Itspsychogenic

[byjove]

nobody is faking POTS, fibromyalgia or ME/CFS for attention because nobody gives a fuck if you have POTS, fibromyalgia or ME/CFS. these are three conditions people are always accused of faking online (largely because they’re common chronic illnesses and young women are disproportionately effected by them 😃) and it’s like…..look around bitch. when was the last time you saw a fund for a cure CFS walkathon? you ever see a Google banner for fibromyalgia? these are illnesses that suck to have and that you are often treated like absolute dogshit by the medical community and pop culture at large if you do have them. you don’t get positive attention, or any attention at all, if you’re at home laying down 85% of your life.

[transparentbeardmentality]

And long covid.

[byjove]

Which is often diagnosed or misdiagnosed as POTS or ME/CFS because the medical community really does not care or know anything after 5 whole years.

[psychogenicheart]

Friends, I’m really trying my fucking best to hold on to my chill girl vibes but I got diagnosed with PCOS the other day and I’ve hit my goddamn limit on shitty acronyms

[frogsforthefrogwar]

the cultural boogeyman of the faker is such a convenient lie for ableism. Waste your time fighting about who does and does not deserve help, and maybe you wont realizes that there was never any help to begin with. The is no epidemic of malingerers taking up resources they don't need, there is a lack of resources for disabled people

[pluralwizard]

bad circulation gang rise up!!!

[pluralwizard]

but not too fast!!!!!!!!!!!!

[colourmeastonished]

Body swap movie where one of them has invisible disabilities and when the other one lands in their body they immediately collapse catatonic on the floor from the pain and fatigue and the first one is like 'oh damn guess I don't have to worry that I'm faking it anymore'

[achesspiece]

[93459092358025-deactivated20140]

don’t

expect them to be able to go out on a whim

expect them to have lives just like yours

expect them to always be available

demand details of their illness that they haven’t volunteered, ask them nicely and don’t badger

offer help or assistance to make yourself feel like a better person

act as though the disease is catching, repugnant, or disgusting

challenge them to do things they have already told you were impossible

baby them or treat them as though they’re less competent mentally

tell other people about their illness(es)

suggest cures/treatments/holistic practices (since, you know, they probably have already tried it)

Try to relate their problem to your experience - your sprained ankle is nothing like chronic pain, your bout with stomach flu is nothing like IBS, your inability to focus before coffee is nothing like the mental fog that comes with illnesses like fibromyalgia or MS

ever, ever, ever accuse them of faking. ever.

do

understand that some chronic illnesses have good days and bad days, and that there’s no way to predict what’ll happen

be supportive and understand their limitations

ask about dietary or physical restrictions if you are making plans with them

ask about anything that might make things worse for them, and take it into account

tell them that if they need to tell you they can’t do something that you won’t be angry at them for not being able to, and don’t be passive-aggressive about it

remember that they are a person, not an illness

listen to them, ask them questions if you don’t understand something, and remember what they say

I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but this seems like a decent start. Please add your own.

[static-nonsense-deactivated2013]

[text: So your friend has a chronic illness or disability…]

[cagedcricket]

[a-totally-reasonable-username]

I'm wishing a very Happy Pride Month to all the queer people who:

are disabled

are chronically ill

can't celebrate for health reasons

disability gets in the way of their gender representation

disability got in the way of a relationship

don't have anyone to celebrate with

have homophobic caretakers

Happy Pride Month to all disabled queer people

[thatdamenbywitch]

"but i swear I am not ableist"

okay,

have ever thought about your disabled friend when planning things?

do you wear a mask when you're sick and need to go out in a place where there are people?

do you believe a disabled person when they talk about their disability(ies)?

you know being ableist isn't only saying the word cripple, right?

[honeyed-lemonade]

chronic illness posting

ow

[tritiumblanket]

something i think a lot of able bodied people dont understand is that being chronically ill affects your emotions. constantly being exhausted and feeling bad is going to make you sad or depressed or angry or jealous. constantly being in pain is going to affect your mental health. never feeling "good" is obviously going to affect the way you act.

[psychogenicheart]

I remember being super active on Tumblr from 2015-2018 and reading about Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome. I remember thinking, “Oh that’s like a real disability that would be super hard to have and I don’t have any of the symptoms so I’m all good.” At the time, that felt like growth because I was a hypochondriac. Now, 5+ years later, I have confirmation from genetic testing that I do in fact have Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome and, you’ll never believe this, it is hard as fuck to live with.

[julietteiluj]

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

[lifeafterpsychiatry]

"But why do you let your disability stop you?" Because that's.... what disabilities... do. That's... literally the basic definition... of being disabled... A disability impairs your ability to function. That's what the term means. That's the main thing

[hollowboobtheory]

not enough people understand that disability benefits are basically what it would look like if you turned "if you're too sick for school you're too sick for video games" into an official public policy

[destroyingangelneveragod]

whats your symptom thats constant i need to know put it in the tags for me i almost always have something mildly numb have fatigue and can not regulate my temperature