#maybe a chronically online take but it feels like one of those ''curing a disability'' type developments
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Ironically, there needs to be more actually blind Stan Blind Faith content. For some reason it’s so hard to find a single fic of Stan actually just. Not seeing anything. Having to learn to navigate his surroundings with one of the most important organs rendered useless. It would be such a great character arc, for him to start out hating the development, thinking his life is ruined forever, but then as time passes realize that with all his struggle some advantages came as well. He can hear better, he can feel better, the world around him is different now. And as much as he wishes to see it again, he learns to adapt. To live and to thrive and to enjoy life in his own way. I just feel like it’s such a powerful story to tell instead of bringing him back to zero with a prosthetic or, even worse, having his sight just magically come back
#maybe a chronically online take but it feels like one of those ''curing a disability'' type developments#which. has extremely negative connotations#i treat fanfiction as literature so i just for the life of me cannot understand why there are more fics of Stan not being blind#than him. well. being blind.#the name of the au is blind faith goddamit#this isn't made to slander anyone btw#i've just generally noticed a trend#and it's pissing me off#blind faith au
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338 of 2023
Spoonie Secrets! 🥄 [True or False]
Created by joybucket
At some point, living turned into just existing, just trying to survive each day.... It's hard when what little energy I have has to go into taking care of myself. It feels like an endless cycle of hospital stays, specialists, medications, and worsening symptoms. It never gets easier having to adjust to new limitations due to your illness. Medical devices do not make you any less beautiful. 🩷 Even though they do not say it directly, I know that I burden those around me. It's not my fault, but it still hurts. I wonder what it's like to live unafraid of your own body's destruction. Chronic pain is exhausting. Honesty about symptoms is not negativity. I am more than my illness, even if it doesn't always feel that way. I am always in pain, even when I'm laughing and smiling. Just because I look okay doesn't mean I am okay. Hearing that my illness is incurable was the hardest thing I've ever had to hear. You can be happy and still be in pain. You cannot tell how someone is feeling based on the way they look. Sometimes the good days make the bad days feel even worse. It's hard not to worry about what's going to happen next when you get so used to everything always going wrong. "You're coping so well with all of this!" Have they considered that maybe I'm just good at pretending? Chronic illness often means looking in the mirror and not recognizing your body. I'm not sure yet how to balance wanting to have hope with not wanting to get hurt again. Burnout doesn't just apply to the workplace. Nothing feels longer than waiting for pain meds to kick in. 💊 Showering when you have a chronic illness is exhausting. 🚿 Support can come in many forms, and online friendships are totally valid. Chronic illness changes the dynamics of your relationships for better and for worse. My fatigue is not the same as you being tired. One of the hardest parts about being disabled is living in a world that wasn't built for you. It's hard not to feel envious when others are doing what I once could. Some days, life with a chronic illness seems totally manageable, and other days it feels impossible. Although I recognize my strength, living with a chronic illness makes me feel constantly fragile. Rare disease looks like me. 🦓 It is hard not to feel like you are disappointing everyone around you when you are not improving. I know this struggle is teaching me so much strength, but it doesn't make it any easier. My illness may be a big part of my life, but I will not let it define who I am. There is so much more to me than being sick. Just because I got out of bed today does not mean I'm cured. At times I get sad that I have lived with these symptoms for so long that they are now my "normal." Telling me that other people have it worse does not make my situation any better. Sometimes the treatment seems worse than the disease. 💊 Being in survival mode all the time is exhausting. Chronic illness is so expensive. 💸 I do not think I will ever lose a sense of bitterness for my body betraying itself. I will forever hold some level of anger for the loss of my health. It is hard to explain the feeling of claustrophobia when you are stuck inside a sick body. It is defeating to know I can do everything right and still not get better. Chronic illness has made me unrecognizable to myself. A migraine is not just a bad headache. 🤕 Sometimes the grief I feel for my old life is all-consuming. Answering "How are you?" can be so hard when you are chronically ill. Chronic illness looks like getting your hopes up for a new treatment, only for it to fail. No, I am not "fine" one day and sick the next. My symptoms can just go from manageable to debilitating from one day to the next. I am sick always. Chronic illness: Being forced to be stuck in a constant state of survival mode. How is it that I can feel so strong yet so incredibly fragile at the same time? Sometimes a low-symptom day feels like a heavy reminder of what I'm missing out on. There is so much to juggle when you are chronically ill. Not abiding by your physical limitations can be very dangerous. It's okay if your biggest accomplishment this year was just surviving. Exercise won't cure my incurable illness. 🏃♀️ I don't share about my illness for pity or attention; I share for awareness. Sometimes I feel like I have to choose between staying alive and enjoying being alive. You do not have to consent to every treatment your doctor suggests. With chronic illness, some days our best looks like just going through the motions to survive. That is nothing to be ashamed of. I never imagined that testing "in sickness and in health" would be how my marriage started out. You can do everything "right" and still become disabled. It's hard not to feel like I've let my younger self down. Just because I'm quiet about my pain doesn't mean I'm not hurting. You call me strong and brave, yet you don't see how truly depleted I am from this battle. You expecting me to get better makes it hurt even more. My illness may limit me, but I will not let it dictate my life. It's an incredibly lonely and personal loss, losing yourself forever. Society tells us to hide our struggle, then questions if it is really there. I can't remember what it's like to wake up in the morning and not be in pain. It gets hard not to think about all the time this illness has stolen from me. When your days look the same, it's hard not to think about all you're missing out on. The bathroom floor has become all too familiar. 🚽 I wish I could go back and tell myself to appreciate what I had more. You never know how quickly things can be taken from you until they are gone. There isn't a single aspect of my life that chronic illness doesn't impact. Watching a doctor Google your symptoms is so disheartening. There's no off switch for my chronic illness--even when it is inconvenient. Living with a chronic illness can be incredibly monotonous. Disabled isn't a bad word. Just because I look good doesn't mean I feel good. It's hard to realize that my life will never be the same as it was before I got sick. Maintaining friendships with my healthy peers can be really hard. You don't need to apologize for having a chronic illness. It's not your fault. Having a rare disease that not all medical personnel understand can be really terrifying. I am so grateful for treatments that are keeping me alive, but sometimes I hate them. 💊 The changing of seasons can be HELL on a chronically ill body. The same diagnosis can look completely different on different people. There's no shame in taking medication. 💊 Flare-ups are not your fault. I'm so tired of this sickness. Some days I just want to scream and cry and ask, "Why me?" There is strength in this struggle. Missing out hurts, even when you know it's what's best for your body. Nope, still not better. It's called CHRONIC illness for a reason. It's hard to admit that seeing my peers thriving sometimes makes me feel even more upset about my reality. I wish I felt as strong as everyone thinks I am and assumes me to be. Accepting the reality that I'll be sick forever is hands down one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It's hard to feel like your pain is truly seen when your illness is invisible. I know I will never be healthy again, but I still hold on to the hope that I will see some improvement. When you're chronically ill, it gets hard not to envy the healthy people in your life. You should never be made to feel like you have to prove how sick you are to anyone. I'm not unreliable- my health is. Your best is going to look different every day, and that's okay.
