💉

Avi - she/he/they - new followers pls read my pinned 'about'

[gefiltebitch]

🖤 pinned intro 🖤

I'm Avigayil (Avi). 23, white, Jewish, mad/ill & a bi woman. abolitionist. harm reductionist via “profession,” direct action/movement/community, & lived reality. 

comments & notifications will come from @gefiltebiitch (almost same URL but with two i’s) - this used to be a temporary/side blog, but it took off and history/followers got established over here. 

**I'm sometimes more active on my twitter @AYocheved**

who I am + some things I discuss:

-from Minneapolis, living in Eugene since ‘17, in the process of moving full-time to Portland to be with community/organizing family.

-agnostic, practicing Jew from an interfaith family, I go to a Reconstructionist shul.

-nd / traumatized / mad / chronically ill / uses certain drugs under prohibition conditions ---> psych system dropout & unrepentant junkie.

-I've been dx’d as autistic & adhd w. cptsd + (potentially) bipolar II - I have limited trust in the DSM to convey my experiences (name them in order to find tools + community? sure. contextualize them accurately & acknowledge the ways systems/institutions contribute? unlikely), but these do say something.

-Harm Reductionist/peer worker, aspiring/growing drug user union organizer

-politically self-identified PWUD (person who uses (stigmatized, criminalized) drugs):

healing from certain past harmful use, but that is not my experience with every drug, nor with those specific drugs at all times. 

not personally sober or in long term abstinence. sometimes not-using or quitting something, as one situational tool I use for wellbeing - I also have various harm reduction tools/practices involving active use.

always the fascinated kid who grew up reading Erowid. always impacted for the better by various drug experiences. certain drugs saved my life, despite their drawbacks - prohibition + trauma + stigma almost took it.

not innately disordered or destined to be problematic in my use. sometimes subjected to marginalizing + isolating + disordered processes, which I react(ed) to in a pattern. learning to escape those patterns when they do not serve me. learning to thrive, be safer, and build myself (/ fight for) a better "rat park".

short version: I do not identify as an addict, I do not wish to be dx’d with a substance use disorder. my substance use experiences have been varied, often helpful, and the most harmful/problematic ones have been directly tied to the conditions of complex trauma, prohibition, isolation, stigma, + resource disparities. 

-opioid overdose survivor. people should not have to use drugs in isolation, facing prohibition + unsafe/non-consensual supply. even if/when we are unwell, or our use becomes problematic, we should not have to die. 

-highly influenced- in the way I self-identify, my politics, & my advocacy/community care work- by my mentors in HIV/AIDS organizing, sex worker organizing, & the first decades of drug user union organizing, in the US and internationally.

see my Harm Reduction and Drug User Politics tags for more writings on these topics!

-organizer with a street outreach-based harm reduction mutual aid collective run by PWUD in PDX, as well as our city’s recently founded Drug User Union

-national Never Use Alone volunteer operator: [phone] - we are a largely peer-run hotline, including several operators who are active users; DM me for more info on our procedures, confidentiality, general vibe etc.

-former field organizer & regional deputy director on a (very flawed/inadequate but long overdue) drug decrim campaign in OR.

-intern/peer worker at a needle exchange program.

-in my 4th and hopefully final year of undergrad.

-my paid work right now = restaurant work + some sex work + some drug policy work when there are scraps of that + some paid harm reduction work when there are scraps of that.

-bi, nb woman (she/he/xe/they - anything, really).

I was mentored/raised (especially as a teenager) by butch/femme lesbians in my community, and butch/femme subcultural histories + present spaces have been a special interest & second home for years, so they have remained a “root” and deep, loving influence on my gender nonconformity & sense of gay self-expression - even though I don’t necessarily feel that either  “lesbian”, “butch” or ”femme” are an appropriate/accurate/complete fit to describe me anymore (having spent past periods of my development exploring/identifying fervently with each) & things have gotten more complicated than that. I still feel kinship, solidarity, familial ties and even still significant overlap with those roots.

-non-monogamous

-I love: writing, chemistry/pharmacology, history/literature (fav specific topics/histories: LGBT, substance use, sex work, fashion subculture, disability + madness politics, peer-led harm redux movement, early chemistry/pharmacology/apothecary), music, clarinet performance, foraging, languages, street medic-ing, mutual aid, permaculture, films, & cooking.

asks and reblogs are always welcome! lmk me if you need anything tagged.

if you know me IRL, even if we’re close, please ask before reading posts or following (ppl who don't know me offline can follow whenever). I use this for personal journaling, so I like to have a heads-up.

see my harm reduction and drug politics tags for serious thoughts on those things.

