r/ableism

I know this is one of the subs I can talk about this to even though this might not be "ablism" per se.

I was recently talking to my older sister (who I have very low contact with) about stuff going on in her life and she asked me about mine.

I have been having some hard times getting into a GI specialist (win! I have an appointment) and a neurologist. For the neurologist it's been nearly half a year experiencing PNES or psychogenic non epileptic seizures daily and I have been denied by all three and the fourth one still hasn't called to set it up.

But my sister went on and on about how "big pharma is poisoning us" and "you should stop your medication immediately."

Thing is, I have been diagnosed with HEDS and fibromyalgia and my pcp thinks there might be POTS and FND and I think I possibly have gastroparisis. My medication helps me with my pain and helps me sleep without three hours of pain management. Then, she said that I should stop doing the thing that is getting me nutrients (I drink protein shakes because I have one hell of a time with eating solid food and barely able to get ANYTHING in my stomach without having neausea and dry heaving and rapidly losing weight) and said I should try drinking smoothies with all these ingredients I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO EAT instead.

And as much as I love my support group, she is definitely one of the ones that exhausts me because she won't listen to the fact that there are things I simply cannot do or can't eat and says that I'm making excuses while simply telling her that I just.... can't. If I'm in my wheelchair or with my cane she says I'm being dramatic. And I know I don't owe anyone an explanation but it's like... please can we stop commenting on how I'm "letting myself go" when I am doing everything in my power to stay healthy and despite my pain, doing the things I have to do???? I'm exhausted having to tell people that I'm sick and have a lot more to worry about then their options of "eat healthy" and "do yoga" or "have you tried taking vitamins to cure your pain disorder?"

you've probably seen it on tiktok or any rants. basically its where someone mocks someone by saying "b-but (insert bad phrase)".

all it is is making fun of stutters and I HATE ITTT no one takes people with speech disorders seriously

I just wanted to share this story here because it’s so insanely stupid and just ableist. I went to a small high school, about 300 kids total. We had two floors so, naturally, we also had an elevator. The elevator was only to be used if you were injured and not by people just playing with it. Obviously you can’t tell if someone needs it, but there were a lot of kids who would ride it just for fun.
I was dealing with severe ankle pain and overall joint pain (turned out to be a torn ligament and hEDS) and going up stairs was very hard. I also have POTS. I had permission from the school nurse AND a doctors note stating that I need the elevator.
There were several times where I had an ableist encounter with a teacher, who I NEVER had as my own teacher and barely knew, would stop me and tell me to use the stairs because I “don’t have a doctors note/a valid reason.” Now, keep in mind, at this time there were not other kids at the school who “needed it more than me,” like a wheelchair user for example, so the argument that I’m “taking it from someone who needs it” does not apply. One time she even STOPPED THE DOOR FROM CLOSING so she could open it back up to scold me and try to get me to get out of the elevator to go up the stairs?? I’m not sure why she didn’t remember who I was. I then ended up having surgery over the summer and when I came back in the fall I needed a knee scooter so she let me use the elevator because it was “visible” but as soon as I was off of it she would yell at me again. Don’t you remember me??? I was healing from a surgery??? have an ankle brace AND a doctors note??? It is also NONE of your business whether someone actually needs the elevator or not, especially if I have a doctors note.