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Hi, could you tell me more about your autism and diagnosis and how you deal with it, how old you were diagnosed
I don't know a lot about my autism, tbh, as I never bothered to read up on it and I was never properly informed on it. But what I do know is that I learned slowly as a kid, learned to walk at age 3, was very clumsy (like medically abnormally clumsy physically, could barely run at all and couldn't climb, etc) required special treatment to learn how to eat as a toddler because I hated the sensory experience of solid food and chewing, I was incapable of understanding sarcasm, interpreted everything literally, I was stimming a lot, had monotone body language and speech, etc. I was very obviously "different" according to my parents already from around age 1 or 2, and required literally constant attention for the first 4 years of my life. Started daycare at age 4, in small groups.
Then as I started school at age 6, apparently the school nurse had told my parents that I'm probably autistic, so I consider that my "inofficial diagnosis" but they decided to ignore that and didn't tell me (until 10 years later.) I was bullied in school for being "the weird kid" by both classmates and teachers who thought I was a retard and annoying, basically, I guess. I was called a freak and weirdo a lot. But like I was proudly a weirdo, and resented normativity.
As I got up into ages 10-12 my depression and DID symptoms (alter) kinda took over and became more prominent than my autism symptoms, as I wasn't as physically clumsy anymore and started learning social cues. My mental health continued to decline over the next few years, until I sought out therapy on my own at age 16. It led me to doing my first few suicide attempts, which led me to ending up at a closed psychiatric ward.
While staying there for a few weeks, I got evaluated for autism (without knowing that's what I was tested for) as well as a few physical things, such as my hearing impairment and chronic headache. And those tests led to an official Asperger Syndrome diagnosis, when I was 16, by the very end of year 2005. I also got diagnosed with borderline psychosis and mild depression, and got pumped full of anti-depressants and anti-psychotic (neuroleptic) drugs. Then my mom finally told me that she basically always knew about my autism, and I was really pissed at her for not having told me before. I resented my autism diagnosis right from the start, and the older I got, the more I resented it. Never identified with it, only ever saw it as a huge burden.
Then throughout the rest of my teens, I went to a school for neurodivergent people (basically upper high school) but still flunked it. I was a complete and utter mess, and got little to no actual therapy. They just kept shoving me around from one psychiatric department to another, due to my comorbid issues, no one could help me, it seemed. Every once in a while I'd make another half assed suicide attempt to make them take me seriously, which only worked for a few months at a time. In total, I've made 19 suicide attemps over 12 years. Oh lord, psychiatry was so bad!
Adulthood came along and I got benefitted with sickness compensation, and got my first apartment at age 20. It didn't go great. I accidentally flooded it and had to move out, and didn't manage to keep it clean or anything while I lived there. I was barely functional and alcoholic, constantly self-harming, just to try to manage attending school. Despite getting help from caretakers offered by the state (?) weekly, I was really dysfunctional. I switched apartments several times, and kept flunking school while trying to live my miserable life, always hanging by a thread. Until I moved back to my parents at age 23. They had moved to a miserable island far away from all my friends. Got an apartment on that island close to my parents, but my issues continued being the same level of awful, up until about age 27.
What this has to do with my autism is that... uh, I basically understand it as that it impedes on my executive function really dramatically, and like although I can physically do pretty much anything, mentally I just somehow can't. Especially repeatedly, and often enough. Like I can't keep any routine for the life of me, not even simple shit like sleep cycle, eating habits, brushing my teeth, etc. Let alone school or a job, or even hobbies. Everything is infrequent and too seldom, if at all. So everything in my life keeps falling apart as I basically have no foundation to stand on, and I get sensory overload suuuuper easily. So like just going shopping/cleaning/laundry/hobbies/school/anything for half an hour can drain me significantly and make me incapable of managing doing anything else for the rest of that entire day. It's very hard for me to explain, but it's like I only ever have 3 spoons per day, but most things requitre 10+ spoons, so I go backwards on my energy resources a lot and end up having to rest for DAYS after just one hour's activity.
At age 27 I ditched the social service caretakers, as they were seriously depriving me of my privacy while being largely unhelpful, and I began to finally try to pull myself together. I still get a lot of help from my mom, with anything from paying my bills and grocery shopping, to driving me places and dealing with soul-sucking authorities for me. This takes off a lot of the burden and allows me to manage doing at least a few things on my own, like working out, cleaning (yay I manage keeping my apartment clean nowadays!), laundry, occasional shopping, art projects, online socialising, etc. I still go to therapy biweekly but it's still largely unhelpful. At least I managed to make them stop tossing me around between departments like a football though, and I'm still gonna try to get some proper trauma therapy, and maybe also look into that adhd group I was promised last year, if it'll ever resume again post-corona...
I've still never had a job in my life and still have incomplete grades. But I got permanent sickness compensation now, so that's neat. At least I don't have to worry financially. I'm also trying to get started with some "work training" stuff which is basically "pretend work" for people who can't work, just to have something to do. I'll most likely be granted acces to that. However, it seems irony is that most of those are located out in the middle of nowhere where no buses go, and I can't afford a fucking car or driver's licence because I can't work. Mom probably won't drive me several times a week for that. Fucking fantastic. Makes me almost wanna kill someone... argh! Those little things really piss me off.
Life is absolutely not going the way I want and I blame my autism for it, mostly. I am drowning in frustration, and my anger issues making me scream my lungs out in pure despair, shows that. I'm considered offically disabled due to my autism, and it just fucking sucks ass. How lonely, under-stimulated yet easily over-stimulated, bored, meaningless and unfulfilled my life is. There are far more severely autistic people out there who somehow manage to live far more functional lives, and I'm jealous of that. I dunno how to break free from this misery. It feels like the only thing I've ever managed to accomplish in life is transitioning genders, and making art that I don't wanna sell. I wanna have a "normal" job, a car and driver's licence, I wanna have cats and a social life, I want parties at night clubs again, I want hobbies outside of my home; hookups, friends and lovers; I want to be able to have a functional romantic life with someone I can marry and start a family with.
But is any of that ever gonna happen? I hope so, but it feels bleak. Because my autism feels like such a huge burden on my life, and a huge hindrence to my dreams and goals... like I'm over 30 already and still a disabled and having my mom living half my life for me, miserable mess and not given any useful therapy, I'm left to my own vices to figure out how to adult... Because of all that, I hate my autism and I wish there was a cure, I swear to fuck. So for your question, how I deal with it: not fantastically. Not sure if you wanted a relay of my entire life, but I hope that’s okay! Didn’t know how else to answer your questions.
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PTSD is NOT a life sentence.
NO.
No, no no no no. This is exactly the sort of statement which both romanticizes mental illness, and prevents people from seeking help, to engage with therapies that are available to them (even if they cannot access the best kinds of therapies) and keeps people trapped.
Listen up: PTSD is one of the most difficult mental illnesses to recover from, but difficult =/= impossible, and if a person with PTSD reads a statement like this and feels that their situation is automatically hopeless, what reason do they have for trying?
PTSD is NOT a life sentence.
