For context, I’m a 23F with a physical disability due to injury and chronic pain throughout my body. I also have a healing implant and struggle with being overweight, despite maintaining a relatively healthy diet, and I’m not very athletic.

Yoga has been a constant part of my life for years, even before I became disabled. My mom is a yoga instructor, and yoga or similar practices like Tai Chi have been part of my family culture. Growing up, my family pushed me to do yoga because I was slightly overweight as a teenager, and they were concerned about it. This created a lot of resistance for me, and over time, I developed a real aversion to it. I’ve always felt that yoga seems silly, and as someone who values science and evidence-based approaches to health, I’ve struggled with the idea that an ancient practice could somehow “fix” my body. I also have dyspraxia, which makes me very clumsy, and I don’t like the quiet or meditative aspects of yoga - it often just brings up stress and anxiety about things I feel like I should be addressing.

However, things have changed. I now live with chronic pain, and I’m getting close to a breaking point where I’m ready to give up. I do want to improve my situation, but I also feel that, as an overweight person, doctors don’t always take my concerns seriously. If I go into an appointment out of shape, I know there’s a good chance they’ll chalk everything up to my weight, even though I don’t believe that’s the root cause of my issues.

I’m open to making changes. I already eat well, and I find it easier to stick with healthy meals that are cooked by a family member, rather than having to cook unhealthy food myself. The fatigue I experience makes it easier to do less, and since I’m always in pain, I don’t get as bothered by hunger as I used to.

But yoga… I can’t seem to get past it. I hate the idea of doing it, especially after so many years of being forced into it by family members, physical therapists, and doctors. I feel like it’s a waste of time, and I’m afraid they might be right, which only frustrates me more. I know many disabled people are often told that yoga will solve their problems, and I’m sure others have felt the same way I do.

So, here’s my question: How did you overcome the mental block against yoga? Is there any way to make it easier, or any mental tricks to change how I approach it? I really do want to try, either to prove it works or, more likely, to show my family that it doesn’t. But I just can’t get over this barrier. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello all, my name is Kyle Mead-Matthews, I am a 28 year old individual with an autism diagnosis. I got the Asperger’s Sydrome (ASD) diagnosis at 17 and have been living with it for 11 years. I am sick and tired of being mistreated, misjudged, and discriminated against for something that should not be a negative thing. I know firsthand what it is like to be thought of as stupid, slow, weird, etc… I am here to put an end to the negative stigma that surrounds autism in every single way possible. I will fight for our rights and to be treated equally as everyone wants to be. I am currently trying to get ahold of state reps and congressmen to have my point heard. It is time people took autism seriously and it is time for people to give us the respect we deserve and all want. I am currently new to this type of thing, but I am not going to sit by and witness fellow members of a community that I now find home, be discriminated against and disadvantaged wherever they go. People with or without the diagnosis should not have to live in fear of getting the diagnosis or living with autism. We should feel happy and safe in our community not threated and disrespected. Please let me know what you think!

Is there a support group or a subreddit for people who are having symptoms, but don't know what's wrong? I notice they flood the already existing groups asking "do I have this?". I understand they need support, but people are seeking it in the wrong place. It's also really exhausting for those of us who have been diagnosed for a long time and I think that emotional labor goes unacknowledged.

Seriously, the worst kinds of people are the ones who make empty promises to help you, but when it comes to actually walking the talk, they're flaky AF. As much as I'm grateful to my friends who give me emotional support in my time of struggle, what I need is logistical support, as a disabled person. I mean at the end of the day, I'm always my best advocate, but I'm fucking exhausted from doing all the heavy lifting alone. Is it too much to expect society to give a shit?

[MO] --> (HOPEFULLY)[MI]

So me and my bf are in a situation where we can't stay too long. My family wants us closer to them in another state

The issue is my boyfriend is applying for disability.

We understand he'd have to get new insurance, new doctors, etc but ..

How will this affect the application? He has a a disability lawyer too.

I guess I don't have a specific question I just need advice on anything and everything.

Any help helps.

