My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesnt prevent you doing well, and dont regret the things it interferes with. Dont be disabled in spirit as well as physically. -Stephen Hawking
People can have a lot of misconceptions about things they don't understand. Reddit user AbhorrentIngestion asked:
"Redditors with special needs/mental illnesses/disabilities, what is something you wish people understood about you?"
Here are some of their answers.
Not Damaged
My Aspergers Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder) doesn't make me a broken version of neurotypical people. I don't need to be fixed, pitied, or saved. I just need acceptance. People with Autism who are unable to live autonomously need assistance, but there are millions of us who have learned or trained ourselves to live just fine, thank you. No, I'm not exactly like you. Sensory overloads still happen and I don't react or behave exactly like the "average" person. But I'm not defective. Stop bombarding me with messages that I am. LakotaGrl
Aspergers
As a person with Asperger's, if you're going to be my friend don't measure me with the same measuring stick you do the rest of your friends. Use a modified one. Vealophile
Bipolar
Bipolar 2 here. No, I don't slam back and forth between happy and sad during the day. No, I am not unstable and dangerous. Sometimes it is hard/impossible for me to muster the strength to get out of bed, and no, it is not because of anything in particular. heathaash
ADHD
ADHD is FAR more than being easily distracted. I forget things instantly unless I write it down. I forget to say thank you out loud. Crowds of people or new places can become overwhelming very quickly because the brain is taking in more information than it can properly process. Poor comprehension and misunderstanding body language and tone.But there are benefits. I can quickly and easily switch tasks when I need to. I can also hyperfocus where I drown out everything and put all my energy into completely one task. I notice things others don't, like a cell phone ringing at a loud concert, or can tell you exactly when I last saw your wallet or keys (and they're almost always there). CaptainAsshats
Depression
I wish people understood that I'm not this way because I want to be. I don't have depressive episodes because I don't try hard enough. If they knew what I did on a daily basis to support my mental well being, they'd be exhausted just doing half of it. But it's what I have to do, and sometimes the episodes still creep in. I wish they understood that I want to be healthy too, and I don't want to care as deeply as I do...but I do. Britney2007
Fibromyalgia
I'm not "too young" to be in pain. Fibromyalgia has started for many in childhood with aches and pains that progresses to worsening symptoms in adulthood. I could do physical labor, but would need 4 days to recover and even after, I would still be in pain. This isn't something to just "suck up and deal with, we're all in pain, we all get on with it". Having a stiff neck for a few days is one thing, needing muscle relaxers and massages daily just to be able to turn your neck without risk of causing ANOTHER spasm to rip through your body is shitty. No, I don't look like I'm in pain, yes, I am smiling and laughing. I've learned to tolerate my pain. There's always something new to deal with, another symptom to try and correct. CaptainAsshats
Chronic Depression
I wish I could make people understand that there isn't always a reason for me being depressed. The type of depression that I experience is, well, chronic, and the likelihood of me growing out of it (I'm only fourteen) is slim. There doesn't need to be a direct trigger or event that makes me depressed. Sometimes, it just happens. It's a scary thing to go through, especially when the mood changes are quick and unexpected.
One moment, I could be perfectly content, watching a YouTube video or talking to a family member. And, within moments, the process of an emotional roller-coaster begins. It starts with a tightening in my chest and stomach, as if I'm going to be sick, and the feelings of dread and absolute sadness take over. It's something that's difficult to explain, especially to a person that doesn't know shit about depression or the symptoms and things that come with it.