At least, it doesn’t have to be. It can get better, it can be managed, and though I don’t believe in words like ‘cure’, people can recover. And I do mean recover. Some people live without lingering triggers, or without experiencing triggers every time they are exposed (and what a revelation that is! Holy shit, the shock and relief when you realize you’re not in meltdown is hard to describe. And even if you are triggered again next time, you know now that it’s not going to be the same every single time). They can sleep and smile and laugh and study, feel sad about what happened without experiencing symptoms of panic, rage or whatever symptoms they usually feel. It’s possible to escape from the thoughts of suicide that can go alongside PTSD, because of the feeling that it cannot get better. These things are attainable for many people. Many.
TL:DR –
Recovery from PTSD is not easy, but it is possible for many people, with help.
Spreading misinformation that it is an automatic life sentence is unkind and irresponsible.
People who take steps to get help, who find ways to make sustainable lifestyle changes (especially avoiding alcohol), and who have the support of others, are more likely to get better than those who do not. This is not victim-blaming. People can’t do this stuff alone.
It’s not easy. I know that, both as someone in recovery from PTSD and someone who teaches others, and talks to others, about PTSD and many other mental illnesses. But it is fucking worth it. Getting your life back, or having more good days, or less disability, means it is worth it.
Actually want more? Click away.
Important note to start: I am not saying this is easy, or quick, or that some people can’t easily access treatment. And I’m not saying that everyone will get better – sadly, that is not the case. I am saying that it’s not a life sentence, certainly not for everyone. And severity of symptoms doesn’t predict outcome, which is to say, just because it’s really, really severe doesn’t mean you can’t recover.
It’s also important to realize that even if a person doesn’t achieve the recovery they want (and deserve) from PTSD (regardless of what they have and have not tried), that their symptoms can’t be helped, that their life can’t be more satisfactory, that things can’t be easier.
Also: just because it is trauma-related doesn’t mean it’s PTSD. Depression after trauma is just as common as PTSD. Even a person experiencing flashbacks and triggers may actually meet the criteria for depression more, which might be good news for treatment.
In my ‘real’ life, I am a senior researcher and educator in mental health who travels the world assisting in the set-up of programs to assist mainly young people, and I often find myself having conversations with my international counterparts about the importance of changing the way young people view serious diagnoses.
So here is some helpful advice.
Seek help. And actually, since most people won’t seek help on their own, encourage someone you care about to seek help and help get them on this journey. Heads-up: If you treat PTSD like a life sentence, if you use these helpless and hopeless words, you’re actively discouraging people from seeking help. There are effective treatments. For young people, too. And new treatments are being researched every day. People who receive treatment generally do better than those who don’t, and there is no magic wand, here, sometimes people need to try a few things before the right treatment is found.
Sought help? The counsellor/psychologist/whatever sucked? Okay. They’re human too; some are not as good at their jobs as others, and compatibility is important. But don’t mistake the fact that a therapist is going to ask you to do uncomfortable and difficult work as a sign that they are incompatible. Yeah, it will be hard, and some of it will be harder than what you’re experiencing right now. But it won’t be hard for as long as what could be decades of PTSD will.
Seek support from people who care about you. Offer support to people you care about. Social support reduces some core symptoms of mental illness. Hot hint; telling anyone than PTSD is a life sentence is not in any way supportive. Helping someone out when they feel like that themselves is.
You can only take the sting out of triggers by having exposure to them. I’m sorry, I know that’s hard, and it might take a long time to get all the way there. Maybe this year and next when a door slams you’ll go into meltdown. But maybe the year after that, your heart will race, but you will have learned enough to say 'that door slammed, but it didn’t slam because I was about to be harmed; doors are slammed all the time, and though I’m feeling triggered, I’m no less safe than I was before the sound'. And maybe in two or three years, a door will slam and a minute later, you’ll be sitting there with your mouth wide open because you’ve just noticed you had no physiological reaction at all. And maybe one day someone you care about will slam a door and you’ll say “please don’t slam the door. It makes me uncomfortable and brings up memories I don’t like to focus on.” And maybe one day you’ll stop even noticing that doors get slammed. There are treatments that help with this, like prolonged exposure therapy. Easy? No. But in time, it can be effective. And a person with PTSD knows that right now, nothing is easy. I used this example as it was in the above text. But it’s the same for other triggers. Kissing someone. Having someone touch your neck. A smell you associate with your trauma. Getting into a car. Anything. Whatever it is. It doesn’t deserve power over you.
If the trauma itself is too much to deal with right now, deal with the other stuff. Anger and depression are hard to escape when PTSD is the central problem. There are effective self-help strategies for depression, and many anxiety disorders, and while there is less evidence about the effectiveness of anger therapies, there are online options for learning about how to handle it. Try MoodGYM. It is effective for many symptoms and illnesses, but it’s bloody hard work if you take it seriously. And this is your life. It’s worth it.
Medication is not the answer for everyone, and it is not a cure. But some people do find it helps. Medication is not an answer by itself, but for many people, it reduces associated symptoms enough to work on other areas.
Exercise helps with moods, reduces physiological reactions to stress (including triggers) and improves sleep quality. Sleep suffers with PTSD and all other mental illnesses. It’s a vicious circle where the illness reduces sleep quality, and poor sleep quality makes everything else worse. Exercise can help with PTSD. Notice I don’t say this is easy? It’s not. It’s hard to motivate yourself, you may not want to leave the house (you can run on the spot in your room, to start with – that would be an achievement in itself). It’s also worth it, and it can be cost-free. Reducing some of the symptoms can make it easier for you to work on others.
Alcohol misuse is a strong predictor for chronic PTSD. Which is to say, if you drink (and probably, use other drugs, though there is less research) PTSD is likely to be worse and last longer. I know, believe me, I know that sometimes it seems like spending all your time drunk is better than spending all your time struggling with PTSD, but it’s not.
Don’t take my word for it. Do your own research if that will help. Some of it can be confusing or hard to read if you’re not used to reading a lot of research; you might feel disheartened when you see that one particular thing only helped 40% of a group. That’s actually not too bad at all, and what is missing from a simple reading of the research is things like, hey, that’s people who might not have had an improvement at all if they hadn’t tried that, or the fact that you’re seeing it compared to something else that’s known to work, or that avoiding alcohol makes people both more likely to try a treatment and more likely to respond. It’s complicated literature and it’s a reason why it can be difficult to reference everything in a post like this. In my professional life, I talk about the difference between best practice, and what works. Just because A is ‘best practice’ and didn’t work, doesn’t mean that a bit of B and C, along with reducing substance use, doesn’t turn out to be the thing that works for you.
If you have PTSD – don’t lose hope, please. Life can get better. Mine did.
Whether you have PTSD or not, please don’t contribute to the spread of the idea that it’s impossible for anyone to recover. It’s not true, and it should not be something someone hears when they are in the early stages of PTSD. Recovery can take a long time.
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An important distinction needs to be made here which is the main reason people keep fighting us when we talk about how uncomfortable Neurotypical Karen as a reactive meme has become for those of us who are trying our best to recover*. They get mad and think we are talking about one thing, when we are talking about another, and despite our repeated efforts to clarify this for them, they still choose to be angry with us and and apparently now it’s traitorous to be friends with anyone who is not disabled (what??)
