Thanks for the link.

OK, Mental illness.
Depression
Anxiety
Still, there is a stigma about it, if someone, or a work place, or what have you finds this out about you, they immediately judge, and think you cannot function.
Medicine enables people with those to function. Well, some of the time. No med is perfect, may have to try many.

Chronic stomach issues, eating disorder (not anorexia, or bulimia,) but inability to eat, to eat properly due to anxiety, and chronic pain. Lost too much weight. Am on protein shakes 4 times daily. This one is hard to find info on.

Ulcer at 15
Chronic stomach pain since age 5. Doctors say anxiety, or ???
Test after test, after more tests. No real answers. Nothing concrete.

Chronic Dehydration-time after time going to ER, getting hydrated, sitting on bed with IV, getting fluids.
Water has caused nausea, drink/tolerate only cold ice cold water with ice cubes. Used to drink soda pop all day every day, switched to non caffeine Coke, only have one can per day.

I was not sure this was a disability but saw it on that site that you posted.
Stutter-Speech difficulties, talk to fast, stammer, block, stutter. In speech therapy for 10 years.
Better now-Much. Comes and goes. Was surprised to see all the celebs who have this.

All of the above I have support groups here for them.
The only one that is hard to find groups for-is eating disorder, (my counselor calls it that) I have searched DS for groups on that, only can find the anorexia-bulimia. Did find a weight gain (wanting to) group, but it is inactive, only had one member.

Yes, I am judged, and looked down upon, but those meds you speak of, how do I get my boss and all around me, to take them. LOL Sorry, not trying to be uncaring, its just that I think that I'M not the one with the disability, I'M handling it OK (for now) but it's THEM that seem to have a problem with it. I know there are others in my boat, but I don't see any point in joining forces, the judgements have already been made and forcing the issue only seems to bring out the "See, I told you so's".
I'll deal with it until I can't, and then I won't. It's that sad & simple.

My worst disability is the result of a headinjury by a drunk driver some years ago. This caused me to have chronic headaches and totally changed my life. I was very young and i had to start dealing with an unsympathetic medical profession. I was called names and made to feel i should just live with it. I spent yrs. running after doctors and medicine. It was only back in l997 that i started to be treated for my chronic pain which gave me back some sort of a life. Though not much has changed in all of these years as far as treatment, i did discover ds and have belonged to the cp group for about 2 yrs. This was so good for me as i was tatally alone in my suffering. I met people who knew exactly what i was talking about, and also i have learned so much from some of them. Any way, i am here on ds to help others who have just begun this journey.

Mine is depression. I have fought it my whole life but it became very bad when my husband died. I am dealing much better with it now though most of the time. I do not receive disability or anything it is just a battle I fight everyday! Even though I take a 4.00 anti depressant and do not get counseling it makes my insurance rates so high I can't afford to insure myself.

Shoot, where do I start? I was dx'd with epilepsy at 19, and the first two neurologists I saw told me to see a shrink instead, didn't even do tests! Then my family freaked out. Not Mom---she's an RN---but my older sis (who also had epilepsy), dad, granparents...How freaked? Well, y'know how I mentioned my sis had epilepsy? Other than my grandparents and parents, and me, NO ONE in the family or any of her friends or even her fiancee KNEW she had epilepsy---and it was what killed her. (It's rare, but it happens, and one reason it happens is people don't take meds properly out of a sense of shame...like my sis. So her incredibly severe breakthrough seizure stopped her breathing, and her fiancee didn't know what to do, and she died.) Try explaining that 400 times to all the people who came to pay respects...As a result, I openly wear a meidcal alert tag for epilepsy, name, med etc. on it---and I've had people read it without permission and tell me I'm a sinner, that I need an exorcism (grandma), need to get a hex symbol to protect my house from evil (other grandmother), refuse to shake hands, tell me it's a matter of "choice" and I'm just "attention-seeking" (yes, b/c I WANT to have grand mal seizures that leave me feeling like I got hit by a truck).... I am not disabled b/c my seizures are controlled nowadays by meds, but the general level of ignorance is pretty constant. I have done public awareness speeches in the past.

Right now my disability is Mystery Pelvic Injury. Apparently, while everyone was worrying about my recently dx'd sarcoidosis of the lungs (tho' I have normal lung function), and telling me the pain was from ovarian cysts (which it wasn't)....whatever happened got worse...and now it is all so mucked up no one knows (after two CTs, two X-rays, two ultrasounds and an MRI) what exactly is going on or how to fix it except rest, steroid shots, and prayer. I'm working on rest and prayer, docs have the steroid shots, and the rest is up to God and Time. I'm 3 months in, no idea how far to go, but I am going to get back to being my old active self again. Love yoga an dmat workouts and long walks, not giving those up! OK, right now I can't even sit in a chair without epic pain (from 1 to 10 it rates an 8-9 if I am not careful), but I'll get better.