[END OF MAIN INTRO]

a couple lil soapboxes/in-progress manifestos, under  readmore:

[about harm reduction work & its complex relationships to formal institutions/”helping” professions, the idea of “recovery activism/advocacy,” etc]:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. soapbox on harm reduction’s fraught relationship with public health, social work, nonprofit industrial complex, & “helping” institutions at large:

I will always prioritize collective based organizing- underground, aboveground or anywhere in between- and the ability to build power with my own community to fight the drug war, over waiting to be conditionally invited to “peer worker” positions in the public health system where I will be tokenized. I will take those positions if/when I can do good work through them, especially if they will also pay my bills, but they are not the center of my work as a harm reductionist.

we need supervised consumption spaces, safer supply options, low barrier healthcare + housing, etc. far before/regardless of what the government does.

the harm reduction you see at nonprofits is the tip of the iceberg, and isn't always successful harm reduction in the eyes of movement veterns/elders/pwud on the ground. 

most of the best/hardest work happening at those nonprofits is still actively being done by underpaid or unpaid “people of lived experience” who are being tokenized and exploited. 

harm reduction was harm reduction (collectives of marginalized people who public health discarded, showing up and providing each other love and resources, often against the law) long before public health systems in liberal areas conditionally accepted parts of it as Good Public Health Strategy.

if you’re interested in the history + current movement, read about drug user unions. listen to Crackdown podcast. if you live in a big city, there may be a drug user union there. if there is one, they do so much for the community, with varying levels of transparency depending on specifics for safety.

the continuation of prohibition and the chaotic illicit supply it fuels is murder by negligence/malice. they talk, we die. we save our own lives.

trauma informed care / community care / dual power / mutual aid / bodily autonomy = harm reduction. resourcing each other = harm reduction. fighting systemic harms = harm reduction. individual risk reduction advice is the tip of the iceberg.

nothing about us without us - don’t just invite people who use criminalized drugs, sex workers, or other people you’ve only recently learned to humanize to your table to give you advice on solving our problems, come to our table and help us organize.

2. soapbox on “recovery communty” “recovery advocacy/activism” or the idea of a larger “recovery movement” as the primary form of organizing/advocacy that is “allowed” or listened to on the topic of substance use:

not everyone who uses substances has to identify with frameworks of addiction or recovery, however it is almost impossible to talk about substances and social issues/contexts around them, without encountering some form of “recovery advocacy/activism,” which often sees itself as charged with the task of reaching out to any/everyone who uses drugs. 

I am a believer that there is a place for a "recovery movement,” “recovery advocacy/activism” (read as: recovery from disordered/problematic substance use, aka addiction/SUD or any similar categorization) etc... but that if such a movement/set of spaces wants to be effective/ethical, especially for the most vulnerable community members... any such advocacy/activist movement must include, acknowledge and center the following: 

autonomy, person-centered / self-defined goals

mutual aid / low barrier resources

peer-led/diverse/community-centered/trauma-informed care & services

meeting people where they are in their process & letting everyone’s process be different

a critical understanding of how institutions & environment shape behavior, and how our rates of problematic/disordered use are worsened by things like prohibition, systems of oppression, isolation, stigma, & resource disparities (interrupting those things & making sure someone is resourced/set up to survive/thrive in their environment with a sturdy support network is just as critical, if not more, than providing the right program for an individual change process - and the latter goes much better with the former)

the eradication of stigma, & explicit opposition to prohibitionist laws/policies/ideologies which have caused decades of unnecessary/inflated risk/harm/suffering/death

an understanding of where it fits (re: solidarity, and re: acknowledging that various needs and lived realities exist outside of its own narratives/frameworks) into a broader landscape of diverse substance use experiences and related health needs, and drug policy/politics that impact ALL PWUD, not just those who fit neatly into addiction/recovery frameworks. aka, acknowledging that the “recovery community/recovery activists” do not get to dictate all drug policy/politics and that they do not speak for all PWUD, and that harm has been done when such spaces fail to acknowledge this,or fail to stand in solidarity with other PWUD/larger marginalized groups that have been harmed by drug policy)

[fine-ass-fatshion]

This is not like a fully completed thought but yk

So I've done my first aid + CPR a few times. And every single time I try and bring up scenarios for fat folks

Specifically like 'what if someone is too large for me to wrap my arms around then to do the heimleich'

And its incredibly rare I get a decent answer.