It's hard when everyone you know says to you, "There has to be something wrong if you're feeling this way. You don't randomly just experience this, so tell me what happened." I'm sure it's frustrating as Hell knowing that you can't do anything about it, because nothing happened, but it never fails to frustrate me. This also applies to anxiety and plenty of other illnesses, I'm sure. pitylove
Not Dumb
Just because I have a disability, I may not understand things straight away or may take me a while longer does not mean I am stupid, I may also be quiet, I have a speech problem if you watch my YouTube videos you would understand. thephilsblogbar
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
I want to be fun. I do. I want to be able to be active and not think about the consequences of everything and stay in the now. I'm trying. But Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Anxiety are poor company. I'm scared and I'm tired. I don't want to be those things. I just want to feel safe because nothing feels certain anymore. secsual
Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
I have cyclic vomiting syndrome which basically means i have cycles that my stomach goes thru that means one month, Ill be able to handle foods at ease and eat whatever whenever and other months, those same foods lead me to vomit or be nauseous all the time and even water can be bothersome . I do take meds to manage it but sometimes that doesnt even work. So because I turn down your food doesnt mean Im being rude , its meaning that my stomach isnt in a good place at the moment and I dont wanna spend the next 2 days recovering from eating the food. blenneman05
Dyslexia
I have a form of dyslexia which means I have trouble processing auditory information. However with the tools I can use (writing notes and double checking it's right via email as well as tape recordings) it doesn't mean you can lie to me about what you said and get away with it. Nor does it mean I'm deaf or not aware of when you're being patronizing. Catsplayingbanjos
Down Syndrome
Just because you "feel good" about a portrayal of a person with a disability doesn't make it a good portrayal, even if it seems like the person with a disability is benefiting. For example, take the "Homecoming Queen with Down Syndrome" trend. On the surface, it seems great, because the girl with Down Syndrome gets recognized and she gets a prominent place in the social order. However, the news features tend to highlight the "hero" students who elected her (as if they made some huge sacrifice) and emphasize the idea that the girl can't accomplish worthwhile things on her own, so others must artificially accomplish things for her. People with Down Syndrome have made excellent contributions to society. They don't need other people to accomplish things for them and have their achievements artificially awarded to them. The news feature just reinforced the (false) idea that being Homecoming Queen is the highlight of this girl's life, and that she needed other people to give it to her, and that their "generosity" is so undeserved that it merits a news crew. minnieturtle
Not Broken
That it is not your job to 'fix me'. I have depression and anxiety and hate when people think they need to encourage (ie force) me to talk on the phone or start conversations with people I dont know. Or when they take it upon themselves to drag me to social events in an effort to lift my mood. I know it comes from a good place, but it is not your job to fix me, and it honestly just makes it worse. Lyra_meow-
Mobility Issues
Not all wheelchair users are paralyzed! I always get such strange looks when I'm unloading my wheelchair from my car, or when people see me move my legs because they assume wheelchair = paralyzed. I'm capable of walking, I just can't walk long distances which is where the wheelchair comes in. devongarv
Eky Akmal / EyeEm/Getty
Manic Depression
I wish people knew that mental illness is still an illness. You're not going to yell at someone with no legs to walk up a staircase or be angry at someone to catch a football with no arms because a normal person would notice that they are physically impaired and hopefully help that person out. However, you can't look at someone for 5 seconds and know if they have a mental illness or not. Just because you don't see it or don't "believe" in it, it doesn't mean that person might have a mild to severe form of some kind of mental disorder. If you think someone needs help, fucking help! There's a difference between someone being lazy and someone sleeping all day, every day. There's a difference between having a bad day and having months of feeling depressed. So, at the end of the day, there's going to be a difference between someone with a healthy brain and someone with a sick brain. bigtittyjimmer
Schizophrenia
Not me, but my friend has Schizophrenia who is disabled for life. No he does not have multiple personalities, no he is not a risk of murdering my entire family when he stays with us and no he is not just a lazy taker who doesn't want to work, he wants a job, but his longest held job was 2 weeks.
Sometimes he is unable to get out of bed for months at a time short of using the restroom and eating enough food to survive. When he is able to overcome his agoraphobia and leave the house, he often donates his time at a local charity.
Stop getting your knowledge of mental illnesses from the media, movies or "Aunt Edna, from down the road." The information is available online, look it up and read it before you say something about it. DatOneGuyWho
Anxiety
There isnt always a REASON for me to feel anxious. I can be having an anxiety attack in the safest location with nothing negative on my mind but can begin panicking to the point of physical symptoms for no apparent reason. Theres isnt necessarily something wrong. extasis_T
Nothing to Prove
That invisible disabilities exist. You would not believe the amount of people I have argued with that don't believe I'm disabled just because they can't see it. There are millions of different things that can cause a disability and only some are visible to onlookers. bitterlyyours
PTSD
PTSD isn't just a thing for veterans. It can happen to anyone, and many people who have PTSD who aren't veterans are dismissed/not believed because they weren't in the military. FuckYourPoachedEggs2
Autism
I'm autistic, but I am high functioning. Very few people know this in my life. Even some of the people I do, I regret telling, as they treat me differently.
What I want people to know is that I still have feelings and emotions. I still want to connect with people. I still have relationships.
