Rare Disease

Here’s what Mighty staffer @xokat had to say:

”I became disabled when I was 15. It was a surreal time in my life, raging hormones and awkward peer dynamics aside. I went from being a competitive long-distance runner and soccer player, extremely active in all the ways, to needing 20 minutes to crawl up a single flight of stairs; from having a rock-solid vestibular system to none at all, and it completely upended my world. (Fun fact: I still can’t cut bagels!)

That entire year feels like a distant blur in another lifetime, but I still have so many visceral memories — like the 24/7 taste of saline — about what it felt like to be young and go through a trauma like that. I was plenty old enough to know what was going on even if I didn’t quite grasp the jargon, but not old enough to make all of my own health care decisions (nor did I necessarily want to). Hindsight is a fickle friend: Should I have spoken up more? Was it ever OK to say “no”? It’s a topic I’ve become extremely passionate about over the past couple of decades, because I’ve had so much time to process what I wish would’ve gone differently, in addition to all of the stuff my parents knocked out of the park.

There’s a fine line between a teen’s self-advocacy and the role of being a parent, caregiver, or guardian. No one gets it right 100% of the time, but take it from 15-year-old me: Chronically ill and disabled teens become chronically ill and disabled adults — and those nuances, experiences, and conversations stay with you forever.”

#CheckInWithMe #ChronicIllness #Disability #MentalHealth #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Parenting

I just want to remind everyone how normal it is to have a very cruel mind. It doesn't matter where you live, who you are, or what you do, because the mind will always come up with something awful to say about your life. Therefore, it is so important that you practice a vigilant level of skepticism towards your thoughts. Please don't believe everything you think. When a thought pops up, start practicing the habit of questioning it and throwing it away. I know this probably sounds impossible, but does anybody have any success with this?

Also, I started making video responses to your mental health questions as a way to better share advice with you all.

The last video I made was in response to @blushpuffin41961 who asked about how to deal with public shaming and embarrassment. If this information is relevant to you, you can check out the video here:

www.instagram.com/thomas_of_copenhagen

Otherwise, if you have any questions about mental health, please post in my group and I will try to make a video response specifically for you.

~ Thanks to all. Thanks for all. ~

Speaking of thanks for all, I was hoping we could acknowledge everyone who comments below. I know it seems like a small gesture, but many people here have never opened up to anyone before and being open and honest with strangers can be quite scary. So, if we could show our gratitude by giving their comment a simple reply or heart, I’m sure they would really appreciate your team support. What do you say?

#MentalHealth #MentalHealth #Depression #Anxiety #BipolarDisorder #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Addiction #dissociativedisorders #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #ADHD #Fibromyalgia #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #PTSD #Cancer #RareDisease #Disability #Autism #Diabetes #EatingDisorders #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RheumatoidArthritis #Suicide #MightyTogether

We talk about masking a lot on The Mighty (both the immune-system variety, but also the emotional variety). In the Mighty story below, contributor L.M.B shared this definition, which really hits home: “[Masking] serves as a barrier between myself and the world. It keeps me safe from judgement and harm. What others don’t know won’t hurt me. I already have enough hurt inside, I don’t need any more.”

We’re curious about your experience and frequency of masking — no matter why you do it, how often you do it, or the environment/relationship where it keeps you safest.

📚 P.S. Want to read more on the topic? Read the full story here: The Masks I Wore to Hide From Myself and Others

#MightyMinute #Autism #ADHD #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Depression #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #ChronicPain #PTSD #RareDisease #Disability #ChronicIllness #Caregiving

Let’s practice reframing a thought today, Mighty friends!

When you reframe or shift a thought, you’re simply changing your perspective in order to understand something in a new and different way.

Let’s try it out using these two steps:

1️⃣ Write down one thing your anxiety tells you.

2️⃣ Now, write down the opposite.

Mighty staffer @xokat reframed this thought:

1️⃣ I feel like I have no purpose.

2️⃣ It’s OK to take a breath and readjust your sails.

Reframe your own thought in the comments below! 👇

#MentalHealth #CheckInWithMe #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Depression #52SmallThings #ChronicPain #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #RareDisease #Disability #Grief #Caregiving #Autism

They’re like a party in your mouth! Not!

Did you know that some toothpaste and mouth rinses containing sodium lauryl sulfate, stress, and certain food sensitivities can lead you to be more susceptible to canker sores? Talk with your doctor if you experience recurring sores or have a sore lasting longer than two weeks.

#hygiene #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #RareDisease #AutoimmuneDisease #Lupus #Fibromyalgia #selfcare