it sound bland, but if I could I’d try that wheat-wheat-wheat sandwich
Thanks, sadly the sheer glutenaity of this one might actually make you explode.
Unfortunately you are right. I can already feel my colon going on general strike over the suggestion
SPEAKING OF FOOD, a fellow student of mine has informed me that they subsist of ramen, but it’s okay because every breakfast they put a can of tuna in it.
On top of cancer, this education is gonna give people scurvy
I am honestly torn between laughing and crying at this, holy shit
my outreach person said that my appeal form was really well written yippee
Yipeeh! Proud of you
I’m on a half dose of my anti-psychotic right now, and I gotta say it’s not as bad as it usually is. To be fair, I recently got a dose increase so my half dose is higher than what it usually is. My sleep has been okay, just feeling a bit overwhelmed by life right now.
My knee is slowly getting better, it’s still pretty hard to stand or walk for extended periods of time, but at least I’m not struggling to walk anymore.
I’ve never posted here before, so I’m hoping I’m not breaking any rules or acting in poor etiquette. I’m epileptic and some months back I was hospitalized with severe seizures, ever since then my memory has been utterly shit. It’s embarrassing, forgetting basic things at work and around the house. More importantly, I don’t feel totally present in my life now. My sense of time, from months to days, is screwed up. Seriously, sitting here, I can’t tell you just what month I was hospitalized. A couple months ago or more than half a year ago? I’ve never had such bad seizures. I feel like it is so taxing on my wife who already has so much to deal with.
I’m not really sure why I’m typing this except that I guess I could use the support or some perspective. I feel such guilt and helplessness lately. My wife, family, and friends deserve better than me being so screwy and needy. But I know if the roles were reversed I’d do anything for them. I just hate feeling so helpless and stupid.
You are welcome here, anytime you’d like to post <3
I feel for your struggle, friend, and I can only try to imagine how confusing your time perception has to be. Have your doctors told you if there’s a chance it could normalize again?
I also want to let you know that you are neither stupid nor a burden. You have a disability that impacts you severely. And that feeling of helplessness is one many of us in this community share. While we can’t make the issues go away, we can listen and give each other the space to talk about it and not feel so alone with our problems.
Thank you for sharing your story, and we’re happy to have you
you’re more than welcome here!
and yea those are common feelings with anyone who’s disabled i think, feeling like a burden. i don’t really have insight i just want you to know that you are loved
I just saw my campus on the news…
For conditions being so bad in the labs they’re being linked to cancer.
Holy shit
5 of the lab instructors in a period of 10 years have apparently gotten cancer before the age of 35 So not great!
…how do you have this happen and not investigate this from the university’s side? Like, hello, you should care the most about the workplace being safe???
How often do you have to go to this lab area?
Used to be every day! I haven’t been down there for a couple of months, but we’re looking at having to go there at least twice a week next month, so that sucks.
…how do you have this happen and not investigate this from the university’s side? Like, hello, you should care the most about the workplace being safe???
The faculty were informed by the environmental medicine department at the local hospital in 2019.
Sounds like a class action lawsuit waiting to happen.
Okay, so they absolutely don’t give a shit. Maybe a lawsuit will get them off their asses, but for that, you’d need to get a bunch of people on board.
we’re looking at having to go there at least twice a week next month
Did the report explain what was so hazardous? Maybe you can wear additional protection? Or simply say you refuse to go there for health reasons?
There’s been no formal investigation, but the assumption is that it’s formaldehyde exposure that’s the main culprit, which makes sense given that the entire hallway near the labs smells of the stuff.
I think I’d need to wear a respirator to be totally safe, which I don’t think is realistic. I’m gonna have to send a mail to my classmates and my instructor
Yeah, as useful as formaldehyde may be for conservation, it is also pretty fucking dangerous for the living. Has the report mentioned any type of cancer in particular?
You could go for masks (with your classmates and instructor together) but otherwise, maybe just try to get the class to some other area.
I appreciate you all and I’m glad you’re here
Right back at you
The bloody NHS yet again. I am so sick of it. Last year I was told they’d send me an appointment with the neurologist. Yesterday i received an accusatory letter telling me I’d missed my appointment and they wouldn’t send me another one. But I never even received any letter telling me I had an appointment in the first place. I am so tired of this absolute shambles. Trying to keep on top of this nonsense is a full time job.
What the…nevermind, I should know by now that this is what the NHS does to people. I’m so sorry, love, is there really nothing you can do now?
I’ve sent an email to the appointments people, explaining that I never received the letter and that I do still need an appointment. I will see what they say. Tbh I don’t hold out much hope of the neurologist actually helping me, but I need to be in active treatment to help my benefit appeal.
My foot infections are getting much worse. I picked off a scab that has been on my foot for a while (because I wanted to check what was going on underneath), expecting it to bleed but instead a load of yellow infection came out. I contacted the podiatrist to explain the situation and ask if i could just get the op anyway due to the severity (also it’s getting painful to wear shoes) but I’m still waiting to hear back.
