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so uh

guess who graduated to crutches

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I'm mister spine twister. I'm mister curves. I'm mister scoliosis. I'm mister Sitting Hurts

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Chronic pain

ID in Alt

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i hope im not just a mutual to you but also a really annoying stranger who is somehow always going through something

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Sympathetic BBC article on severe ME:

'I'm too tired to chew food but still can't get care for my ME'

Some extracts:

—

‪“Maeve Boothby-O'Neill's final days were harrowing. The 27-year-old was confined to bed all day, unable to chew food and no longer able to sit up - she was severely ill with myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME, and as a consequence severely malnourished”‬

— “People with severe ME can be in constant pain, have hypersensitivity to touch and light, feel extremely weak and sometimes have difficulty speaking or swallowing. There are many different symptoms which cause significant disruption to everyday life”

—

“During the inquest into Maeve's death, the coroner Deborah Archer said it became clear to her that there were no specialist hospital or hospices, beds, wards or other health care provision in England for patients with severe ME”

—

[Person with ME] “‘says many people are stuck in the past, believing that the condition is purely psychological.

‘It's the stigma that we're all lazy and we just need to exercise ourselves back to wellness that has stopped us getting the help we need’"

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Have you tried yoga? Have you tried aleve? Have you tried physical therapy? Have you tried a chiropractor? Have you tried a new mattress? Have you tired drinking water? Have you tried taking things out of your bookbag? Have you tried losing weight? Have you tried stretching? Have you tried-SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT THE FUCK UPPPP

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I think when people think of mental illness and what helps, especially with things like anxiety and depression, the treatment involves pushing yourself. Pushing yourself to get out of bed, to exercise, to take a shower, to go out in public, to order your own food from the cashier, etc.

And because the mental health movement has grown so much, people think that's the default of ALL illnesses. That the only way someone will get better is if they push themselves. That practice makes perfect. That you'll become more comfortable or strong over time the more you do something.

But what people need to realize is, with physical disabilities and chronic illnesses, pushing yourself in most cases is DETRIMENTAL. Pushing yourself past your limits can lead to flare ups or further injury. That's why it's important to know your limits, how certain activities may affect your condition, and learn how to either adapt or get help to complete the activity in question.

Also, most of us are already pushing ourselves. Most of us don't have access to the help or equipment we need. Most of us live in places where we frequently encounter inaccessible obstacles. Most of us NEED to rest.

So please don't try to be our physical therapists or doctors. There are people specifically trained to help us navigate our own conditions and limitations. There are people trained to help us strengthen our body's resilience without causing flare-ups or injury. Do not tell us "it'll be good for you" or "you need the exercise" when we say something is too heavy or too far or when we say we need our mobility aid(s). Your friend with depression may need to be encouraged to get out of bed, but your friend with chronic illness definitely doesn't.

Respect our rest.

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disabled/chronically ill people in general do not have the same number of usable hours as ableds. i can't meet my friend tomorrow because i need to wash my hair, and i can't meet them the day after because i need to do a load of laundry. i can't meet them thursday because i have an important appointment on friday, and if i overdo it on thursday i'll have to cancel friday's appointment. then i can't meet them on saturday because i'll be recovering from going out on friday, if i even manage to make it out the house. the old 'we all have the same 24 hours in the day' saying does not apply to us.

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Wishing all undiagnosed/partially diagnosed people a very doctors listening to you and providing you with more testing than a blood draw and even possibly providing treatment 2024

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Wishing all undiagnosed/partially diagnosed people a very doctors listening to you and providing you with more testing than a blood draw and even possibly providing treatment 2024

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Image ID:]

A grid with four squares. The first square reads 'the day after overdoing it: "huh, I don't feel as bad as I thought I would!". The square next to it shows a picture of the "The Fool" tarot card from the Modern Witch Tarot Deck.

The third square reads 'That evening, trying to get to sleep:'. The fourth square shows the "Ten of Swords" tarot card from the Modern Witch Tarot Deck. It's shows a white femme character lying on their side, on their phone, while ten swords are stuck in their side.

[End of image ID.]

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Chronic illness/disability culture is: overdoing it getting ready for an event to the point you can’t even enjoy the event (or possibly might not even make it at all.)

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Fun fact:

Saying ‘I don’t know how you live like that. I absolutely couldn’t live like you do. You’re so brave’ isn’t actually a compliment.

You’re essentially saying, ‘If I was in your position, I would kill myself. How have you not killed yourself yet?’

That’s a weird thing to say to someone so stop it.

Advocate for people with disabilities and chronic health conditions to improve our lives instead of just assuming we’re better off dead.

Thanks!

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i feel like i do 25% of what an average person does in a day and still it's too much