How absolutely insane is it that me, as a fat person, is asking how to have MY life saved or to save ANOTHER life, is an impossible feat if someone is fat.

Most of the time they tell me to 'just try anyways uwu'

There has got to be a better option.

[whiskeydickclaws]

From a first aid and CPR trainer, who is also fat.

The heimleich is scientifically as effective as slapping someone VERY hard on the back. The only reason it's so well taught is the man that invented it did a lot of great PR for himself. It's also a bit easier for smaller framed people to get the necessary force in, because people are often extremely scared to hurt people, even in life threatening situations.

With larger bodied people, whether they be fat, tall, muscular, etc. If you cannot get your arms around them, literally just slap the shit out of their shoulders. You want hard, open palmed slaps right in the center of the shoulders or slightly below.

If they are too tall for you to reach that high, guide them to lean over the back of a chair, and then slap slap slap slap slap.

It's been proven to be just as effective through many studies. It just doesn't have a trademarked name and a dramatic effect in film.

If you have to do CPR on a larger bodied person, again, fat, body builder, tall and broad, whoever, the trick to finding where you want to put your hands if going to be to take your hand and shove it in their armpit. No seriously. Put your hand in their armpit, then drag it in a straight line towards yourself until you're in the center of the chest, then put your other hand beneath that one. This is where you push. Then you are going to move the arm closest to you out of the way so you can get closer to them, and get the leverage you need to press down for compressions. The more of your body weight that is over your hands, the better the compression will be. Act like you are trying desperately to pack the last of your clothes in a suitcase, and just slam down hard on their chest.

They will make *horrible* noises. You might even break ribs.

But a broken rib is better than being dead.

One day, perhaps, other CPR and First Aid instructors will actually know and teach this shit. But the medical field is filled with people who don't know, don't care, or just outright hate fat people. So while this information won't fix your complaint, I do hope it helps someone out there with saving their loved ones, should it ever be needed.

[gefiltebitch]

*cleaned up, re formatted version of yesterday's post, thank you @buddhawithoutorgans *

Hello everyone! My name is Avi, you might know me for my harm reduction, disability justice and drug policy advocacy, on and off Tumblr, Tiktok etc. I'm in a really hard spot with nowhere else to turn to for help.

The bare bones is that I was unfairly fired from my job due to the stigma of a supervisor + an HR member, after I was hired to push for change in an addiction healthcare space precisely for my harm reduction values & advocacy, those were the things I was targeted for. This was a job I really needed, because I was already coming out of months of very limited work hours due to a life threatening chronic health issue triggered by a sudden traumatic loss, an issue which resulted in multiple hospitalisations. After the progress I was able to make stabilising myself I'm back to square one with nothing. I did manage to get my waitress job back and am building up hours- I will stabilize. But my immediate needs are to survive December.

The most urgent issue is my medications, my heart cannot take the stress of abruptly losing any of them, and after the sudden loss of job I'm back in transition period in terms of which insurance and providers I have, so these meds are more expensive than usual. I also need to cover basic living expenses going forward too (transport, rent, food etc). Everything helps! 

$harmreductionavi

@Avi-Yocheved (venmo) 

Paypal.me/avigayil

If you'd be able to help a queer disabled Jewish activist get back on their feet so I can serve my community, it would make a world of difference to me as well as my community who rely on my mutual aid and activism. I know it's hard for everyone right now but even a reblog is a huge help!

Picture of cat + me for visibility/algorithm.

As I wrote in the messier version of this post, if you are familiar with my written or video content, long or short form, on my topics of expertise, I am happy to give back in any way I know how, including putting together resource materials, multimedia content, facilitating teach ins or trainings, etc. So if you're someone who is contributing or helping me spread this, and there is anything you'd like to see from me, that will be a priority. I'm also putting effort toward every form of making money I can, not just relying on this. This is a last resort I don't enjoy turning to. Thank you for reading.

[gefiltebitch]

Update:

I'm $100 away from a sub-goal of 1) paying for my most important medication and 2) keeping my phone service on. I have 48 hours before I'm officially out of that medication, and 24 hours before the hard deadline on the phone bill.