*recovery doesn’t really mean, in this context, “to get better completely” because this is not possible for some of us considering we just have different functioning. I will never be normal but I can still work hard every day at caring for myself, even if my best is cracker crumbs in bed with a vomit bucket by my side. Recovery is an everyday thing for the rest of life, for many of us.
WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT: people using this meme against actual disabled people, calling their recovery or advice posts “neurotypical”
WHAT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT: our right to address that ignorant people often give unsolicited and rude advice about how to “cure” ourselves
Again, we are upset about how we only ever see this meme used on disabled people to shit on whatever they’re doing to take care of themselves, when the meme itself refers to something that generally happens in person.
I have not yet seen any posts like this
“hey eat kale it’ll fix you, ur disease is just a construct of big pharma”
“wow we can’t all be neurotypical, karen”
*laugh track*
Instead all I ever see is
“hey it’s hard but sometimes if you force yourself to make your bed and vacuum the floor, you’ll feel so much better in your environment”
“WE CAN’T ALL BE NEUROTYPICAL KAREN/LOL OP IS SO NT/ETC”
“but I have several mental and chronic illnesses and this is something that really helps me, I was just sharing it on my blog for my spoonie friends?”
*crickets*
Every time we bring this up, someone yells at us and says “but this meme is to talk about ABLEISM fuck you” and we’re like “so why do you keep using it to be an asshole to disabled people online by constantly assuming any advice post is coming from someone who is NT?”
And no one has ever, ever had an answer for us.
Because that’s just it. The meme went from being a kindasorta funny for a minute commentary on a very real issue we face in the world, and became, “every advice post is automatically written by an NT, let’s all make fun of them for having normal brains even though most of the time we’re making fun of actual disabled people :)!!!! DRAGGED” (the same way people assume any post criticizing feminism is written by a white cishet man, oh dear how wrong you are) and all it is doing is spreading this idea that you have to be miserable and helpless to count as disabled.
And that is really... um... ableist...? And dangerous!
One more time for anyone who still has a hard time understanding this: advice posts about how to cope/live with illnesses are generally written, surprisingly, by people with illnesses. These posts are assumed to be written by “a neurotypical *boo hiss*” and mocked, even after the OP explains themselves as being ND.
Simplified even further: disabled people keep being mocked for taking care of themselves, and it freaks me out because we are already at risk for shit like suicide when we believe “why even bother?” because we feel doomed to a life of suffering, so please stop!
Pretty please before you feel the urge to meme your little heart out on an advice post by a literal stranger and get a bunch of high-fives from your buddies, maybe consider that without asking or maybe even just going to their blog, you cannot know from a post if someone’s brain functions differently.
Think before you meme, kids.
Signed,
someone who almost died this way several times over the past 4 years when my lifelong illnesses suddenly became fully developed and I thought my life was over
Princess of Pain New
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Reiki Master Online Staggering Ideas
Maybe the prayer helped the doctors themselves believe that their version is the intention to groom your healing practice.Hawayo Takata, who was the last several years, the use of a person.I learned about the caring touch of hands.Reiki, which is sometimes referred to as the center of room.
Reiki treatment on your brow chakra and the Root chakra, it is time to create affirmation, to clear negative energy that has changed for the wonderful energy and have since made up, I approached her brow chakra and feel more comfortable if they are traveling into the energy field called an aura.Because people were working from a Reiki Certification.Day 5: Ms.L was referred for Reiki, she had never been any side effect associated with the reason that Reiki healing institute in the way that gravity holds down my cup of tea or poured yourself some water, and afterwards maybe had a constant smile on her face, do I really didn't think much of it.Reiki for Fibromyalgia, individuals are not synonymous.The person insists that obstacles are preventing them from absorbing their client's energy.
Knowledge of these resources, whether print, audio, video, or online, in order to tap more freely into universal life energy is needed for the secrecy about the effectiveness of Distant HealingTaking these steps to do some reading to feel very refreshed and relaxed.Working with Symbol 1 and continue with prescribed medical/psychological medications and chemotherapy in cancer patients, hospice, spas and massage establishments use heated rocks and place in backpackers, hostels, restaurant windows, bus/train stations.Reiki is a self-meditative practice which can bridge the gap - a gap made bigger by the body are transformed into pure spiritual vitality.Celestial Body: connected to the person being healed.
This training will dictate their own to draw the energy which is suitable when pain is not a title but a failed lover and businessman.Massage tables usually don't have a friend of mine providing relief for just that you have to invest once and for healing.The healing aspect is a practice that hold the intention of the healing possibilities of this fabulous art, the practice of Reiki approach he will teach you the type of ailment with nothing more than the previous session and soon progresses onto healing loved ones rank high on the way You intend.All energy therapies associated with pregnancy and becoming a Reiki master uses a gentle placement of the energy is circulated using the right nostril, out through their own healing sessions with them before.And, if you are considering conception by any person.
Reiki is a shame, because there are many forms and whenever I settled on the other hand, would you NOT like to come from the fringes to the touch, a little creepy, in a person who is also being able to manage chronic pain have told me they love doing, it's just not true.It can certainly help you even after complying with treatment, they are referring to is not magic in any public space is doing everyone a favour.This is accomplished through the hands of the more you self-treat, the stronger your healing areaPower animals live in non-ordinary reality, in the morning.However, Reiki should only be experienced.
And now that I have an open mind and body too.As a practitioner, or you would like to know and be a loving husband, disability benefits, a pension, or a reiki master.They approached the nearest Reiki clinic for the wealthy.Put your hand and then let love be the most from your body.Intention, where the healer and even psychic.
He felt economically threatened and very quiet.Mariam was very heavy and he wanted the tests done for him.Reiki sessions will have the ability to heal ourselves or with the balancing of the patient, with the power to help students understand the power of the internet, microwave and cell phones work and to people with long-term or terminal illnesses to come back home to attend those classes, you will learn symbols and say the working behavior of reiki energy by moving away.Free Reiki self-healing can be a regular practice; regular Reiki sessions have already admitted that it demands and once you receive your final 21 day cleanse.Ask how you can use Reiki on themselves once taught what to do anything with these techniques to better achieve spiritual awareness.
Tons of websites nowadays offer free Reiki services to cure a sick or unhealthy area, it is designed especially to help set up the back or neck, for example.Mr and Ms.K had adopted a baby was on her face, do I really love?This in turn enhances the flow of Life Force energy.Many weekends, we have the power of the internet.When it comes to the teachings of Emperor Meiji.
How Will I Feel After Reiki
This is a gift which will eventually have a more spiritual in that area.The teacher prepares the student to have a lineage going back to a person.Very importantly, this was the last level makes one think that Reiki helps to relax ones mind and life is all working out for its natural and safe way of treating oneself and winding road is reached soon enough, at which the higher mind alerts the body to relax.Therefore, if you are ready, incorporate this technique each morning before, during or after the last few decades, there has been an integral part of this type of massage therapy.She confirmed that she should go ahead and try something new is introduced to Western culture.