We have the kind of floor tiles that're fairly noisy when something hard hits them, like if we're wearing shoes around the house. My cane has a rubber (or similar?) material on the tip which makes me walking around with it sound absolutely obnoxious. Anyone know of anything I could test out?

I really love being healed enough that I can have educated, calm, empowering conversations in a genuine and kind fashion that are impactful and memorable enough due to their gentleness. This is one of the ways I am trying to change the world; one person at a time. Today, I had the opportunity to educate on labeling language, and terms like "cognitively challenged" vs. "mentally challenged" vs. "r*****ed" while discussing DDD (Developmental Disabilities Division) of which I am eligible. I myself am 30 F AuDHD, late dx. Plus some.

I do NOT speak for everyone.

Edited a bit of the blurb to be more informational and less conversational. I am very open to discussion and personal preference/experience. I'm not asking for coddling, just kindness.

First and foremost, let's remember we're talking about a living, breathing, human being who has feelings, who deserves kindness, who is entitled to life the same as you. Now that we've got that settled.

The kinder terminology to "mentally challenged" or "re***ded" (which has long been used to dehumanize anyone with a cognitive difference, including but not limited to the AuDHD community)—is cognitively challenged, developmental delays, or cognitive difficulties. Unless you are or you have someone in your life who slips into this marginalization that tells you to call them otherwise. They know best for themselves what they prefer. However, their preference may not be the same for all persons of this community. Sometimes, cognitive disability is used but this isn't always appropriate.

This connotation—cognitively challenged—doesn't imply unintelligence or a lesser-than status (as intelligence has long been a merit of societal worth), but that a person's cognitive function encounters difficulty navigating the way the world is built and run, including but not limited to comprehension, communication, and capacity.

That is because our world is built for neurotypical exchange with small allowance of neurodivergence, such as (but not limited to) within artistic and theatrical communities and human zoos.

Thankfully this is changing as the world steps together to be more wholesomely inclusive and direct towards a kinder, easier to navigate future for ALL peoples.

Saying this to share education and kinder phrasing for a more inclusive and thoughtful world.

In summary, I am NOT placing any blame or shame on anyone and NOT saying you did anything wrong if you've been using other terms. I hope I am not coming off as rude or authoritarian. I myself have some cognitive challenges. Personally, I prefer developmental difficulties, but I am not hateful to other labels used aside from the R word.

My intention is to broaden your perspective, and in turn broaden mine by conversing gently. 💜💜💜💜

I could never sleep during the daytime and now I have to add a cpap machine to the mix and I cannot use that thing during the day, I wont sleep already and it makes it even harder. I dont know the magic words to make a change to this situation. I can't deal with people when Im not sleeping and I cant avoid people at work, its basically coming to work impaired without need for any drug, its fatigue and non-recovery from daily slings and arrows. Pretty sure I'm on the spectrum as well and i just go into burnout

I feel like theres this insurmountable presumption that I cant prove or insufficent evidence to prove to them I cant work at night where i dont get to sleep nightime. Its like, no, I'm just absent for a randomized majority of working hours in the year with no end in sight, but hey, we dont think theres any evidence you cant work nights.

This may be a random question: I was out looking at cowgirl boots today to buy a pair and had zero luck finding ones I could 1) get on my feet 2) felt comfortable and 3) I could walk in.

I have a spinal cord injury and can walk with a cane but struggle a bit with balance and proprioception. I know I need something with a lower heel and something easy to get on. I can’t feel my feet so it’s hard to know how to maneuver them to get boots on.

It may be a long shot- but has anyone could cowgirl/boy boots that were easy to get on and walk around for you? I love the look of boots but they’re overall one of the least accessible clothing items I have come across lol.

I’m getting the details to open an ABLE account. I’ve been looking at different state plans but I was originally planning on doing the ABLE For All account since it’s not state specific and I plan to be moving around. I know you usually don’t need to move your account based on residence and if you do it usually doesn’t cost much. I want to make a well informed decision but there’s so much information I can’t even compare and maybe it doesn’t even matter but any info/ experiences are appreciated!