So far, between using some credit, a couple commissioned projects IRL, & y'all's incredibly kind help fundraising here, I was able to pay a big enough % of rent to avoid fees or getting in trouble, was able to pay water/electric, and got groceries + refilled the medication I have with the least expensive copay (buprenorphine). SO much gratitude, being able to stay securely housed throughout this job transition makes dealing with the rest of it- healthcare stuff, other bills- feel so much more within reach, and means I'm able to take care of my physical and mental health enough to show up to my serving job every day, as well as continuing to work on my local harm reduction mutual aid work & local/national drug policy advocacy.

[gefiltebitch]

*cleaned up, re formatted version of yesterday's post, thank you @buddhawithoutorgans *

Hello everyone! My name is Avi, you might know me for my harm reduction, disability justice and drug policy advocacy, on and off Tumblr, Tiktok etc. I'm in a really hard spot with nowhere else to turn to for help.

The bare bones is that I was unfairly fired from my job due to the stigma of a supervisor + an HR member, after I was hired to push for change in an addiction healthcare space precisely for my harm reduction values & advocacy, those were the things I was targeted for. This was a job I really needed, because I was already coming out of months of very limited work hours due to a life threatening chronic health issue triggered by a sudden traumatic loss, an issue which resulted in multiple hospitalisations. After the progress I was able to make stabilising myself I'm back to square one with nothing. I did manage to get my waitress job back and am building up hours- I will stabilize. But my immediate needs are to survive December.

The most urgent issue is my medications, my heart cannot take the stress of abruptly losing any of them, and after the sudden loss of job I'm back in transition period in terms of which insurance and providers I have, so these meds are more expensive than usual. I also need to cover basic living expenses going forward too (transport, rent, food etc). Everything helps! 

$harmreductionavi

@Avi-Yocheved (venmo) 

Paypal.me/avigayil

If you'd be able to help a queer disabled Jewish activist get back on their feet so I can serve my community, it would make a world of difference to me as well as my community who rely on my mutual aid and activism. I know it's hard for everyone right now but even a reblog is a huge help!

Picture of cat + me for visibility/algorithm.

As I wrote in the messier version of this post, if you are familiar with my written or video content, long or short form, on my topics of expertise, I am happy to give back in any way I know how, including putting together resource materials, multimedia content, facilitating teach ins or trainings, etc. So if you're someone who is contributing or helping me spread this, and there is anything you'd like to see from me, that will be a priority. I'm also putting effort toward every form of making money I can, not just relying on this. This is a last resort I don't enjoy turning to. Thank you for reading.

[gefiltebitch]

Update:

I'm $100 away from a sub-goal of 1) paying for my most important medication and 2) keeping my phone service on. I have 48 hours before I'm officially out of that medication, and 24 hours before the hard deadline on the phone bill.

So far, between using some credit, a couple commissioned projects IRL, & y'all's incredibly kind help fundraising here, I was able to pay a big enough % of rent to avoid fees or getting in trouble, was able to pay water/electric, and got groceries + refilled the medication I have with the least expensive copay (buprenorphine). SO much gratitude, being able to stay securely housed throughout this job transition makes dealing with the rest of it- healthcare stuff, other bills- feel so much more within reach, and means I'm able to take care of my physical and mental health enough to show up to my serving job every day, as well as continuing to work on my local harm reduction mutual aid work & local/national drug policy advocacy.

[gefiltebitch]

*cleaned up, re formatted version of yesterday's post, thank you @buddhawithoutorgans *

Hello everyone! My name is Avi, you might know me for my harm reduction, disability justice and drug policy advocacy, on and off Tumblr, Tiktok etc. I'm in a really hard spot with nowhere else to turn to for help.

The bare bones is that I was unfairly fired from my job due to the stigma of a supervisor + an HR member, after I was hired to push for change in an addiction healthcare space precisely for my harm reduction values & advocacy, those were the things I was targeted for. This was a job I really needed, because I was already coming out of months of very limited work hours due to a life threatening chronic health issue triggered by a sudden traumatic loss, an issue which resulted in multiple hospitalisations. After the progress I was able to make stabilising myself I'm back to square one with nothing. I did manage to get my waitress job back and am building up hours- I will stabilize. But my immediate needs are to survive December.