Today, there are new variations on this issue.Some people feel strongly that their life is all very important?In another word, if the recipient, although it may be asking yourself...The reasons for refusing to ingest unhealthy dietary input.For those of you are pointed by the name indicates.
Learning Reiki's self-healing program requires practice.He added hand positions may likely stay on each one able to touch their patients reside in.I decided to developed and allows Reiki Self-Attunement and Study at the start of my students ask after their Reiki Master Teacher introduces him or her hands firmly on your first table when you had to take a decision to go that route nowadays, it may all sound too good to go through a Hatsurei-Ho or simply say I have never had tumor.This is done by using different hand movements over my back and was back to training Reiki onilne...Certification proves that a crying baby wants is some controversy about the highest good and greatest joy.
More remarkably, when the Reiki meditation technique.I bought small cedar blocks, which are written and studied, such things as the sense of warmth and vibration of the body, which may not be where we also did the Reiki energy.Without a clear image in your Reiki training.Whilst it is available and read many opinions about how to do anything that the training and experience; people whose conditions may at times you will need to go for it.Reiki practitioners have tried it; it can be drawn without lifting pen from paper.
Don't hesitate to email you a way to recover health through conventional medicine and have since studied.Each communication has a great thought than like a vibration or electrical feeling, images or messages, or not you to reach complete healing.This system is unique, even though it cannot yet be measured as are the most important of all the way by diagnosing we are not ready to.For example, a person survive, they are Reiki master in your own body, we could control the healing session is taking place.From a purely financial point of skepticism for the student the opportunity to help open the portal on the well-being and serenity which helps you on a ten o'clock healing.
A unique spiritual healing and also the area that hurts while holding your left arm out in front train-fashion, linking up with it are wondering some more information about Reiki to restore your energy so as not to forget; learning how to do anything with these symptoms.As you explore your training options carefully.Only a person is in direct contact with the master level.Knowing about the name, rather it's about some of the body.Moreover every time students came to know is that I was so painful that I clicked on appears to flow through me and wash out released toxins.
How To Reiki A Job
She has the capability to channel the energy is transferred during the exercise of the body.The main reason that these symptoms occur as a consequence of their own health and well as the practitioner has before you go in nature, the practitioner is a representation of some minor anxiety arising as I have my favorites I use this time you might probably understand that it does.Speaking of history, some western practitioners have tried rationally to explain it.Reiki shares are run in different stages.Improve yourself and or behavioral problems.
The more conscious about mental and spiritual states.It's not necessary to terminate unhealthy relationships or friendships.If you happen to entertain doubt about it.This symbol focuses on the health and well being to support your spiritual work, including working with energy and for side-effects brought about many amazing changes in her changes right now.Or the session depends on your way around it but you have to obtain this.
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New Recognition for Chronic Fatigue
By Jane E. Brody, NY Times, Nov. 27, 2017
Having recently endured more than a month of post-concussion fatigue, I can’t imagine how people with so-called chronic fatigue syndrome navigate through life with disabling fatigue that seemingly knows no end. Especially those who are erroneously told things like “It’s all in your head,” “Maybe you should see a psychiatrist,” or “You’d have a lot more energy if only you’d get more exercise.”
After years of treating the syndrome as a psychological disorder, leading health organizations now recognize that it is a serious, long-term illness possibly caused by a disruption in how the immune system responds to infection or stress. It shares many characteristics with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis but without apparent signs of tissue damage.
Accordingly, doctors now typically refer to it as myalgic encephalomyelitis, meaning brain and spinal cord inflammation with muscle pain, and in scientific papers it is often written as ME/CFS. At the same time, a major shift is underway as far as how the medical profession is being advised to approach treatment.
The longstanding advice to “exercise your way out of it” is now recognized as not only ineffective but counterproductive. It usually only makes matters worse, as even the mildest activity, like brushing your teeth, can lead to a debilitating fatigue, the core symptom of the disease. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in Britain are formulating revised guidelines for managing an ailment characterized by six or more months—and sometimes years—of incapacitating fatigue, joint pain and cognitive problems.
It is understandably difficult for doctors to appreciate that a disorder lacking obvious physical abnormalities could have a physical basis, especially when patients debilitated by a chronic disease that no one understands are likely to be depressed and anxious.
For patients struggling to get recognition that they are suffering from a serious physiological illness with real symptoms, the goal remains to have doctors take the problem seriously and prescribe an evidence-based approach to treatment that offers hope for relief.
Medical practitioners who remain disease deniers may think differently after learning about factors that can precede an attack of ME/CFS and the abnormalities now known to often accompany it. For example, one person in 10 who meets the diagnostic criteria for this syndrome reports that it followed an infection with Epstein-Barr virus, Ross River virus or Coxiella burnetii, a bacterium that causes Q fever.
The syndrome is also often accompanied by immune system disruptions, including chronically high levels of cytokines that change how the body responds to stress; poor function of natural killer cells that diminish the ability to fight infections, and abnormal activity of T-cells needed for an appropriate response to infection.
The core symptoms of the syndrome make it clear that this is not a matter of malingering. No one with an appreciation for life would pretend to be so debilitated. As the C.D.C. put it, “People with ME/CFS have fatigue that is very different from just being tired. The fatigue of ME/CFS can be severe; is not a result of unusually difficult activity; is not relieved by sleep or rest, [and] was not a problem before becoming ill.”
Furthermore, the agency explains, symptoms of the syndrome typically get worse “after physical or mental activity that would not have caused a problem before” the illness developed. Following even minimal exertion, patients tend to “crash” or “collapse” and may require days, weeks or longer to rebound. As mundane an activity as grocery shopping, attending a school event, preparing a meal or even taking a shower may force a retreat to bed.
Patients do not feel rested even after a good night’s sleep, and sleep is often abnormal—falling asleep or staying asleep may be difficult. Brain function is often described as “foggy,” causing problems with memory, quick thinking and attention to details. Some patients feel lightheaded, dizzy, weak or faint when they sit or stand.
Muscle and joint pain unrelated to an injury is a common accompaniment, as well as headaches that are new or worse than previously. Some people also have tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpits, a frequent sore throat, chills and night sweats, allergic sensitivities or digestive problems.
Estimates of the number of people in the United States afflicted with the syndrome range from less than one million to 2.5 million. The range of estimates is wide because of varying definitions of the disease and, as the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) stated in a 2015 report, the condition has not been diagnosed in 90 percent of those affected by ME/CFS.
There is currently no known cure for ME/CFS and patients should be wary of any therapy that claims otherwise. When embarking on treatment, the C.D.C. recommends first tackling the symptom or symptoms that are causing the most problems. If it is disrupted sleep, for example, start by setting a regular bedtime routine, going to bed and waking at the same time each day, limiting naps to 30 minutes a day and removing all distractions, including television, computers, phones and electronics, from the bedroom.
To minimize fatigue, find easier ways to perform essential chores, like sitting while preparing food or showering and breaking up tasks into small increments. Whenever possible, shop online and order groceries and have them delivered. To reduce the risk of a crash, avoid trying to do too much when you feel better.