There's a lot of things that most people will understand on instinct that I've had to work for an understanding of. And some of those things I still don't get the purpose of.
This does not mean that I don't mean I don't feel. My emotions are not fake.
I think sometimes people assume that someone who has autism is like a robot. That is not the case. It obviously varies (hence the word "spectrum" in the name of the disorder), but a lot of people treat autistic people in an annoyingly patronizing way.
Do you think I can't see that?
Sometimes, I am going to make social missteps. Sometimes, I am going to have to be explained things that should be obvious. But these things happen to everyone. I am as human as you. jpterodactyl
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
Money Burn GIF by nog
Giphy
Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
south park wedding GIF
Giphy
See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
homer simpson episode 23 GIF
Giphy
Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
Customer Service Waiting GIF by Juno Calypso
Giphy
Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
Disney World GIF
Giphy
The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.
For many childhood memories are overrun by living nightmares.
Yes, children are resilient, but that doesn't mean that the things we see as babes don't follow us forever.
The horrors of the world are no stranger to the young.
Redditor -2sweetcaramel- wanted to see who was willing to share about the worst things we've seen as kids, so they asked:
"What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?"
Serious Danger
"Me and my best friend would explore the drainage tunnels under the Vegas area where we grew up. These were miles long and it was always really cool down there so it was a good way to escape the heat of our scorching hot summers. We went into this one that goes under the Fiesta casino and found a camp with a bunch of homeless people."
"Mind you we are like 11 years old lol. And we just kept going like it was nothing. It wasn’t scary then but when I look back at it we could have been in some serious danger. Our parents had no idea we did this or where we were and we had no cellphones. We could have been kidnapped and never have been found."
oofboof2020
Waiting for Food
"I was at a portillos once when I was 12 and I was waiting with my little brother at a booth while my parents got our food. This guy was standing with his tray kind of watching me then after a couple of minutes he started to walk over really fast not breaking eye contact with me."
"He was 2 feet from the table and my dad came out of nowhere and scared the s**t out of him. He looked so surprised and just said he wanted to see if I’d get scared or not. He left his tray full of food near the door and left. My folks reported him but we never went to that location again since we found a better one closer to home."
nowhereboy1964
Captain Hobo to the Rescue
"When I was a pretty young teen, my friends and I were horsing around in San Francisco and started hanging out to smoke with some homeless guys. Another homeless dude came up and began aggressively trying to shake us down for anything (money, smokes, a ride, drugs- all of it) and wouldn’t take no for an answer."
"We got in over our heads and could tell this guy was now riling the other 2 guys up and they were acting like they wanted to jump us. Some grandfather-looking old homeless man appeared out of nowhere and yelled at us to get the f**k out of here- nice kids like us don’t belong down here at this hour!!"
"Captain Hobo saved our lives that night. My parents sincerely thought we were at a mall all day lol."
FartAttack911
Survival
tsunami GIF
Giphy
"I was 7 and survived the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Witnessed the wave rise way above the already massive palm trees (approx. 40ft?) and my family and I watched/heard the wave crash into the ground from a rooftop."
faithfulpoo
These Tsunami stories are just tragic.
On the Sand
Scared The Launch GIF by CTV
Giphy
"We were a group of kids who went to swim in a local lake. And there was a dead body on the beach with their hands raised and their legs bent unnaturally that local police just took out of the same lake. I've never put my foot in these waters again."
oyloff
Be Clever
"I was walking to school and I was about 5 or 6 years old and some guy pulled up beside me in his car and asked if I would get in. He also offered me sweets to do so. I said no. The creepy bit was when he calmly said ‘clever boy’ to me, then drove off. I’ve never even told my parents or anyone else about this as it would most likely freak them out."
OstneyPiz
Bad Jokes
"Dad's side of the family pranked me by burying a fake body on our back property and had me dig it up to find valuables. Was only allowed to use a lantern for light. They stuffed old clothes with chicken bones. Sheetrock mud where the head was... Random fake jewelry as the treasures... I was like maybe 10 or 11.. I remember digging up the boot first and started gagging because it became real at that point."
Alegan239
YOU
Who Are You Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
Giphy
"Woke up to find my little brother staring at me in the dark, asking, Are you really you?"
PrettyLola2004
Siblings can really be a bunch of creepers.
No one should talk to others in the dark though.