The most urgent issue is my medications, my heart cannot take the stress of abruptly losing any of them, and after the sudden loss of job I'm back in transition period in terms of which insurance and providers I have, so these meds are more expensive than usual. I also need to cover basic living expenses going forward too (transport, rent, food etc). Everything helps! 

$harmreductionavi

@Avi-Yocheved (venmo) 

Paypal.me/avigayil

If you'd be able to help a queer disabled Jewish activist get back on their feet so I can serve my community, it would make a world of difference to me as well as my community who rely on my mutual aid and activism. I know it's hard for everyone right now but even a reblog is a huge help!

Picture of cat + me for visibility/algorithm.

As I wrote in the messier version of this post, if you are familiar with my written or video content, long or short form, on my topics of expertise, I am happy to give back in any way I know how, including putting together resource materials, multimedia content, facilitating teach ins or trainings, etc. So if you're someone who is contributing or helping me spread this, and there is anything you'd like to see from me, that will be a priority. I'm also putting effort toward every form of making money I can, not just relying on this. This is a last resort I don't enjoy turning to. Thank you for reading.

[gefiltebitch]

Update:

I'm $100 away from a sub-goal of 1) paying for my most important medication and 2) keeping my phone service on. I have 48 hours before I'm officially out of that medication, and 24 hours before the hard deadline on the phone bill.

So far, between using some credit, a couple commissioned projects IRL, & y'all's incredibly kind help fundraising here, I was able to pay a big enough % of rent to avoid fees or getting in trouble, was able to pay water/electric, and got groceries + refilled the medication I have with the least expensive copay (buprenorphine). SO much gratitude, being able to stay securely housed throughout this job transition makes dealing with the rest of it- healthcare stuff, other bills- feel so much more within reach, and means I'm able to take care of my physical and mental health enough to show up to my serving job every day, as well as continuing to work on my local harm reduction mutual aid work & local/national drug policy advocacy.

[gefiltebitch]

*cleaned up, re formatted version of yesterday's post, thank you @buddhawithoutorgans *

Hello everyone! My name is Avi, you might know me for my harm reduction, disability justice and drug policy advocacy, on and off Tumblr, Tiktok etc. I'm in a really hard spot with nowhere else to turn to for help.

The bare bones is that I was unfairly fired from my job due to the stigma of a supervisor + an HR member, after I was hired to push for change in an addiction healthcare space precisely for my harm reduction values & advocacy, those were the things I was targeted for. This was a job I really needed, because I was already coming out of months of very limited work hours due to a life threatening chronic health issue triggered by a sudden traumatic loss, an issue which resulted in multiple hospitalisations. After the progress I was able to make stabilising myself I'm back to square one with nothing. I did manage to get my waitress job back and am building up hours- I will stabilize. But my immediate needs are to survive December.

The most urgent issue is my medications, my heart cannot take the stress of abruptly losing any of them, and after the sudden loss of job I'm back in transition period in terms of which insurance and providers I have, so these meds are more expensive than usual. I also need to cover basic living expenses going forward too (transport, rent, food etc). Everything helps! 

$harmreductionavi

@Avi-Yocheved (venmo) 

Paypal.me/avigayil

If you'd be able to help a queer disabled Jewish activist get back on their feet so I can serve my community, it would make a world of difference to me as well as my community who rely on my mutual aid and activism. I know it's hard for everyone right now but even a reblog is a huge help!

Picture of cat + me for visibility/algorithm.

As I wrote in the messier version of this post, if you are familiar with my written or video content, long or short form, on my topics of expertise, I am happy to give back in any way I know how, including putting together resource materials, multimedia content, facilitating teach ins or trainings, etc. So if you're someone who is contributing or helping me spread this, and there is anything you'd like to see from me, that will be a priority. I'm also putting effort toward every form of making money I can, not just relying on this. This is a last resort I don't enjoy turning to. Thank you for reading.

[gefiltebitch]

Update:

I'm $100 away from a sub-goal of 1) paying for my most important medication and 2) keeping my phone service on. I have 48 hours before I'm officially out of that medication, and 24 hours before the hard deadline on the phone bill.

So far, between using some credit, a couple commissioned projects IRL, & y'all's incredibly kind help fundraising here, I was able to pay a big enough % of rent to avoid fees or getting in trouble, was able to pay water/electric, and got groceries + refilled the medication I have with the least expensive copay (buprenorphine). SO much gratitude, being able to stay securely housed throughout this job transition makes dealing with the rest of it- healthcare stuff, other bills- feel so much more within reach, and means I'm able to take care of my physical and mental health enough to show up to my serving job every day, as well as continuing to work on my local harm reduction mutual aid work & local/national drug policy advocacy.

