Disability Etiquette 101

I happen to know all the etiquette surrounding how to perceive disability in others around you. I will start with myself and then talk about other disabilities I have encountered through various friends. I will not be using any names to maintain people’s privacy. I have type 1 diabetes and I use an insulin pump. Hypothyroidism is a non-issue for me as it is stable and I take my thyroid pill every morning. Unlike many of the people I talk to on Facebook who have not found stability in whatever they are taking. Hypothyroidism can cause debilitating menstrual cycles. My birth control fortunately can take care of that.

I also find myself on the schizophrenia/bipolar/OCD spectrum. I also have chronic anxiety that bothers me way too much despite being on 15 buspar per day. For my schizoaffective bipolar 1 I take 120 Geodon, 10 Lexapro and 15 buspar. I sometimes take more buspar on a bad day when I feel extra neurotic. Lexapro is a great med for my OCD. It works wonders. I have trouble with anti-medication psychics who think I can just up and get off meds. It doesn’t work like that.

I have an over all genetic condition called velocardiofacial syndrome. It is a deletion of the 22 chromosome called 22q11. Many people who have what I have are full-blown schizophrenics. I’m just somewhat schizophrenic being schizoaffective.  I was in a study that collected stem cells from skin tissue in my left arm. I have a permanent scar from donating my skin tissue. They want to study neurons to see who is suffering from psychosis and who is not.

In order to stay stable I have to maintain solid blood sugars. I had freak highs yesterday that didn’t help. So if I’m going to be around you don’t bitch to me about my having to check my blood sugar. .It is a necessary event. Other rules I have include not letting your dogs jump up and down on my pump or infusion set. It is also important not to brush up against my set like somebody did in my Saturday yoga class. I kept it together but I think I wanted to say something.

Also, don’t ever offer me coffee or caramel based soda such as Coke. I get really manic on either. I quit drinking caffeine in and around 2010. One hot chocolate at 8 p.m. was keeping me up until 2. Hot chocolate has 5 milligrams of caffeine in it. My writings didn’t make sense. My mother thinks I’m on the wrong meds but that’s just a manipulative ploy when in fact I’m very stable now.

I thank the Goddess for my stability. I need my meds to stay shielded, grounded and centered. My psychiatrist once suggested that I take more meds in doing coven work. So I’d increase the dose if I do more coven work eventually.I believe my chronic anxiety comes from lack of meds in high school where I suffered terribly and nobody noticed how manic I was or how depressed I was.

New Agers: Never tell somebody on meds to get off their meds. That’s dangerous. My meds help keep my energy positive. Never tell anybody on psychiatric meds to get off them. That’s brainwashing, illegal and criminally irresponsible. I can bend spoons, forks and keys. The key part is a concern because I could wind up stranded somewhere if its a car key and unable to get in my house if it is a house key. I have extra keys I keep deep in pockets for this reason. Boyfriend confirms there is a weakness in the metal of my keys that I have bent. So that’s proof right there despite my skepticism. I have every right to be a skeptic.

Sometimes I’m sick to death of being psychic. It is annoying. Although I know when people are going to have psychotic breaks. It is a useful talent for a future therapist. Eventually I’m going to write about how I thought psychic ability was just part of my mental illness.

I will now move on to talking about the use of the word “retard”. That word can never be empowering like the n-word is now. It is a hate crime to use it. You are shitting on the disabled. We disabled do not use it to describe ourselves. If you use it to describe a man like Stephen Hawking well then you missed the Theory of Everything. He managed to have three kids. He has a higher IQ than yours anyway. His body is merely a trap for him It deteriorates on a daily basis. We are lucky we still have him around. He uses a computer to talk. Deal with that. He is not retarded. It is a crime to call him that because he can’t talk.

If you see a service dog, do not pet the service dog. The animal is working. If you see a blind person, they have other senses. They know what stuff feels like. They can’t see but they are not stupid or retarded for not being able to see .Likewise if you see a wheelchair, move out of the way and let them through. Never steal anything from the backpack of a person in a wheelchair. They can’t always reach it in the back of their wheelchair.

Do not stare at amputees, Many are war vets from the Iraq-Afghanistan war who fought to protect your freedom to stare at their missing limb. An amputee doesn’t need that crap. That’s just rude and puts them off. Also, cancer patients do not need to be positive all the time for your comfort. They feel shitty. Some days it is tough to pull out a positive attitude. They are already scared because they are in treatment. They do not need to be positive all the time just to fend off pity. Pitying disabled is downright ludicrous. Stop your pity party right now. They don’t need it. They only have so many spoons if you have a chronic illness  Sometimes it is okay not to feel fine.

If you observe a difference,in somebody, don’t be demeaning and point it out. Autistics truly do not  understand why they blunder. They have a serious impairment. I sometimes admit to losing patience with my autistic friends unless they have been taught very good social skills. So if you see an obvious or  non-obvious disability you cannot always talk to people about it. They aren’t going to tell the curious. Do not call anybody a retard for having a disability. That’s rude. It is more retarded of you. Do not make somebody feel like crap for having a physical impairment.;

The first rule of diabetes is: 1) always know where the bathroom is. 2) always have food on you as well as glucose tablets. 3) always have insulin nearby because you need to eat.

On a final note: if somebody farts, they have a digestive issue. Do not laugh at farts. Fart jokes are not funny. Fart jokes are demeaning .The word “retard” is also demeaning. It can never be reclaimed. These are the rules for dealing with disabled people as far as I know them.