Service Dog Info and Things @service-dog-info - Tumblr Blog

A note for my disabled/chronically ill/neurodivergent/mentally ill friends this Thanksgiving:

It’s okay… To go to bed early. To go home early. To excuse yourself for fresh air or to get away from the chaos. To remove yourself from uncomfortable conversations. To find the comfiest spot. To bring distractions. To wear whatever feels best. To use a mobility aid. To not help prepare the meal if you aren’t feeling well. To not be okay. To fidget. To be awkward.

Don’t compromise your own well-being for someone else.

You deserve to enjoy this holiday in whatever way you can.

Happy Thanksgiving.

leal-alchemical

Little tips for when you feel bad and don’t know why.

-Ask yourself the last time you drank some water. Drink a few sips even if it wasn’t long ago. Coffee doesn’t count (neither does soda unless it’s the only option)

-When was the last time you ate? Get a small snack if able.

-Are ANY of your clothes too tight or uncomfortable? This includes socks, headbands, hats, and shoes.

-Stretch! Pop those shoulders, arch that back, straighten those legs. It Helps.

-If you happen to stim, do it! Do whatever feels right!

-Look for sounds, smells, etc. That are bothering you.

-Get your headphones and put on whatever music makes you feel happy/good/energetic.

-Loosen your shoulders, take some deep breaths. Drop your head and loosely roll your head. Try to relax as many muscles as you can.

-Close your eyes for a second.

-Did you take your meds (if you have them)? Do you need to take a Tylenol, ibuprofen Etc.?

-Are there allergens in the vicinity, are there any allergy medications you need to take?

-Breath deep.

I am by no means a professional and I don’t know what could be causing it but I know that these are kind of helpful. I’m not you and you aren’t me so these might not work. If the feeling bad is medical attention worthy, these might not help.

However, I hope that this does help someone.

dogsaremypatronus

“For me, the ideal dog and handler relationship dynamic is a partnership. You, the trainer, are the senior partner, and your job is to train the rookie, have his back, and teach him everything you know, so one day he can have your back too. Your dog is your partner. Train him accordingly.”

— Natalia Alexandrov

memes-to-show-my-therapist

Anyone: *says literally anything to me*

My brain despite hearing them clearly:

Me after long awkward silence: haha wait what

We aren't lucky.

(Copied from my wattpad story)

People who have service dogs are often told they are lucky. That they are lucky to get to bring their dog with them every where.

People only say it's fun to be disabled because they forget about the negatives and only look at the benefits. They don't see the hospital bills, debilatating anxiety attacks, or chronic illness. They don't understand. All they know is "Dog!" And they forget about all the pain that it took before a person knew they needed a service dog and all the pain that is there constantly to give them the right to have that dog.

Yes. Our dogs may double as a best friend but for you they are just a best friend.

Our dogs also keep us alive and keep our sanity a bit closer. They give us the power to get out of bed everyday.

Other people can just get out of bed, go to the store, come home and go to sleep.

But people who need service dogs benefit greatly from their furry friends yet even then it is near impossible for the people who need service dogs to be able to function at the rate of a what a normal person does without even trying.

No we are not lucky. We work day and night to get our service dogs and keep them well trained and cared for.

That isn't luck, it is will power.

If anything we are unlucky.

Service dog handlers are the portion of the population that got dealed a short stick.

But then we learned how to persevere. And we are only able to do so with the help of our service dogs.

#unlucky #luck #service #dog #severe anxiety #anxiety #disorder #disability #disabled #dogs #dogblr #service dog #dogs of tumblr #wattpad

I dont want my disability

I dont want this disorder.

It wasn't a choice I made.

#anxieyy #anxiety #severe anxiety #disabling #disability #service #dog

owlsparks

THIS. 👏👏👏

ladyshinga

Work to understand your partner’s anxieties and how to work WITH them, not against them.

Tonight my husband (and friends) and I were headed to a place I knew would be crowded, loud, with a lot of activity I couldn’t do so that I’d mostly be sitting and intermittently chatting with friends when they took breaks from their games.

I didn’t have my usual comfort item - art supplies. I’d taken them out of my purse a day or two ago and hadn’t put them back in. I was a bit nervous.

So between the movie theater and the arcade gathering, my husband made a quick stop at Target. He knew I was in pain so I stayed in the car while he ran in real quick and bought me a nice sketchbook and my favorite kind of pencils.

At no point did he tell me to “tough it out”, at no point did he shrug off the anxiety itself, at no point did he tell me it “wouldn’t be that bad”. He didn’t make a fuss about how I was ruining the evening by making him stop at the store and waste his time with anything. He knew the exact thing that would keep the anxiety under control for the night, and he made sure I had that.

And lo and behold, because I had those items with me, I had a great low-anxiety evening and enjoyed time with my friends and husband despite the arcade being SUPER LOUD xD

So yeah. Just. Work to UNDERSTAND the mental illnesses, find the things that HELP, and work to make sure those things are there when possible. Never make those things feel like burdens to provide.

So, yeah. Tonight was good. I’m very grateful to have two loving wonderful partners who work to understand and work with my illnesses and disabilities just as much as I have to on the daily. It eases some of the burden on MY shoulders, too, and frees my mental and emotional exhaustion up enough that I can do the same for them.

sopherielspeaks

Just a reminder that you’ve come a really long way since last year. You’re still here, you’re still trying, and I bet you’ve made some major improvements in your life too. <3

autistips

[ID: Two photos of brightly colored food-grade silicone straws.]

Autistip #31

Need some chewlry but cannot order online without skepticism or judgement? Want something chewable but need it to be inconspicuous?

Target (and similar stores) sell food-grade silicone straws. This set of five was sold in stores for $3.99 and could be used to make several necklaces, keychains, hoodie string chews, pencil toppers, or used as a straw + chew.