#disability tips

[briarofthepast]

chronically ill witches. always remember to rest HEAVILY both before and after doing a spell. use energy from objects (like crystals or amulets) and the earth instead of your own. ground and protect regularly. you’re doing great <3

[notjusthespongenextdoor]

Harm reduction teeth care advice from someone who is really bad at regularly brushing their teeth

Background: i have like four or five root canals. I got my first one before i was legally allowed to drink. Basically every time i went to my six month cleaning as a kid/teen they would fill at least one cavity. I have had a REALLY bad time with my teeth and was at the point where I just thought it was inevitable and that was just how my teeth were.

But I just got my teeth cleaned and both the dentist and the hygienist congratulated me on how clean my teeth are and how healthy my gums look. I have made so much improvement recently and I absolutely do NOT have perfect dental hygiene habits. Trying to get just a little ways there can do a lot.

Obviously, you should try to brush and floss twice a day or after meals (or before? idk) or whatever. You know this already and if you are doing well with that then you don't need to read this post, keep up the good work (genuine)

But this is really hard for a lot of people and god knows I don't fucking do that. Do not despair, you are not without hope

TL;DR because this is rather long:

Try not to breathe through your mouth. Nose breathing only.

Brush your teeth when you can, it doesn't have to be every day to count.

Swish water around in your mouth after eating to get rid of food particles and digestive juices.

Clean along your gums. Flossing is great, but if you hate it, try soft picks or toothpicks. And just like brushing, it doesn't have to be every day to count. Try whenever you can.

Go to dental cleanings. Look into dental insurance for help with the cost -- it can be surprisingly affordable.

Ok, now the long version:

If you sleep with your mouth open, don't

This will keep your mouth from drying out when you're asleep, which creates the Perfect opportunity for bacteria to grow and eat your teeth. Bonus: i basically stopped having teeth falling out dreams after enforcing nose breathing, which is a big get

I know for a lot of people this is a big ask right off the bat, but I would really really suggest giving it a shot -- even if your nose is chronically congested, there is absolutely a chance that making a concerted effort to breathe only through your nose will actually clear your congestion and lower the chances of it coming back. You'll have to find what works for you here. If you already can breathe well enough through your nose but your mouth hangs open when you sleep (#drool squad) then try getting ahold of some Extra Gentle medical tape and taping your mouth closed when your sleep. Yes it feels very weird, but I do it every night now and it does help a lot. (#no longer drooling squad)

Brush your teeth when you can

Maybe obvious, you should be brushing your teeth. But, just because you can't do it twice a day doesn't mean you shouldn't bother! Doing it once a day is great, doing it multiple times a week is pretty good, doing it once a month is genuinely better than nothing! Every time you brush you disturb the bacteria building up on your teeth and do a little bit to prevent it from hardening and turning into plaque. Any little bit helps.

And there are a lot of things you can try changing about brushing your teeth if it's difficult for you. Get a different toothpaste if you hate the one you're using. Use less toothpaste. Don't use toothpaste at all if it's a big issue for you. There is some good that toothpaste does (usually, depositing fluoride, for the most part) but brushing your teeth without it still helps a LOT.

If it hurts when you brush, consider getting a softer toothbrush or finding ways to numb your mouth a little bit before you brush. Swishing around really strong mouthwash can be a bit numbing, though of course a bit unpleasant in itself. And if you want to completely avoid the spots that hurt -- okay, it's still good that you're brushing the rest!

If the time of day is bothersome for you, if you hate brushing in the morning or before bed, then see if there's a better time to do it. You don't need to follow these rules. I've seen plenty of people brushing their teeth in the office bathroom. Do it whenever works for you.

And if it's hard to remember, you can buy disposable toothbrushes, even ones that already have paste on them. You can keep them at your desk or in your car or whatever and use them and throw them away. I am giving you permission to use these if it will help your dental health. It is an accessibility measure.

If you can't brush, swish some water around in your mouth real good

For years of my life going to the dentist and having shitty hygiene this was never a tip I was given by anyone until just a couple years ago when I started going to a new one. It can do a lot of good to swish some water around in your mouth after you eat and try to rise off all your teeth. There's the obvious benefit to this which is getting rid of food particles, but also your mouth becomes a more acidic environment during and after meals to aid with digestion (or something like that) and that can be harmful to your teeth and create a better environment for bacteria to grow. Just rinsing your mouth out helps get some of that acid out of there and return your mouth to its base level.

And like, you don't need a sink or anything for this. I just swish some water around and swallow it yknow. It was in my mouth anyways

Clean along your gumline somehow

Flossing is often the only option offered for this. But my recent dental hygienist made a couple of alternative suggestions for me instead of flossing. First, (and you should do this regardless of if you floss or not) make sure you pay attention to your gumline when you're brushing your teeth. Get that good and clean.

Then, if you really dislike floss (which I do), there are other ways to clean your gumline. Currently I use "soft picks" which are a brand name but they're essentially little plastic bristle sticks that you can shove between your teeth and get the gunk out of there. I don't mind these at all, and they don't trigger the Ick factor i feel when i use floss under my gums.