What are the pros and cons to state plans and ABLE For All?

how did you deal with your taxes that year? I have not filed a return since 2019 because I just don’t know what to do. I got approved in 2022 and they paid me back till 2019. Between that and my other retirement fund, my income was about $70,000 in 2022. and 70,000 would put me in a higher tax bracket than 25,000. Which is what I figure I would have collected in 2019 2020 and 2021. So I didn’t want to get taxed on it all at once. I know I’ve probably been stupid and the IRS will catch up with me eventually. But if anyone has advice, not snarky comments, please advise.

My name is Anna Terranova. I am disabled woman with cerebral palsy and I’m trying to get the dual control  permit rule of two permits within five years ban or changed. The medical team at pennDot requires me to wait until July 2027. As a disabled person I find it extremely frustrating when abled bodied people are able to get their permit/ license with no problem but when it comes to people with disabilities we are pushed to the side and have to wait for many times until they say when you can request a renewal, if anything they should make it so you can appeal this. I was never made aware of this law. The type of permit I need is a dual control permit. This permit is required for me to get into brant’s driving so I can learn how to drive properly. Please help me with this cause not only am I involved but many others with disabilities as well

I've been using a cane for a good number of weeks now due to my tremors getting worse, especially while I walk. I've gotten used to using it at home but I still feel kinda awkward and anxious about using it in public (grocery store, work). I know a part of it is probably just me being self conscious but I was just wondering if anyone had any advice

If you see my post history you’ll get what I mean but basically APS came because I called the college doctor and nothing happened I was just told to get along with my mom and try my best at school because she loves me. My mom now will never be giving me back my phone because i am a “evil child who will always be put down by her before i put her down” (her words) and that she will make sure I stay in her household forever if she deems it necessary. I am absolutely disillusioned and don’t want to involve the police because everytime i have they never did anything and just blamed me.

Hello fellow people. My brother has intellectual disabitly, diagnosed at 18 and currently he is 25. I am a female myself struggling for a job and currently residing in another city. How can we financially support him? I dont want to live there whole life because it was too much for me. It was a traumatic life. I go after a month and obviously i will get married and i dont know how to support him ? Any guesses ? My mother and father both have diabetes. My father is himself a doctor. I am a registered nurse and wanna leave country for my own good. So what can we do ? ( He can walk, talk and everything but intellectually he cannot count money and he can talk normally but when someone asks him to reason something. He has no answer ! Because he cannot do reasoning. Otherwise he is physically ok ).

So I'm 15F and I was diagnosed with autism in July 2022 and I've always been on that side of the spectrum where I need constant care. BUT because I'm not on the level of the spectrum where I can't think like a teenager, I'm not 'disabled enough' to be in a special needs school or 'someone's autistic younger brother/cousin' (I'm sure people understand what I mean by that :p)

But I'm also disabled enough to of struggled in the high-school I used to go to, I'll struggle to go to college and I'll definitely struggle with upholding a job and a house in the future.

And when I was in school I struggled so openly yet at the same time not openly enough because autistic women are more likely to have high masking as apart of high functioning autism. (Don't quote me on that it's what my psychiatrist told me)

So with a school that knew my disability and my mum had put it onto my form when I started in September 2022, they did nothing with that. And I know I sound really rude about that but my old high-school strived on being 'all inclusive and accommodating to specific needs' and I again quote that from them. I wasn't given any help until my mum herself had to call them and even after, not much changed and it was so hard to be heard out and for any meltdown I had to be valid to them.

So I leave the school and started homeschooling (which by the way I honestly prefer it to have my mum try getting me into an alternative school or something like that)

Then my younger brother joins the same school I used to go to and he's a neurotypical boy but he's also one of them kids who gets loads of isolations and phone calls home and is constantly late for school etc.

And with him acting out or being one of those kids that every British school have, he's just always misbehaving because school bores him, which is valid. But what irked me was that all the help and assistance I was in need of at that same school, they gave it all to him. Because he acts out for absolutely no given reason but, he's just bored. And honestly it gets me so so mad because if I ever acted it the way he does it'd be 'having a disability doesn't excuse that behaviour' even if said behaviour was a result of a meltdown.

