Differently Abled (fly your freak flag high)

[Daywalker]

Originally Posted by SuperFemme

Andrew,

I think many of us feel the isolation that you do.

We met about seven years ago (can you believe it's been that long?) when you shared your brain injury with me. When I read your posts I read them with a special understanding that only a person with TBI can have.

You are NOT alone.

Hey? When you have seizures do your dogs sit on you? When I wake up my min pin has his face covering mine.

The people that TRULY love me and get me? They say nothing when I tell them the same story like 1000 times because I don't remember I told it in the first place. They understand my swiss cheese brain and love me BECAUSE of it, not in spite of it.

I've seen lots of people go to bat for you, and I know that you have friends. I think the biggest blessing you could strive for is to not isolate yourself. Does that make sense?

When I get embarassed, impassioned and make mistakes my first inclination is to isolate. Instead, I have learned to laugh at myself and accept that it's just who I am now. Don't get me wrong, I have strong moments of self doubt and anger. I just refuse to stay in that head space.

hugs,

adele

I laugh at Me all the time.

It has saved mah Gifted life more times than not.

I used to say
"If you cannot laugh at yourself, others will do it for you"

Beating them to the punch is unintentional, but a pleasure all the same.


I have more to share, very soon...promise.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Adele,

Yes, I do remember! I close my eyes and I see you. I remember our hug. It was fabulous. Like Indiana Jones and his woman friend (I can't think of her name).

As for Dino, yes. After my seizures, he is on my head, and starring at me. Eye to eye. I can't get over it. He is just my everything.

I am always laughing at myself. You have no idea. It is like an adventure with me every day. Nothing is normal in my life. But what I mean is like the everyday sort of thing with other people. They just have no idea. None. I just had someone call me a retard in the grocery store because I asked him 3 times for the aisle no. for oranges. There is none. Who knew? You would have thought I was shopping for milk, eggs, and tp, and God knows what else there was. We were having a snow storm.

[friskyfemme]

Originally Posted by SuperFemme

A lot of invisible disabilities are often stigmatized in a very ugly way.
Bi-Polar is a medical condition, with a lot of social stigma attached to it that is inaccurate. Dyslexia often goes unseen in our educational systems and students are put in classes with the developmentally disabled.

People with Asperger are also so misunderstood most of the time as socially inept.

Brain injury is invisible, but often the behaviors that come along with it make people think the person is crazy or stupid.

Addiction is also a disability that is very stigmatized. It's a disease (although I am sure somebody will come in here and debate that)

At what point is it safe to reveal? I personally like to reveal it all upfront, because if you can't handle being around me I don't wanna fall in love with you only to lose you for the things I am not in control of.

I tire of how ugly our society has become that people like Sarah Palin can demand a Politician resign for using the word retard and then out the other side of her mouth defend Rush Limbaugh because he is being satirical so that is ok.

Rush, who suffered the disease of addiction should be more careful.

I have always tried to hide the fact I have dyslexia with my clients and my coworkers. I would spend hours rewritng my reports until they were perfect so as not to appear ingnorant or illiterate. I still do this for the legal documents, but the rest I don't worry about. I do laugh myself sometimes when I read what I wrote. I actually dated someone fo a very short time, who thought it was funny to stress my out to the point I could not talk. I am not easily rattled but I do have my 'buttons' . When I talk I have to think about what words I am saying and if they are the correct words. When I am tired or stressed it is more difficult. I used to worry about others not thinking well of me, now I am not. Now when I tell people I am having a dyslexic moment they laugh with me not at me. Sharing with others gives them the opportunity learn and show compassion and be
relieved they don't have to deal with your issues.

[Rockinonahigh]

Dyslexia....yep that little devil often plagues me far more than I can count.recently I have desided to go back to work on a full time basics,so I revamped my resume' with info for the last five years...well u gessd it,the person doing the redo called and ask me to either come in and read what I wrote cause it looked like pig latin to her.Letters/numbers backwards,scentences made no sence,some letters wrighten in caps in the middle of lines.I told her to chill out cause its the world of dyslexia moment.
Seriously all in all cosidering I was a very small preemie that weighed 1 pound and 14oz way back in 1947 when they didnt have all the modern medical advances of today haveing to deal with the deffness and its odd goings on as well as dyslexia with the goofy stuff it dose.Acctualy I feel blessed to have delt better with all this than ppl who dont have such issues cause it has taught me more about liveing than more able ppl do.I too hide it as best as possable cause some peeps just dont get it or care how the comments they say make me feel or anyone else who is diffrently abled.

[FR]

--hi guys i dont post much but i thought this issue important to me so i wanted to share. if u are like me disabled or not and depend on supplements for ur health please take action. ty

http://www.care2.com/causes/health-p...ealth-freedom/