And if you don't want to buy those, even using a toothpick (after softening it) can do a lot of good getting the gunk out of your gumline and from between your teeth.

And just like brushing, every time you clean your gums counts. It doesn't have to be every day or every week. Every time you do it is a good thing. I generally only do it twice a week and like I said, I have seen such a massive improvement in my gum health. And i promise it will bleed less as you get more into the habit! And this is coming from someone who bleeds a lot!

Go to dental cleanings

They suck i knowwwww they're awful, but they really do help a lot and if you clean your teeth a little bit more often then cleanings do become a lot more tolerable because there's less for them to do. If there's a financial issue, look into different dental insurance options. There are some really cheap (~$15, $20 a month) preventative plans that completely cover two cleanings a year. I understand this still might be outside of people's budgets, but it's really important to consider if that's an option for you.

And if you can, try to find a dentist's office with hygienists who are willing to work with you and not shame you for not being perfect. My attempt at actually trying to care for my teeth started when a hygienist said, do you think you could try flossing(/cleaning gums) once a week? And I thought, you know, I think I could do that. And so I tried. And it has helped. There are offices like that out there, but I understand if you don't have the option of finding one. If you get nagged by these people, just smile and nod and try to reinforce in your brain that you ARE doing the best you can and you don't need to be perfect to do a lot of good for your health. Try to do what you can and try not to give up for lack of perfect dental habits.

Any little bit you can do does help. Find what you can do and congratulate yourself for doing it. I hope you can find something that works!

[tizzychardia]

Oh my god if you struggle with heat intolerance please get this thing off of Amazon. It's $12 and was an immediate lifesaver for me.

For over a year I've just been stacking ice packs all over my body at night & 4 fans blasting at me because that's when the heat intolerance gets to be the worst. Yes, I end up shivering until I fall asleep, but it helps with muscle cramping and the heat significantly. If I get too hot, my body WILL flare.

My heat intolerance is the WORST around my head & inner ears, to the point where it will give me awful headaches that can last for days. I've always had the problem of not having ice packs that will stay on my head because I move quite a bit in my sleep. They'll fall off, and I'll wake up with the worst pressure in my head. I'll be sweating, and my whole body gets hot to the point of stinging.

This has helped me SO much. The velcrow strap in the back doesn't really pull on my hair, it lasts a good 45 minutes to an hour, and it bends to the shape of your head since it's gel. I usually put the first one on my forehead and the second right above it.

Oh my god it's amazing. I can finally sleep at night again. Cried literal happy tears the first time I put it on because I could actually feel my headache disappearing.

[only-knives]

PROTIP for light sensitive users (Windows)

HOLY SHIT - ok so in lieu of my last post, i tried to see if my laptop screen could go any darker. the hotbar slider was at minimum, so i:

went to my windows search bar

typed in "brightness"

selected "Change brightness level"

turned on "Night light"

clicked the arrow next to "Night light"'s on button

turned the "Strength" to maximum

it changes the hue of most of your screen to red, but still maintains contrast and differences between colors - at least enough to differentiate between separate elements.

it's by far the BEST light sensitive friendly setting i've ever found on a device!! i could instantly look at my screen with much, much less pain. i had no idea this was an option and i wish i had.

please boost this! you could save someone else a really bad flare up.

[a-totally-reasonable-username]

Something that's made showering a lot easier for me, is using soap dispensers for shampoo and body wash.

I struggle with lifting things and a full shampoo bottle is heavy. Having to lift it, open it, turn it around, squeeze shampoo out, close it, turn it back around and set it down is... A lot. Using liquid soap dispensers is much easier, doesn't require me to lift anything and i can do it one handed.

I thought i'd share so maybe this could be useful for someone else, too.

[atley01]

Tips for all of my alternative & Chronically ill/ disabled friends!

A big thing that's helped me feel more comfortable accommodating my disability is finding accessibility tools that reflect my personality / interests.

I should put a disclaimer that making disability "aesthetic" should not be the most important thing about your health! I do this where I can to help me accept my disability.

Here are some alt accessibility tools I've found / made & utilized for myself!

1. If you're prone to nausea:

Anti-nausea meds work, but I also find that peppermints work well, too! I always have mints on me. At home, I've stored them in this coffin container!

I do keep a few of these mints in my bag, as well as ginger hard candies (they taste very strong, but are VERY efficient). I got the peppermints at Dollar tree, and they've genuinely been a life saver. (Peppermint is a natural stomach relaxer /info)

Alternatively, I've found this adorable ouija board tiny mints container that has mints in it!

2. If you struggle with temperature-regulation:

The mints are even fun-shaped! I also saw other horror-movie themed mint containers in-store as well. Since they're tiny, they dont work well for severe nausea, but they are still helpful!

(*The ones pictured are not the altoids brand. Altoids are way stronger than these ones and work way better.)

For me, my hands and feet are always FREEZING, but my core will be super warm. What has helped me a lot has been gloves and fuzzy socks!