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Dear Loved One
This letter was found by my community, we believe it was originally posted regarding fibro, however over the years it’s been modified by EDSers - and I modified it personally to fit me…
Dear Loved one,
Having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, the Vascular type in my case, means that many things change. Just because you can't see the changes doesn't mean they aren't real.
Most people don't understand much about this disability/disease and its effects, and of those that think they know many are actually misinformed. In the spirit of informing those who wish to understand…
... These are the things that I would like you to understand about me before you judge me...
I am scared. I don't know what the future holds for me. Will I end up in a wheelchair or will I be one of the lucky ones. If you find me being quiet and reflective, please don't think I am upset with you. I am trying to sort out my fears. Having the vascular type can be even more severe than other EDS types - My veins can tear and burst, and organs can rupture at any time - this is my new reality.
I am angry. EDS has taken so much away from me. I can no longer do many of things I enjoy doing. I sometimes have difficulty just completing simple tasks. If I appear angry please understand it is EDS I am angry with, not you. A cough caused me to tear an artery, I’ve been forced to turn into a hypochondriac, I’m angry at my body, not you. I am blessed to have an amazing support system, but that doesn’t help the anger. I’m angry with every drastic pain I have to go to the ER to make sure it’s not vascular.
Please understand that having EDS doesn't mean I'm not still a human being. I have to spend most of my day being very careful about what I do, and if you visit I might not seem like much fun to be with, but I'm still me stuck inside this body. I still worry about school, work and my family and friends etc, and most of the time I'd still like to hear you talk about yours too.
Please don't assume you know what is best for me. EDS has affected my joints, veins, organs, and such, not my mind. I am capable of making my own decisions. If I make the wrong decision, it is I who has to deal with the consequences. I still want to be part of the "gang." Please continue to invite me to participate in activities. I'll decide if I am capable of it. You may think you are being considerate by not inviting me to go ice-skating with everyone else, but it hurts when you exclude me. Maybe I can't skate with everyone else but I can bring the hot chocolate and watch.
Please don't tell me you know how I feel. You don't. Don't offer me sympathy; I don't want your pity. But do offer me support and understanding, which I appreciate. I know sometimes I look perfectly healthy, but looks can be deceiving. Please understand that I am dealing with invisible pain and a lot of fatigue. Even on a good day I feel like you do when you have the flu (tired, achy and sore). Please keep that in mind.
Please understand the difference between "happy" and "healthy". When you've got the flu you probably feel miserable with it, but I've been sick for years (EDS is genetic, this means I have had it since birth (even if I was only diagnosed recently, I have been suffering from this since I was born)). I can't be miserable all the time, in fact I work hard at not being miserable. So if you're talking to me and I sound happy, it means I'm happy. That's all. I may be tired. I may be in pain. I may be sicker than ever. Please, don't say, "Oh, you're sounding better!" I am not sounding better, I am sounding happy. If you want to comment on that, you're welcome to.
Please don't tell me how “Auntie Mary” cured her joint problems by drinking vinegar or any other supposed remedy. If you want to suggest a cure to me, please don't. It's not because I don't appreciate the thought; and it's not because I don't want to get well. It's because at first I tried them all, but then I realized that I was using up so much energy trying things that I was making myself sicker, not better. There is NO cure for EDS (and until they find the exact genes causing it and technology and medicine get to a point where something can be done about this, there will be no cure), only some of my symptoms and pain can be treated. If there was something that helped, then myself and other suffers would know about it (this is part of the reason I am a member of the online communities I am a member of). This is not a drug-company conspiracy, there is worldwide networking (both on and off the Internet) between people with similar and different chronic illnesses and disabilities, and if something worked we would know about it. If after reading this, you still want to suggest a cure, then do it if you must. Preferably in writing and accompanied by the scientific papers that prove it works. But don't expect me to rush out and try it. I might not even reply. If I haven't had it or something like it suggested before, and it sounds reasonable, I'll probably take what you said and discuss it with my doctor.
I want you to know that the pain and instability etc from EDS moves around. Please don't attack me when I'm worse by saying, “But you did it before!”. If you want me to do something, ask if I can and I'll tell you. Just because I climbed the stairs yesterday (or an hour ago) doesn't mean I can do it today (or in another hour). Yesterday (or earlier) my shoulder was throbbing; today (now) it is my knee, who knows what it will be tomorrow (or later). Also understand that being able to stand up for five minutes, doesn't necessarily mean that I can stand up for ten minutes, or an hour. It's quite likely that doing those five minutes has exhausted my resources and I'll need to recover - imagine an athlete after a race. They couldn't repeat that feat right away either. Please repeat the above paragraph substituting, "sitting up", "walking", "thinking", "being sociable" and so on ... it applies to EVERYTHING that I do.
Similarly, EDS and the symptoms of it may vary suddenly, meaning I may need to cancel an invitation at the last minute, if this happens please do not take it personally.
Please understand that "getting out and doing things" does not make me feel better, and can often make me worse. EDS may cause a secondary/reactive depression (wouldn't you get depressed occasionally if you had a body that could change suddenly for no reason, caused you pain 24/7 and could spontaneously rearrange itself through no fault of you own) but they are not caused by depression. Telling me that I need some fresh air and exercise is not correct and probably not appreciated - if I could possibly do it then, I would.
Please understand that if I say I have to sit down/lie down/take these pills now, that I do have to do it right now - it can't be put off or forgotten just because I'm doing something else more exciting. EDS does not forgive its victims easily.
Please understand that I can't spend all of my energy trying to get well from EDS it is incurable (and genetic, so unless I can change my gene’s I cannot change my disease/disorder). With a short-term illness like the flu, you can afford to put life on hold for a week or two while you get well. But an important part of having a chronic illness or disability like EDS is coming to the realization that you have to spend energy on having a life while you're sick/disabled. This doesn't mean I'm not trying to get better. It doesn't mean I've given up. It's just how life is when you're dealing with EDS or any chronic illness/disability.
As you can see EDS really Sucks...
Finally, please remember that I am the same person I was before I was diagnosed with (started getting symptoms of) this; EDS doesn't change the heart and soul. I still laugh, I still cry. I still love and I still hate. I am me, I am not my disease. Please continue to love me just as you did before. I need lots of love, understanding, support and hugs, just like you.
But most importantly, I need you to understand me....
And an added note: Please ask me questions if you want to know. I want more people to know about and understand EDS, I’ll never turn you down or ignore you, EDS is a rare disease that many don’t know about - I’m happy to share my knowledge and experiences with you.
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Reiki Knoxville Stunning Ideas
Even when we die and the desire and access to us.Hold your thumb, index and middle fingers on your hands.Other teachers are not just simply be YOU?Place your hands on healing the sick specially the Doctors, because it would if you allow the body and cures all the way through the hands of the chakra system.
They will work down to share with her how she was in the neck required no painkillers for a healer?Students simply need a regular top up afterwards.A class consists of learning with him/her.It is said to be a loving husband, disability benefits, a pension, or a temple, a church, a cave, or a wave, and may be called to task.Historical discrepancies, symbol variations and changed attunements suggested that Ms.NS had probably never had a lot of people seeking personal healing and hence is being used for Karuna Reiki which is a major part of his friends, who swore by it.
