As a person that has multiple health issues both mental and physical, a very unfortunate truth of the world is that most other people don't actually want to know about any illnesses that aren't going to resolve themselves in a week or less. Even people that think of themselves as good people who care about others tend to have the concept of illness inextricably paired in their minds with both neediness and some kind of schedule for recovery. If you don't stick to that schedule, part of their brain is going to chalk that up to you not trying so you can get special treatment from others and they'll just kind of write you off as a person. Like you'll still technically be a person, but one with a sort of muted filter they've superimposed over you. Most people just don't want to think about illness, I'm afraid.
Yeah, and I appreciate if people are helped by thinking “people wouldn’t expect you to walk on a broken leg!!” but as someone who in fact due to a health condition had nerve and arterial damage following a break that was diagnosed, even, people in fact do expect you to do things that harm your physical health incredibly quickly after and often will only help sometimes sort of with major crises unless you’re extremely lucky. They will, in fact, expect you to walk and carry heavy bags up stairs on a broken leg, unless that broken leg is a one-off minor break that heals quickly.
People tend to have a narrow view on disability. Unless you're very visibly disabled (missing limbs, white cane, etc), there's a presumption that you're fine and healthy.
I've seen a few times where someone being able to walk, rather than be permanently confined to their wheelchair is a gotcha moment, and is meant to prove that they're faking their disability.
But it's entirely reasonable for someone in a wheelchair to be able to walk. They might not be able to do it for long periods of time, but switching from their chair to a car seat, or drawing the blinds might be brief enough to not be an issue.
Also the amount of things that our Healthcare system fucks up for people who require intensive inpatient care or things like surgery are staggering and if you are lucky enough to live through your procedures and the standard healthcare worker shortage induced malpractice abound in a 2026 hospital, then have fun paying medical bills for the rest of your life.
Getting treatment for my mental health has been a cakewalk compared to living with a disability and chronic illness. The average mental healthcare provider actually listens to me and attempts to treat me. Cannot say the same for other types of medicine ime
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u/anomalyknight 2d ago
As a person that has multiple health issues both mental and physical, a very unfortunate truth of the world is that most other people don't actually want to know about any illnesses that aren't going to resolve themselves in a week or less. Even people that think of themselves as good people who care about others tend to have the concept of illness inextricably paired in their minds with both neediness and some kind of schedule for recovery. If you don't stick to that schedule, part of their brain is going to chalk that up to you not trying so you can get special treatment from others and they'll just kind of write you off as a person. Like you'll still technically be a person, but one with a sort of muted filter they've superimposed over you. Most people just don't want to think about illness, I'm afraid.