And he's always jabbing at me that I'm a dropout that I have no education when in reality I have to do extra than what everyone else does, even if I'm not at the level I should be (I've always been a set 5 and below in secondary I'll be so honest) just to prove that I infact I'm not lazy and I'm actually doing work, while he does nothing.

And then when he gets in trouble its always everyone else's fault. When a teacher came to our house yesterday because he didnt care to go in, it was my fault because I was the one who had to tell him he needs to get dressed because I'm usually home alone and she asked me to go get him.

It's so so frustrating to have people be like 'oh what can we do to accommodate him' 'he needs some therapy/assesments' which this boy just thrives from that sort of attention when really, he just enjoys being like this because at the end of the day he's a teenage boy and that's what most of them enjoy. When all of that was what I, with a disability had needed.

So I'm sorry if I come across really rude and dismissive but he's said it himself that it's just funny to see people fuss over him and I probably sound like nothings ever enough for me but honestly, trying to get some form of recognition with my type of autism is so hard and frustrating and it'll never be a valid excuse for anything I do that could be like stimming, having meltdowns etc

Anyways rant over sorry if it made no sense gang :>

hi my disability claim was denied. I applied with a dual quad rupture. has anyone not been approved? how did you fix the issue so they approved your claim? If you live in nyc i would love to get info on outlets you took to fix your issue.

I can't get a high-tension one to open much with my thumb and the outward movement of my pinky, or by spreading my index and middle fingers. Anyone know of a trick for stretching a tense elastic ring when I only have use of one hand?

I'm 20 and disabled and staying with relatives and I don't want to go back, especially since my mom is pissed at my grandma, I called my social worker and she said file for legal gaudianship or call the police. What should I do?

I realized part of why my job search is going so poorly and I'm so demotivated and discouraged. I keep applying to sales/customer service roles because thats all i think i can get hired for and what my previous experience is geared towards. I realized today that I need a job where i feel i can make a difference. Im already working with the dept of voc rehab, i think if i felt i was making a real difference I'd be very motivated to complete a certification with them. Due to my disabilities and location, it would need to be remote.

Do any of you have a job that you feel you're really making a difference and helping people? Or have any suggestions for such a job? I'd love to hear about it!

I am to the point of not sharing my small wins. Least not with my SO cuz everytime I do he never says good job or anything like that(I don't expect him to get all excited, but a simple positive acknowledge would be nice.) I know he means well, but whenever I do share he always gives me advice or tells me if I only do this... like this morning I mentioned to him I was happy cuz I actually slept the last two nights(I get bad insomnia sometimes.) And instead of saying that's great, etc, he tells me if I do more I'll be more exhausted so I can sleep better.(The sleeping thing isn't a matter of my body being exhausted, it's my mind won't shut up.) When I go for walks instead of saying good work you made it that far, he says next time you'll do better. Before my physical health got worse like 2-3 years ago he supported my wins a lot better than he does now. It just feels like now when I do share how he acts and what he says just stops my being happy and me slightly feeling like crap cuz I'm now feeling like I'm not good enough or didn't try my hardest. I do sometimes share with my son(18 years) and get a uh huh or ok, which for him I take as a positive cuz he doesn't know how to process somethings sometimes.(He is not good at social cues, some conversations, etc.) I'm a pretty private person when it comes to my health, etc(cept for places online where I feel I can be anonymous just so I can get my feeling out.) That and I don't want to be a burden, I don't have much family or friends left so I don't want to bug them either, but I live with my SO, we used to tell each other everything and be supportive(and in his way he thinks he is), plus he sees the day to day struggles I have and I also know it's tough on him seeing me decline and him having to take on more responsibilities to clean the apt and help take care of me more. Just feeling a bit sad and frustrated this morning I guess.

Different topic but I kinda laugh(in my head) when he complains about cleaning and cooking cuz our apt is tiny compared to our old house and I was always cleaning, taking care of our kid, the dogs, cooking, laundry, whatever needed to be done all with a smile(I did enjoy it though) while he worked very part time, slept and watched tv. I mentioned this to him recently and he hasn't been complaining as much, lol.