[gefiltebitch]

I had a shit experience recently w someone trespassing and stealing my pride flag and instead of being sad and scared, I’m focusing on remembering why I got that flag in the first place. We don’t know each other, but following your blog brings me joy and knowledge! I care about you & even though we are strangers we are part of a community! Oregon - & the world - needs you and the work you do. I appreciate you. The cash is the concrete side of this sentiment 💜💙✌️

I am sending so much love + gratitude and I'm so sorry you experienced that from someone!! I'm grateful to have the community I have had on here even after the hiatus I took this year and have met some of the most kind & brilliant people 🖤

[gefiltebitch]

Do you have Zelle? I’ll definitely make an account and send something via Cashapp or Venmo if you dont, but I was just asking in case because it’s what I’ve mainly used.

I do not at the moment, I apologize! When I get my new physical debit card in the mail from my bank I will make one but it'll be a while. I appreciate y'all sm

[gefiltebitch]

*cleaned up, re formatted version of yesterday's post, thank you @buddhawithoutorgans *

Hello everyone! My name is Avi, you might know me for my harm reduction, disability justice and drug policy advocacy, on and off Tumblr, Tiktok etc. I'm in a really hard spot with nowhere else to turn to for help.

The bare bones is that I was unfairly fired from my job due to the stigma of a supervisor + an HR member, after I was hired to push for change in an addiction healthcare space precisely for my harm reduction values & advocacy, those were the things I was targeted for. This was a job I really needed, because I was already coming out of months of very limited work hours due to a life threatening chronic health issue triggered by a sudden traumatic loss, an issue which resulted in multiple hospitalisations. After the progress I was able to make stabilising myself I'm back to square one with nothing. I did manage to get my waitress job back and am building up hours- I will stabilize. But my immediate needs are to survive December.

The most urgent issue is my medications, my heart cannot take the stress of abruptly losing any of them, and after the sudden loss of job I'm back in transition period in terms of which insurance and providers I have, so these meds are more expensive than usual. I also need to cover basic living expenses going forward too (transport, rent, food etc). Everything helps! 

$harmreductionavi

@Avi-Yocheved (venmo) 

Paypal.me/avigayil

If you'd be able to help a queer disabled Jewish activist get back on their feet so I can serve my community, it would make a world of difference to me as well as my community who rely on my mutual aid and activism. I know it's hard for everyone right now but even a reblog is a huge help!

Picture of cat + me for visibility/algorithm.

As I wrote in the messier version of this post, if you are familiar with my written or video content, long or short form, on my topics of expertise, I am happy to give back in any way I know how, including putting together resource materials, multimedia content, facilitating teach ins or trainings, etc. So if you're someone who is contributing or helping me spread this, and there is anything you'd like to see from me, that will be a priority. I'm also putting effort toward every form of making money I can, not just relying on this. This is a last resort I don't enjoy turning to. Thank you for reading.

[gefiltebitch]

Update:

I'm $100 away from a sub-goal of 1) paying for my most important medication and 2) keeping my phone service on. I have 48 hours before I'm officially out of that medication, and 24 hours before the hard deadline on the phone bill.

So far, between using some credit, a couple commissioned projects IRL, & y'all's incredibly kind help fundraising here, I was able to pay a big enough % of rent to avoid fees or getting in trouble, was able to pay water/electric, and got groceries + refilled the medication I have with the least expensive copay (buprenorphine). SO much gratitude, being able to stay securely housed throughout this job transition makes dealing with the rest of it- healthcare stuff, other bills- feel so much more within reach, and means I'm able to take care of my physical and mental health enough to show up to my serving job every day, as well as continuing to work on my local harm reduction mutual aid work & local/national drug policy advocacy.

