This country’s stupid, self-congratulatory bootstraps ideology is damaging to literally everyone, but especially people in historically disadvantaged minority populations and the mentally and/or physically disabled.
“Just try harder” isn’t always an option, and it isn’t often a solution, and it keeps people from the rest, accommodations, and medical care that they deserve. You can’t just try hard enough to ignore your mental illness or chronic pain or the long term effects of systemic racism, and if by some miracle you do, it might come at great personal cost.
Instead of saying “just try harder,” maybe ask “what would help?” or “what are you capable of?” or “what unique skills and perspective does this person bring to this situation because of who they are?” or “why do I think this person’s value is based in their physical, mental, or financially ability?”
Showing posts with label chronic illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chronic illness. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Pain
March 21, 2018
I have chronic joint issues, and this past weekend I went to the museum and was on my feet for probably 7 hours, and I managed to do something squirrelly to my back, so it’s hurting a lot. I worked 2 hours on Monday and had to go home and lay down for the rest of the day. I worked 7 hours yesterday and I got home and curled up in a ball and cried and napped for an hour because my back pain was at an 8 and my headache was sitting at a 5. Then I tried not to move or move wrong for the rest of the day. I made dinner, but I couldn’t talk myself into getting in the shower until 11:50.
I’m not working today because my job is part time and it’s my birthday, and I’m still doing the math on going to hang out with a friend because it will probably involve a lot of standing.
For me, this is a particularly bad week, and I’m still pushing thru it more than I should. For some people, this is a good week. For some, it’s an impossible week.
Chronic illness, mental or physical, limits the hell out of your ability to function in the world. It makes every single task something heavy and something that has to be factored into a cost-benefit analysis of living your life.
I have chronic joint issues, and this past weekend I went to the museum and was on my feet for probably 7 hours, and I managed to do something squirrelly to my back, so it’s hurting a lot. I worked 2 hours on Monday and had to go home and lay down for the rest of the day. I worked 7 hours yesterday and I got home and curled up in a ball and cried and napped for an hour because my back pain was at an 8 and my headache was sitting at a 5. Then I tried not to move or move wrong for the rest of the day. I made dinner, but I couldn’t talk myself into getting in the shower until 11:50.
I’m not working today because my job is part time and it’s my birthday, and I’m still doing the math on going to hang out with a friend because it will probably involve a lot of standing.
For me, this is a particularly bad week, and I’m still pushing thru it more than I should. For some people, this is a good week. For some, it’s an impossible week.
Chronic illness, mental or physical, limits the hell out of your ability to function in the world. It makes every single task something heavy and something that has to be factored into a cost-benefit analysis of living your life.
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