For Disability Pride Month, one thing I'd love abled bodied people to figure out is how to speak to someone with chronic health issues without implying that if they themselves had the disabled person's health conditions, they would end it all. I promise you life goes on- even with health issues.
Especially for me the well-meaning ones who earnestly think that they might be helping and then who are absolutely crushed (or sulk) when you try to decline their suggestions or offers of unhelpful help. I'd be thrilled if folks even just learned to ask first.
I could live with the unsolicited advice if it wasn’t followed by ‘don’t you want to get better?’ every time I don’t immediately get excited about magic tea or crystals or that one specific yoga instructor.
I’m not disabled because I like being sick.
My usual anecdote is the time a supply TA I'd only met 1hr ago told me I should drink more water for my Chronic Migraine WHILE I WAS DRINKING WATER. 😮💨
(At that point it came up in convo pretty fast as I was wearing sunglasses and ear plugs at work a lot lol).