[gefiltebitch]

adrenal fatigue is not a real thing- there is literally no evidence that it exists. stop wasting your money seeing fake doctors

I haven't referred to my experiences with that term in months and I'm not seeing any "fake doctors". I'm aware now I was using the wrong term, i was using a term that I heard other patients using who were experiencing a similar spectrum of symptoms, who I met early on in my process seeing specialists. Back in the summer, a month or so after I last posted using that language, I was hospitalized over several weeks with takotsubo cardiomyopathy ("broken heart syndrome"), and received final diagnosis of that, alongside/exacerbated by comorbid dxs of a couple different genuine autoimmune conditions (which had either developed, or were already there but flaired up to the point of being diagnosable, after a sudden trauma in March). The first specialist I saw, back when "adrenal fatigue" was the language I brought to *her* describing an array of symptoms I had read about that matched mine, documented what I told her and affirmed what I was experiencing/didn't shut down the language I was using, but ultimately kept educating me as we waded through trial and error with testing and diagnoses, and connecting me with further care including multiple specialists until we had more precise actual diagnostic language for things going on. When I made those initial posts months ago i didn't have that finality yet, and was just in and out of emergency care + new specialists, doing my best to articulate what was happening with me, and I hadn't yet learned that the term I was using as an umbrella term for a type of disorder/spectrum of symptoms was not ultimately accurate.

The heart condition I'm referencing in any recent post (not months old) is the takotsubo cardiomyopathy which is the diagnosis still primarily impacting me / that I'm actively working on recovery from, that applies to medications I'm taking and the cardiology team I'm still seeing.

[jramseyi]

Traveling mushroom and his trusted cat

[gefiltebitch]

*cleaned up, re formatted version of yesterday's post, thank you @buddhawithoutorgans *

Hello everyone! My name is Avi, you might know me for my harm reduction, disability justice and drug policy advocacy, on and off Tumblr, Tiktok etc. I'm in a really hard spot with nowhere else to turn to for help.

The bare bones is that I was unfairly fired from my job due to the stigma of a supervisor + an HR member, after I was hired to push for change in an addiction healthcare space precisely for my harm reduction values & advocacy, those were the things I was targeted for. This was a job I really needed, because I was already coming out of months of very limited work hours due to a life threatening chronic health issue triggered by a sudden traumatic loss, an issue which resulted in multiple hospitalisations. After the progress I was able to make stabilising myself I'm back to square one with nothing. I did manage to get my waitress job back and am building up hours- I will stabilize. But my immediate needs are to survive December.

The most urgent issue is my medications, my heart cannot take the stress of abruptly losing any of them, and after the sudden loss of job I'm back in transition period in terms of which insurance and providers I have, so these meds are more expensive than usual. I also need to cover basic living expenses going forward too (transport, rent, food etc). Everything helps! 

$harmreductionavi

@Avi-Yocheved (venmo) 

Paypal.me/avigayil

If you'd be able to help a queer disabled Jewish activist get back on their feet so I can serve my community, it would make a world of difference to me as well as my community who rely on my mutual aid and activism. I know it's hard for everyone right now but even a reblog is a huge help!

Picture of cat + me for visibility/algorithm.

As I wrote in the messier version of this post, if you are familiar with my written or video content, long or short form, on my topics of expertise, I am happy to give back in any way I know how, including putting together resource materials, multimedia content, facilitating teach ins or trainings, etc. So if you're someone who is contributing or helping me spread this, and there is anything you'd like to see from me, that will be a priority. I'm also putting effort toward every form of making money I can, not just relying on this. This is a last resort I don't enjoy turning to. Thank you for reading.

[gefiltebitch]

*cleaned up, re formatted version of yesterday's post, thank you @buddhawithoutorgans *

Hello everyone! My name is Avi, you might know me for my harm reduction, disability justice and drug policy advocacy, on and off Tumblr, Tiktok etc. I'm in a really hard spot with nowhere else to turn to for help.

The bare bones is that I was unfairly fired from my job due to the stigma of a supervisor + an HR member, after I was hired to push for change in an addiction healthcare space precisely for my harm reduction values & advocacy, those were the things I was targeted for. This was a job I really needed, because I was already coming out of months of very limited work hours due to a life threatening chronic health issue triggered by a sudden traumatic loss, an issue which resulted in multiple hospitalisations. After the progress I was able to make stabilising myself I'm back to square one with nothing. I did manage to get my waitress job back and am building up hours- I will stabilize. But my immediate needs are to survive December.

The most urgent issue is my medications, my heart cannot take the stress of abruptly losing any of them, and after the sudden loss of job I'm back in transition period in terms of which insurance and providers I have, so these meds are more expensive than usual. I also need to cover basic living expenses going forward too (transport, rent, food etc). Everything helps! 

