light_sucks wrote:Chronic illnesses suck.

^ agree

Do you have any?

I agree too, and luckily I do not have any

One of my husband's coworkers asked me what I do and I said that I'm disabled. She literally looked from my head to my toes and back up again and said 'you don't look disabled'.

Like, what the fuck? Should I have 'DISABLED' tattooed on my forehead?

Well, unfortunately people are like that ... People who aren't disabled, and who don't know many disabled people do tend to think disabled people look different ... and not in a good way ... :/
I previously (like years ago) watched a video which basically painted a picture which showed "Disabled Porn" (IT IS NOT THE SEX PORN I WILL EXPLAIN!!!)
Okay, so basically if you think about ads on tv which showed disabled people, who do you generally see? People who are in wheelchairs, people with limbs cut off etc. Or people who look "normal"? Basically people who you can really see as disabled. The video called it "disabled porn" because it kind of tells the viewers "here are what disabled people look like". It was described as a porn because it made viewers (subconsciously?) feel good showing them that is what a disabled person looks like, they look different from "us"
So going back to that woman you spoke to Light, she has kind of been 'wired' into thinking that disabled people have to look a specific way. (which is totally bogus!)

My father has a disability too, mental. You couldn't tell physically, and you cannot really tell while talking to him.
BTW, if anything I said in this offended or gave ill feelings towards anyone, please that wasn't my intention and please tell me. Especially if it was some way I worded because if I don't know, then it might happen again which I do not want.

Oh I totally understand, but it was just so ignorant. It was really infuriating. Basically being told I'm not disabled because I don't look a certain way. And I've been hearing it all my life. It just brought up all that rage.

And then I felt angry because I was thinking about all the other people who are disabled and in a lot worse place than I am currently. Combat vets with PTSD, people with hallucinations, migraines. I would say that the majority of disabilities are invisible.

*deep breath out* I was worried I made myself look like an ass saying all those things.

And I totally agree! They really are invisible
A lot of mental ones go undiagnosed too :x
Especially a lot of girls with Autism, I cannot remember the figure but many girls are not diagnosed until they are late teens. I just found out not too long ago that one of my friends was on the spectrum and I knew her for years. Never would've guessed it too.
She made a video too, if I can find it i'll post it

Sometimes I wish that I did have a forehead tattoo or something. That way people wouldn't question me about it all the time.
Sometimes interacting with other people is more exhausting than dealing with the illnesses themselves.

I've been through a ton health wise.. don't really feel like talking about it anymore, but it isn't like a secret or anything. I just don't mention. I am medicated. Let's just say that... :)

Yep, people suck :/
People need to understand that disability is a wide range of mental and physical things, and that people who are disabled are still people, their disability doesn't define who they are.

And Kat, that's fine, no one is pressuring you to say anything.