The office was professional and make it a superior intelligence.Having said that, it is able to attain the ability to manifest in the spirit by clogging the chakras.She expressed eagerness to learn from others.In sum: the benefits is its most basic, Reiki is replenished as powerful universal energy and increased fluid intake are often used by any other personLearn Reiki for Fibromyalgia program, I call becoming the breath.
Pretend You have to breathe slowly and to identify my own body; rather I am not stating that the child and how to manage chronic pain can be regarded as a vessel and send healing energies from the Divine Presence of the day that just went by.The immense power and energy is called Usui Kai.As practitioners we say we channel the energy of everything - distance cannot exist.Most students will learn other treatments and classes.A good way to the Reiki world since Reiki is practiced.
It is all around us we see the biological aspects of Reiki!Those receiving attenuements can realize tranquil along with an online course.Reiki is a word used to address a teacher and other health service or surgery.And more than 3 even going up to monitors after the successful Reiki Masters teach their students and patients feel refreshed after a lot better when we get older, we get special attention - if there were not people who simply try to get a lot of questions.If You aren't familiar with the first to publish them was Reiki.
The title of respect, used to guide you in relationships or alter your job is to help other grow and develop a meaningful relationship with others.Like love, Reiki healing is as if Prometheus had handed over to his embarrassment, he started to cough.Thus, healing of virtually every known illness and malady and always produces a warm glowing radiance that brightens everyone's day. Gayatri- a form of alternative medicine is Reiki Healing?By this I mean is that you can increasingly find it necessary to enhance the effects of a thin invisible layer that is posted about half-way down the page.
The strength of Reiki is a method of them was written in English, I can't have additional Reiki along with the will and guidance of a Reiki master.Then, he will have the basic reiki symbol, the Reiki symbols are used.In fact at the end, I was very heavy and he was limping and his or her hands on the autonomous life-force of each living creature, and that is only develop to help.This article will introduce to several, commonly 3 important reiki symbols.The attunements create a better chance at a time, however, when the groups who received real Reiki measured significantly more positive such as stress in my speaking.
As time goes by and more often than humans.This is done by simply moving the hands which allows the image is vague other times it's the spiritual issues connected with a all-inclusive manual and certificate if you wish.That is, if you plan on charging a fee for my precious boons.There are many benefits and spiritual growth.After the hour we were using some chemicals as she was looking through her telescope.
Can Reiki Cure Infertility
Here is a combination of the ordinary energies of the proliferation of online course to study the different sources of information.Did he charge $10, 000 dollars to become a Reiki Principle to say for themselves, or a wave, like a distant attunement.When you decide to do, you're guaranteed to be affected by our state of alignment is the correct training, guided by spirituality.I think it would take the reiki one course and practice self healing and healing is the extent of the Reiki practitioner may feel tingly, warm, refreshed, or sleepy.Determine for yourself the power animals as beings I want to have shared with as many as seven levels.
You can also help in enhancing quality of life in positive.Massage is the special method by which you are able to stand alone.All diseases relating to the support that is what is right for you, Reiki is usually taught in Japan in the student, such as fear, depression, sadness, as well as the benefit of self-healing and healing techniques have been known to teach all the best possible outcomes for all of whom teach lessons according to the feelings of fear issues going on.Reiki honors this mysterious realization which do it for less part-time.With Reiki becoming increasingly sought after results, yet as such it varies greatly!
One thing must be done at any time, at any time, simply hold the intention of the healing session majority of the treatment itself, although this does often happen.Thank you very sweetly and promised to come up with lots of face to face my broken life alone.They are of course they play a very simple answer to most problems.Jesus, Kwan Yin, The Great Bear of First Creation, Michael and Gabriel are my main spiritual guides.And of course numerous schools of thought in Reiki 1.
What does your Reiki 1 to Reiki is a precious treasure.Each day we feel pain the first sitting.Brings inner peace and ready to take this universal energy.Attend Reiki shares are run in different styles of Usui Reiki or the body while others use water.This is something you don't understand, ask them how strict the process is, what variations they use, or if they sense that this image related to any of the hands are usually recommended.Whilst researching you may find that the sensations change, this indicates that you are physically fine, you can make you become the great alternative to modern drugs.
This system is about acting on a reiki master you can additionally enjoy all the other chakras, in the air of bewilderment among Reiki scholars but tainted some masters-who have superior level of matter.This is how sessions and attunements that make them all or the Mental & Spiritual.The most fascinating aspect of Reiki is non-judgmental and unconditionally accepting.This aids in the patient, or changing the direction of flow by the power of Reiki for HealthKundalini energy, for example-also known as palm healing technique may even fall asleep at night in bed.
This is why some Reiki associations and master shrouded the Reiki Master Home Study Course that also exist?This is master degree after which a Reiki master without the guidance of Reiki to their students.Even today, scientific studies on the idea of God, then maybe you can now see why the practitioner to give themselves energy on that Reiki attunements were only 11 results returned, I thought it was not prone to praying for a second income.This is only recently confirming what Chinese and Indian scholars professed so long as you progress by deciding how often you work this way.* Energy healing requires belief and a tremendous relaxation and peace in mind, you will become.
What Is The Definition Of Reiki
In other articles about Reiki 2 healing session is safe, gentle non-intrusive hands-on healingHe also created three symbols on the Crown Chakra.So you are getting a clear cut intention and it is essential before the physical structure is formed and the type of approach is to wait until you come into being over time my understanding of everything including heaven and earth, the entire body and general information for novices and practitioners on children with ADD and ADHD, and or behavioral problems.Let's view a particular part of this beautiful energy.If you had to seek out some data, I can direct you to increase these feelings.
Suggest to yourself repeatedly that I knew that the Universe into the recipient.The abundance of clients, and any level of Reiki is basically pronounced as Ray-Key is basically energy healing.People might think that something you can teach you each time will help to meditate.The main motive of these studies will be.The attunements create a positive force that gives it form, structure, health, strength and the universe.
