able-bodied people are often stumped by how chronically ill people wish for positive test results.

"why would you wish to test positive for an incurable illness?"

because we're sick and a positive result is the only thing that will make doctors willing to help us. that's why. as long as doctors cannot find proof of your symptoms - on a x-ray, a blood test, a biopsy, etc - they do not believe your symptoms are real

and in the rare case that they do they underestimate how bad they are

and in the rare case that they don't they still don't want to help

you know what's useless? "mindfulness" as pain treatment.

being "mindful", being aware of my body, my surroundings & myself, avoiding dissociation - those have always been things I struggled with.

you know when they got better?

the second I got meds that reduce my pain. you know on which days they're worse? on the days I have pain flares.

it's almost like pain is the problem here and not the tools our brains use to deal with it

if you are keeping one cat alone and this cat is often cranky and/or showing stress behaviour (overlicking, overeating) it's very likely that this cat needs a feline companion to be happy.

"but I don't know if my apartment can even fit two cats!"

the answer is yes. yes it can. if you can keep 1 cat in your apartment you can keep 2.

you might need to get a bit creative about where to put the 2nd litter box, but if it absolutely won't work you can probably get away with just one.

it is better to keep 2 cats together in a cage than 1 alone in a mansion.

are you considering getting a cat for the first time? here are some things to consider.

1. cat behaviour

2. indoor or outdoor?

3. from where?

4. how many cats?

5. older or younger?

6. general considerations 1. cat behaviour.

if you want a loyal, cuddly pet that comes with you to other places, get a dog.

yes, some cats snuggle a lot. yes, some cats can be leash trained. yes, some cats are OK with travelling.

but most don't. if these are your expectations, you will be disappointed.

this whole "compostable straw" thing is scaring the living hell out of me.

for myself, if I get worse again, and for my friends with severe allergies.

there's no rule to mark allergens on straws. most people wouldn't even think to. people with severe allergies to the things compostable straws are made of - for example wheat or corn - will have to become a lot more vigilant. those who don't will simply die.

it takes only 1 slip-up.

to all the people who think disabled people being socially isolated & injured is a necessary "inconvenience" for saving the environment:

what will you do when you learn they disabled people aren't only using straws, but also disposable diapers, catheters, feeding tubes,...? infusion bags, stoma bags, and all that is medical waste so it cat even be recycled,

and have you seen the heaps of plastic waste our medications are packed in, our pills and inhalers and drops and injections?

the plastic packaging that our ready meals come in?

being disabled in a specific way is now punishable by a fine... well done

https://twitter.com/NonosbahM/status/1013734827089113089

- every straw that is hard (acrylic, glass, metal) is bad for people who bite down involuntarily, they also don't bend

- metal straws get hot in hot drinks & can cause burns

you know

you're all outraged about how the US treats immigrants

so let's talk about how the EU treats immigrants.

we've had an ongoing crisis for years with refugees crossing the Mediterranean in unseaworthy boats because the EU has made all safe routes impossible.

https://twitter.com/noiseburst1/status/1011330395965743106

there's a lot to say about how the Libyan coast guard treats migrants, how they're often jailed in horriffic places, abused, extorted and enslaved.

once they're on the ocean, the only way for these people to not die is when they're picked up by one of the rescue boats.

so... we're talking about "desisters" again so I'm gonna tell a short version of my story as a trans kid.

CNs for bullying, child abuse & pedosadism (CSA) I mean the CNs almost already tell the story.

about 2 years ago, I wrote this German post about empathy.

I divided empathy in 4 aspects:

1 - emotion recognition

2 - emotion transference

3 - substitutional sympathy

4 - emotional response

neuroqueer.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/emp… part 1, emotion recognition, is the ability to tell what another person is currently feeling,

for example by tone of voice, body language, or their choice of words, or maybe simply because they tell you what they're feeling.

do you know what an algorithm is? I think the word "algorithm" is often thrown as a buzzword because it sounds scary and most people don't know what it means, but it's probably some sort of computer magic and lowkey scary.

but in and of itself, the concept of an "algorithm" has nothing to do with computers.

so.... asexuals don't experience oppression because of their sexuality?

I'll just tell you my personal experiences & I dare you to tell me I'm wrong.

CNs for sexual coercion & violence so when you're an asexual teen & you've been conditioned to do what everyone else does to try to appear "normal"

- people tease & bully you for being cold & not having an interest in boys -

so you pick a boy and claim to be in love with him. they make you confess it to him.

and I've said this before: I have a meltdown pretty much every single time I get called out.

I am very, very much aware that it is painful for many people & incredibly hard to deal with.

BUT.

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even when something makes you melt down, you can probably avoid putting the blame on the person who called you out.

if it's a friend, you can ask them, this is making me melt down can you get me through this? and appreciate if they say yes and if they say no, find someone else.

you know what's tired? "you're making me feel bad so of course you must be doing something mean."

I see this logic used every time a marginalised person criticises something, or sets a boundary.

but if you feel bad for doing something harmful... that's not my fault if I "make" you feel bad for excluding people by being inaccessible... that's not my fault.

if I "make" you feel bad by showing you how your words hurt other people.... that's not my fault.

if I "make" you feel bad by hilighting your privilege... guess what

unpopular opinion: "go and get some self care" is a super condescending thing to say and it is literally never helpful. a) you don't know what self care IS to the person you're talking to. shouting about stuff on twitter IS my self care & if I'm doing that & you're telling me to go and do "self care" you're implying I'm wrong about that.

guess who knows myself best? spoiler: it's not you.

Also this is only an argument because getting support is restricted to people who can "prove" that we need it, and this proof must come in the form of medical diagnoses.

There is absolutely no reason to require medical diagnoses for us to get supports & accommodations.

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The way as it is, you need to have a medical diagnosis first before you can get any supports or accommodations, or treatment.

This means that people who need these things in order to GET a diagnosis are stuck in a hell circle.

And many of us are left in a void.

[thread] how to make smalltalk with a wheelchair user!

so, you see a wheelchair user and you want to talk to them. but what can you say? how do you avoid being an ass?

don't worry, I got you: 1. are you at a social event or in another situation where getting to know the people around you is expected or encouraged?

if NO: say nothing. smile and nod. mind your own business.

if YES: proceed to step 2.

it's that time of the year again so here's a little manual on how to keep your living space cool if you don't have air conditioning. 1. if the sun shines into your window at any part of the day, you need to cover that window FROM THE OUTSIDE.

bedsheets, towels, the colour & thickness don't matter so much but it is crucial that it's outside.

it will absorb the sun's infrared rays before they enter the house.

Because this often leads to confusion, especially among sighted (non-blind) people who aren't tech-savvy,

Here's a thread about text, text images, image captions, text recognition, alt text bots & what it all means.

Please wait until I've finished, then ask any open questions. First, let's clarify what the words mean.

IMAGE: In this context, an "image" or "picture" is anything that gets saved on your device as an image file, for example a .jpg, .png, or .gif file. they are usually photos, drawings, or pictures you downloaded from the Internet.

🐰 #chronicPain self care suggestions 🐰 🐰 give yourself 30 minutes with your TENS machine. if it takes longer, that's perfect too.

the abuse of autistic children is not only tolerated,

but is celebrated, honoured and rewarded.

telling stories about how you abused, tortured and traumatised us will make you famous & rich.

the outcry of the #actuallyautistic community is always seen as bad faith slandering.

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the abuse of autistic children is so expected, so normalised, so glorified that many symptoms of trauma and ptsd are starting to be seen as autistic traits.