$harmreductionavi

@Avi-Yocheved (venmo) 

Paypal.me/avigayil

If you'd be able to help a queer disabled Jewish activist get back on their feet so I can serve my community, it would make a world of difference to me as well as my community who rely on my mutual aid and activism. I know it's hard for everyone right now but even a reblog is a huge help!

Picture of cat + me for visibility/algorithm.

As I wrote in the messier version of this post, if you are familiar with my written or video content, long or short form, on my topics of expertise, I am happy to give back in any way I know how, including putting together resource materials, multimedia content, facilitating teach ins or trainings, etc. So if you're someone who is contributing or helping me spread this, and there is anything you'd like to see from me, that will be a priority. I'm also putting effort toward every form of making money I can, not just relying on this. This is a last resort I don't enjoy turning to. Thank you for reading.

[gefiltebitch]

$harmreductionavi

@Avi-Yocheved (venmo)

Paypal.me/avigayil

TL;DR I was suddenly wrongfully terminated from my new job, and am now facing another month of precarity around medical care, multiple meds I can't stop abruptly without endangering my heart health, + other survival expenses + a health insurance transition I didn't plan on - I didn't want to have to use this platform for this again, but I am posting here because I'm posting everywhere.

As many of you know, I am a queer, Jewish, disabled frontline harm reduction + food service worker in pdx who has recently dealt with further chronic health issues worsened by trauma/sudden loss of a family member (hence the less than usual content since around March). Y'all helped me network in November when I said I was almost to the finish line with both my health and a new job (not to mention earlier in the year when I was in and out of hospital unable to work when my heart issues first started), and now things have taken a step backwards and further destabllized instead of continuing to get better. I'm trying to pull together what to do.

The new job I posted about, that was going to restore me to consistent income for the first time since my health stabilized after Joe's death- the paid job bringing a harm redux perspective/practices to a treatment space as a peer support worker- ended up terminating me, suddenly at the beginning of November (and in my/many colleagues' view, wrongfully), after I stood up against certain stigmatizing attitudes and practices shown to me by 1 specific manager as well as HR. Despite multiple negative drug tests, handling my grievances in a professional manner, and the support of several coworkers, I was targeted for standing by the values I was supposedly hired for, and now I am left feeling tokenized, and like the financial stability I had just secured got reset to zero.

This happened right after I got my check and paid Nov bills. I've done everything I can to survive the rest of Nov, and even got a waitress job back at a place that will treat me well (I know the staff and manager, they understand my ongoing health journey and have been good to me when I've been able to work in the past, they told me if anything didn't work out with the social work job I was welcome back- but I have to wait weeks to be paid again)

Now it's nearly December, and as I'm back to square 1 waiting for a 1st waitress check, I have bills again- medication copays, and any interruptions to my medications would be really compromising to my heart health, which I just got back under control after going through and recovering from a traumagenic heart injury.

I wanted to come back to writing long-form content (and making video content on other platforms) about my areas of expertise- harm reduction, health equity/disability justice, drug policy- from a place of slowly getting back into doing it for joy, and I still feel that way, but now I feel like dignity aside I can't afford to *not* use all my platforms to try to survive this month until my serving income, my switch back to Medicaid, etc, all re-stabilize.

I know *everyone* is struggling, so I'm exploring every other avenue in my power for funds, and I have no expectations of anyone, my only ask is for people to share this with their networks, and I also want to say that several people giving amounts they feel are insignificant, ends up being extremely significant.

I will give back in any way I know how. First and foremost, if you contribute and there is any sort of written content, virtual teach-in or materials/resources for your workplace or classroom or community event regarding any sort of practical harm reduction knowledge, I am happy to do any of that. I usually am anyway but will prioritize anyone who has shared this or done anything to help me survive this month. I will be back to writing long and short form content on here regarding the things people have come to me for knowledge and discussion about, I also plan to open a medium account for writings about harm redux, disability justice, Judaism, trauma, grassroots organizing, etc- as well as resuming video based content creating re: harm redux, drug policy, organizing and education things on Tiktok & similar places as well - same thing goes for that: people who contribute in any way, I first and foremost want to hear what kinds of things you want to see/hear me write/talk/create about, and will give first priority to that.

[ps1]

 Christmas Snow

[abrandonship]

[frumpydress]

Leah Gardner.