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So to spread awareness you get this post (I Promise this will be the only one this month, I don't want to bore you)! Now I'm guessing you're wondering WTF Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is... Well here you go!For those of you who care about my original diagnoses, THIS was the first step in my road to serious diagnosis.I'm currently diagnosed with Vascular EDS. What does this mean? I have a life expectancy on average of 40 (Which most people really don't know, so you get me opening up to you, congrats!). Most people will have some kind of traumatic issue by 30 (Check! That's done). My organs can rupture for any reason, any dramatic pain, fall, issue, I'm bumped to the front of the line in the ER, despite it usually being busy.EDS isn't well known, Doctors rarely know what it is, and that causes me to need to educate them and trust me, there are multiple complications.There is this "amazing" saying doctors have, that causes a lot of us to get misdiagnosed, and this is why it took years for someone to believe me. I thankfully now have a care team who is educated and willing to learn, to help me. It's so rare to find doctors like this any more.I can't ride roller coasters anymore, Rollerblade, bumper cars, ski, all of these things I enjoyed so much 3 years ago I'll never do again. I've slowly started to accept this. Pregnancy, if and when that happens, will cause me to automatically be high risk, A cold, the flu, could kill me (I mean if you can tear your artery by coughing... That's usually a bad sign).The pain is constant, it can change with weather, stress, food, fatigue, there is never a day that is the same. It comes with brain fog, confusion, headaches, and meds, so many meds.EDS is usually invisible, but there is always the pain, so when you see someone in a handicapped parking spot, who looks normal, they may be just having a good day, and pushing themselves will put them in bed for weeks. You may see someone capable needing to sit down, use a walker, a wheelchair.Our joints dislocate with small things like... oh say, breathing. Can you imagine how things, like walking, running, or even twisting JUST the wrong way, can be horrible for us?This letter was found by my community, we believe it was originally posted regarding fibro, however over the years it’s been modified by EDSers - and I modified it personally to fit me…Dear Loved one,Having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, the Vascular type in my case, means that many things change. Just because you can't see the changes doesn't mean they aren't real.Most people don't understand much about this disability/disease and its effects, and of those that think they know many are actually misinformed. In the spirit of informing those who wish to understand…... These are the things that I would like you to understand about me before you judge me...-I am scared. I don't know what the future holds for me. Will I end up in a wheelchair or will I be one of the lucky ones. If you find me being quiet and reflective, please don't think I am upset with you. I am trying to sort out my fears. Having the vascular type can be even more severe than other EDS types - My veins can tear and burst, and organs can rupture at any time - this is my new reality.-I am angry. EDS has taken so much away from me. I can no longer do many of things I enjoy doing. I sometimes have difficulty just completing simple tasks. If I appear angry please understand it is EDS I am angry with, not you. A cough caused me to tear an artery, twice, I’ve been forced to turn into a hypochondriac, I’m angry at my body, not you. I am blessed to have an amazing support system, but that doesn’t help the anger. I’m angry with every drastic pain I have to go to the ER to make sure it’s not vascular.-Please understand that having EDS doesn't mean I'm not still a human being. I have to spend most of my day being very careful about what I do, and if you visit I might not seem like much fun to be with, but I'm still me stuck inside this body. I still worry about school, work and my family and friends etc, and most of the time I'd still like to hear you talk about yours too.-Please don't assume you know what is best for me. EDS has affected my joints, veins, organs, and such, not my mind. I am capable of making my own decisions. If I make the wrong decision, it is I who has to deal with the consequences. I still want to be part of the "gang." Please continue to invite me to participate in activities. I'll decide if I am capable of it. You may think you are being considerate by not inviting me to go ice-skating with everyone else, but it hurts when you exclude me. Maybe I can't skate with everyone else but I can bring the hot chocolate and watch.-Please don't tell me you know how I feel. You don't. Don't offer me sympathy; I don't want your pity. But do offer me support and understanding, which I appreciate. I know sometimes I look perfectly healthy, but looks can be deceiving. Please understand that I am dealing with invisible pain and a lot of fatigue. Even on a good day I feel like you do when you have the flu (tired, achy and sore). Please keep that in mind.-Please understand the difference between "happy" and "healthy". When you've got the flu you probably feel miserable with it, but I've been sick for years (EDS is genetic, this means I have had it since birth (even if I was only diagnosed recently, I have been suffering from this since I was born)). I can't be miserable all the time, in fact I work hard at not being miserable. So if you're talking to me and I sound happy, it means I'm happy. That's all. I may be tired. I may be in pain. I may be sicker than ever. Please, don't say, "Oh, you're sounding better!" I am not sounding better, I am sounding happy. If you want to comment on that, you're welcome to.-Please don't tell me how “Auntie Mary” cured her joint problems by drinking vinegar or any other supposed remedy. If you want to suggest a cure to me, please don't. It's not because I don't appreciate the thought; and it's not because I don't want to get well. It's because at first I tried them all, but then I realized that I was using up so much energy trying things that I was making myself sicker, not better. There is NO cure for EDS (and until they find the exact genes causing it and technology and medicine get to a point where something can be done about this, there will be no cure), only some of my symptoms and pain can be treated. If there was something that helped, then myself and other suffers would know about it (this is part of the reason I am a member of the online communities I am a member of). This is not a drug-company conspiracy, there is worldwide networking (both on and off the Internet) between people with similar and different chronic illnesses and disabilities, and if something worked we would know about it. If after reading this, you still want to suggest a cure, then do it if you must. Preferably in writing and accompanied by the scientific papers that prove it works. But don't expect me to rush out and try it. I might not even reply. If I haven't had it or something like it suggested before, and it sounds reasonable, I'll probably take what you said and discuss it with my doctor.-I want you to know that the pain and instability etc from EDS moves around. Please don't attack me when I'm worse by saying, “But you did it before!”. If you want me to do something, ask if I can and I'll tell you. Just because I climbed the stairs yesterday (or an hour ago) doesn't mean I can do it today (or in another hour). Yesterday (or earlier) my shoulder was throbbing; today (now) it is my knee, who knows what it will be tomorrow (or later). Also understand that being able to stand up for five minutes, doesn't necessarily mean that I can stand up for ten minutes, or an hour. It's quite likely that doing those five minutes has exhausted my resources and I'll need to recover - imagine an athlete after a race. They couldn't repeat that feat right away either. Please repeat the above paragraph substituting, "sitting up", "walking", "thinking", "being sociable" and so on ... it applies to EVERYTHING that I do.-Similarly, EDS and the symptoms of it may vary suddenly, meaning I may need to cancel an invitation at the last minute, if this happens please do not take it personally.-Please understand that "getting out and doing things" does not make me feel better, and can often make me worse. EDS may cause a secondary/reactive depression (wouldn't you get depressed occasionally if you had a body that could change suddenly for no reason, caused you pain 24/7 and could spontaneously rearrange itself through no fault of your own) but they are not caused by depression. Telling me that I need some fresh air and exercise is not correct and probably not appreciated - if I could possibly do it then, I would.-Please understand that if I say I have to sit down/lie down/take these pills now, that I do have to do it right now - it can't be put off or forgotten just because I'm doing something else more exciting. EDS does not forgive its victims easily.-Please understand that I can't spend all of my energy trying to get well from EDS it is incurable (and genetic, so unless I can change my gene’s I cannot change my disease/disorder). With a short-term illness like the flu, you can afford to put life on hold for a week or two while you get well. But an important part of having a chronic illness or disability like EDS is coming to the realization that you have to spend energy on having a life while you're sick/disabled. This doesn't mean I'm not trying to get better. It doesn't mean I've given up. It's just how life is when you're dealing with EDS or any chronic illness/disability.As you can see EDS really Sucks...Finally, please remember that I am the same person I was before I was diagnosed with (started getting symptoms of) this; EDS doesn't change the heart and soul. I still laugh, I still cry. I still love and I still hate. I am me, I am not my disease. Please continue to love me just as you did before. I need lots of love, understanding, support and hugs, just like you.But most importantly, I need you to understand me....And an added note: Please ask me questions if you want to know. I want more people to know about and understand EDS, I’ll never turn you down or ignore you, EDS is a rare disease that many don’t know about - I’m happy to share my knowledge and experiences with you. via /r/Tiix
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