As you can imagine, depressoin has been an issue for me also, but was worst for me in the 1990s when my seizures were not controlled, I had fibromyalgia flaring b/c of poor diet and meds (we were very poor). Now, it's easier to control, but that's not saying much some days!

I think the worst misconception people have about ANY problem, physical or psych, is that we can someone WISH our way out of it, or if we just TRY it will go away. Ummm....as if!

Sorry to be so long, it's one of those days. I lvoe to be on DS, see how others handle life, and see if there's any good I can do.

Hmmmm being a bit of a private person I really dont like to talk about it. But here are some... Diabetic, Chronic Kidney Disease, arthritis, and gout.

hi everyone i hate the term 'disabled.' it was applied to my brother when he was a young boy, long before i was born. he was labeled 'retarded.' i came along and was labeled 'bright,' or 'very intelligent.' great. i learned to read by accident, my mom was teaching my brother to read and i learned instead, i was about 3. i didn't know the alphabet but i could read. my brother is now 65 and still cannot read and has many psychological problems as well, he was awarded ssdi when he was in his 40s. he is a 'disabled' american. but you know what? he can do many things i can't and i'd bet everyone here can also do things others can't.

knowing my brother taught me one thing: we are not DIS-abled. we are DIFFERENTLY-abled. every one of us. as an adult i too became 'disabled.' i developed severe depression. i attempted suicide and for no reason anyone can fathom i survived. then i hit my head by accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury. then a few years later a drunk driver cut me off and i had another traumatic brain injury. i became a fruit loop. i couldn't drive one day because i couldn't figure out which key opened the car door and didn't have the mental capacity to try each key, there were only three! but like many here the doctors and medical system didn't believe me. i was completely alone. my family was 1,200 miles away. most of those days are lost to me now in a haze of memories, a good thing i think.

i have a condition that i believe is a result of the head injuries but i can't prove it, it's called arnold chiari. my brain protrudes into my spinal column. it causes all sorts of symptoms and it was also discovered when i had an mri for the migraines that do not respond well to meds that i have a cyst deep in my brain. the va is treating both as if they are 'nothing.' and me as if i am a hysterical female. uh, sorry but my mother died from brain cancer so i'm a little concerned....and i have symptoms. i'd just like to know what to expect and what i can do and what i should avoid. not much.

what ii do is surround myself with people who have a positive outlook and seek out others who share similar issues. it helps tremendously to know i am not the only one facing these issues. sadly i knew a lovely woman who died from complications of epilepsy, like leo's sister she had a seizure that couldn't be stopped. in her case everyone was aware of her illness and she took her meds. it is tragic that ignorance took her sister's life. it is difficult to imagine that a medical problem would be hidden but it happens all the time.

for those who don't know i work in a psychiatric hospital and deal with the stigma of mental illness daily - i do not disclose my depression or suicide attempt at work for that reason. it would detract from my credibility with my colleagues and i believe have a negative impact on my patients - how sad is that? the most judgmental people are those in the medical profession it seems to me but i may be biased since i work with them - i am not a medical professional, i am in human services working toward my bs degree.

i'm glad we have ds and other online support, before the internet people who were differently abled were totally isolated unless they were fortunate enough to stumble on a local support group. here we can find support and sometimes real friendships - i have found a few and treasure them. thanks for reading this long post, i hope you find the support you deserve =)

Hi All,

My Disability Is Dystonia / Spasmodic Torticollis !

1st Off I Worked For The Phone Co. Approximately

14 Years. On February 15th 1990 It Had Just Stopped

Raining, I Was Crossing The Parking Lot, Slipped And

Fell, Was More Embarassed Than Hurt At The Time, 2 Weeks

Later I Could NOT Turn My Neck.

6 Months Later Was Dignosed With This Disorder.


Spasmodic Torticollis Is A Chronic Neurological Movement

Disorder Causing The Neck To Involuntarily Turn To The

Left, Right, Upwards, And / Or Dowards.

The Condition Is Also Referred To As ' Cervical Dystonia.'

Both Agonist And Antagonist Muscle Contract Simultaneously

During Dystonic Movement.