3. Do you have noise-canceling headphones? Decorate them!

I have a lot of spooky gloves like this, but I prefer the fingerless ones because I can still use my phone and be warm at the same time! I've also heard my friends who are wheelchair users say gloves can help protect your hands if you use a manual wheelchair. Another added bonus is that certain gloves can help limit mobility for those of you who struggle with hypermobility in your hands.

I decorated my N/C headphones in shark stickers because sharks are my special interest!

These are Soundcore Life Q30's. I have gotten compliments on the stickers many times! You could put halloween stickers on yours or decorate your headphones in other ways! I've seen people crochet horns onto the headband portion of their headphones.

4. I would recommend any chronically ill person carry a cup around to stay hydrated:

ESPECIALLY If you need electrolytes. You can either have a drink like propel or powerade in your cup (or any drink of your choice, and you could put electrolyte packets in there).

This specific cup isn't the best at keeping my drink cold, but it holds a decent amount of liquid! And it's spooky. If you're someone who struggles to drink enough water, I've found that getting a fun cup helps me a lot!

5. Make communication bracelets!

If I'm having a difficult time voicing my needs, or I'm in a verbal shutdown, these bracelets can come in handy for me.

I'll either wear them on my wrist when needed or present them to my friends so they can read the bracelet and understand what I need. I keep them on a keychain that way I dont lose them and can transport them easily. An example of some of the phrases I've turned into bracelets is; "No spoons," "spoon debt," "verbal shutdown," and "flashbacks," (for when I'm having a PTSD episode.) You could make a bracelet with the medical condition you have as a DIY medical-alert bracelet. I added tiny spoon charms to some of my bracelets because I thought it was funny.

5. Mobility aids!

Decorate your mobility aids with things like stickers, kandi, lights, etc! Pinterest, instagram, and tiktok have a lot of good ideas. You can easily customize your mobility aids to look spooky or look however you want them to!

6. Bags!

I know that for me, I NEED to carry a bag around whenever I go out because it has important medical items that I need, but it also keeps all my important items like keys, id, ect, in one spot so that I dont forget / lose them. SOME spooky bags are expensive, but you could find a plain black bag at a thrift store or walmart and accessorize it with patches, keychains, and pins! I've seen people paint designs onto their bags before as well.

• You dont have to spend a lot of money on your accessibility tools!

Find ways to DIY them, or get them secondhand! You could even try working with household items you already have! A lot of these items, or items very similar to it, can be found at the dollar tree - even the materials needed to make the beaded bracelets! (Outside of the spoon charms)

Thats all!

If I think of more, you'll see me again! Be spooky, and be kind to yourself!

[butchtheworld]

crip tips

i'm an experienced disabled person (EDS, CFS, POTS, chronic pain). here are some of the things that help me get by as a college student (note: i use a wheelchair and a cane most days. i also am fortunate enough to have decent medical care, meds, and my aforementioned mobility aids)

shower chair. i can't stand for long enough to shower, and especially not if it's a hot shower. i got a cheap one off of amazon that has three legs and a plastic seat. that plastic seat makes it super easy to keep clean. i know there's a weird sort of embarrassment about sitting in the shower, but PLEASE, it is so much better than sitting on the floor in the shower or falling. in my dorms, there are two (2) showers with fold-down seats. i put a small towel down on the seat so i'm not bare-ass on this dorm bathroom surface, then i wash it down after.

normal wheelchair gloves are fingerless, which suck for winter. BUT, winter cycling gloves have the same cushioning on the palms and grip material and fingers. they're not super warm, but throw on a pair of thin gloves underneath (or, if you're like me, propelling keeps your hands super hot anyways).

an ice pack on the back of your neck can help with migraines and dizziness. i keep a small one in my freezer at all times. i tuck it into a hairband so it can be hands-free.

PLEASE adjust your cane/crutch/crutches to the right height. it helps so much with shoulder/elbow pain and balance. if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. the handle of my cane hits around the height of my wrist if my arm is just hanging down.

if you have hyper mobility, try high-rise shoes. i wear only high-rise converse and doc martens, which i can lace tightly around my ankles to keep them from rolling or sliding out of place.

(MENTIONS FOOD AND CALORIES) keep an easy, high-in-calorie food around. for me, eating on high pain days is essentially impossible. so, i need something that i can get myself to eat (like ice cream or canned soup or chips) that won't take any effort. ice cream is a great one for me, since it's sweet and cold and dense. even if it's not healthy, nothing is more unhealthy than not eating.

please, please, please find a community of disabled people. most of my close friends are able-bodied and, as much as i love them, they just can't understand it like other disabled people do. i found two great communities on my college campus, but i've also heard that support groups are a great way to meet people within the community

if you have any other tips, reblog with them. i remember the beginning days of my illness and how daunting all of this was. this is how we support our community.

[sappharic]

recommendation for anyone with chronic pain that responds to heat: weighted electric blanket/pillow! mine arrived today and it stays in place much easier, and for me the weight is calming as well (adhd+autism). great combination when you're mostly bedbound and in pain/stressed.