Requisromanticism is a form of aromanticism, or the lack of romantic attraction. Requisromanticism, specifically, is an aromantic spectrum or arospec identity reserved for neurodivergent and physically disabled people only. You might be requisromantic if you feel your mental illness or disability has caused or has somehow influenced your ability to experience romantic attraction
Essentially: Are you aromantic? Are you disabled? Do you have a mental illness or use the spoon theory? Have you said yes to one or more of these things? Requis might be for you.
Requis occurs when your disability interferes with your ability to feel romantic attraction (for example you may have been alloromantic or somewhere else on the arospec before becoming disabled or nd) For me, when I look for the ‘romantic love’ tiny me used to foster crushes all I find is a feeling of emptyness, a void my mind interprets as a dusty cement hole in the wall filled with spiderwebs and small rocks.
While not everyone may get such a clear picture or impression Requisromanticism is the result of emotional exhaustion- what’s more exhausting than chronic pain? Hallucinations making you second guess yourself? Depression numbing every emotion, not just romantic love. Disability comes with the possibility of a lifetime of being stuck in a body or with a brain that doesn’t work the way everyone else’s seems to.
The energy that you might have once used to experience romantic attraction is moved or budgeted to somewhere else that needs more energy. Romance is described in novels and movies to be the most important thing in many peoples lives. For people who need that energy to go towards feeding themselves.. well they might disagree a little bit.
For people with fluctuating conditions, or conditions that get better or worse may find that on easier days they can feel more romantic emotions- for example last year I thought I may be quoiro. Now with another 12 months of time to worsen my conditions I can’t feel anything when I scrabble at that little cement hole. People that recover may become alloromantic because their emotional exhaustion is gone, or that they may fit somewhere new on the arospec
Requisromanticism, while it may only be for people who have disabilities, isn’t a gate-keeping identity- if you have a mental illness or chronic condition, even if it’s a slight one, and you want to use requisromanticism you absolutely can! It’s for everybody with health problems, not just the ones ‘bad enough’ to warrant a special name. Seriously- we’re all in this together!
If you need anything clarified or perhaps you want some more information added to the post drop me an ask and I’ll do my best to make sure you understand.
If you’re not disabled or perhaps want to look into a few more identities here’s a few excellent aromantic blogs to check out
@arospecawarenessweek and their amazing glossary
@shades-of-grayro and their glossary
Here is a link for how to join a skype group comprised of aromantic people if you want to talk :)
and my askbox is always open for anybody that wants to talk about identities/disability or any mix of the two
EDIT: IF YOU SEE THIS PLEASE REBLOG IT IT COULD MEAN A LOT FOR YOUR DISABLED/ARO FOLLOWERS TO SEE A POST ABOUT THEM OR SOMETHING THAT COULD PERHAPS SHED LIGHT ON AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THEIR LIFE