The Common Treatment For This Disorder Is Botulinum Toxin Type A.


I Did Try The Botulinum Toxin, But Got Little Or NO Relief !

I Was Then Referred To A Neuro-Surgeon At UCLA, Make A Long

Story Short. I Have Been Through 8 Experimental Operations

At UCLA, My Pain Level Before Was Probably A 10 Now It Is Only

A 4. At This Time In My Life I Can Hold My Head Straight !!!


PRAISE GOD !


T H A N K S,


Love Ya, ~Barbara

Today I will talk about one of my disabilities. I inherited, in my Designer DNA, 5 aneurysms deep within my brain. I have 2 in my left lobe; 2 in my right lobe;1 in my brain stem.They are all inoperable. This is a genetic disposition. It comes through my mother's side. (As the Bible says it is passed down through the blood!) Her father passed it to her. He died at 50, my aunt at 40, my mom at 61 and my older brother at 65. I am 67. I am on borrowed time.

I live a simple life. I don't hang around negative or argumentative people who would send my blood pressure sky high. I was once transported with 225/124 blood pressure. I was taking a small aspirin as a blood thinner. But I no longer do as I had life saving gastric bypass surgery on 1-11-11 (good # right?) to help to lower my BP and avoid blowing an artery!

Aspirins and other NSAIDS are a group of medications that cause your stomach to bleed and then sucks it back up again in the process of assimilation. That is how that classification of drugs works. However now that my stomach only holds 1/2 cup capacity I am no longer permitted to have my lbrand spankin new little tummy bleed!

There is nothing that can be done presently to alleviate my aneurysms. Perhaps if I live long enough there will be a laser procedure originated. Meanwhile, it is considered a terminal illness.

So I live each day the way I please. I dress how I want, wear my clothes &, hair & make up how I please. I talk how I want and am very self centered, downright indulgent at times. I personally live in a very structured life in order to cope with multiple disabilities. This gets on other people's nerves especially those who live very fluid lives. Structure is a coping mechanism for me that works. Death, on the other hand, does not. (U get what um thayin?!!)

When I discovered my fate (A little drama thrown in here!) I decided that "If life is just a stage.." then I am on my last curtain call Honey. And I set about living MY life not everybody else's idea of how my life should be. That includes my "wordiness"! Which I further developed by graduating from a college specializing in news reporting and broadcasting with a major in journalism and communications, and minors in English and psychology when I was 57. Everyone tries to make me feel guilty bec they must put up with my lengthy "wordiness." I say, "then don't read the dang thing!' Hopefully it will be interesting enough to merit other people's time.

But enough about me... Let's hear about someone else's dis--ability which by the way does not reflect an in--ability! (I promise I shall return in a future installment regarding another one of my other disabilities if you will!)

NDY

(bump)

You are such an upbeat person and I am glad to have the pleasure of you on my friends list. Hugs!!!

bump

lets see..Depression....when I reached about 19 years old..
panic attacks,and anxiety when I was 23,maybe triggered from my car accident I was in,along with PTSD...

To all who posted here, I think you all are brave, courageous, determined souls. Determined to live, struggling, and kind, accepting of others, non-judgemental, because of the stigmas, challenges you have faced. HUGS to all of you

HI, I HAVE MS AND WAS DIAGNOSED IN JAN 2007....I HAD NUMBNESS IN MY LEGS AND TORSO, I HAD AN MRI, AND MY DR SAW WHITE LEGIONS...SO I STARTED AVONEX..RELAPSED 5 TIMES, EACH TIME TAKING PREDNISONE IN HIGH DOSES, FINALLY MY DR MOVED MY MEDICINE TO TYSABRI, THE ONCE A MONTH INFUSION...SINCE THEN I HAVENT HAD ANY RELAPSES, NO MORE MS PROGRESSION, AND SEEM TO BE LESS FATIGUED....I LIVE EACH DAY AS IT WOULD BE MY LAST, SOMEDAY I;LL BE RIGHT..BUT I SAY MY PRAYERS, AND THANK GOD FOR THE MS, ITS MANAGEABLE, ITS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE AND I CAN EDUCATE MYSELF ABOUT IT...THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE AND KIDS THAT ARE SICK AND DONT KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE, SO I CONSIDER MYSELF THANKFUL.....I DO HAVE HAVE GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS..BUT ON THE BAD, I CAN REST AND RELAX, ON THE GOOD, I DO WHAT I CAN...I HAVE MS...IT DOESNT HAVE ME!
JAV