#autoimmune disorder

[cosmiccripple]

if you are sick, i don't give a shit if it's just a cold, wear a FUCKING MASK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[esotericalqueer]

no need to credit, just don’t claim my work as your own!

you deserve to exist without shame. you may have limitations and that is ok; you do not exist to motivate those with healthy, functioning bodies. navigating a society that was not made with you in mind is difficult, you are doing amazing! do what is best for you; don’t try to keep up with unrealistic expectations. take care of yourself, you are worth the effort <2

[samwisethewitch]

Tried a new restaurant yesterday and got burned. 🫠 But at least I can show y'all what I do for flareups. Part of why I like having tinctures on hand is because it makes it easier to grab something when I feel bad.

I hope this helps y'all next time you have tummy troubles!

[wikipediapictures]

Vitiligo

[danny-ric]

"Hashimoto's/hypothyroidism isn't a real disability. You're just being dramatic."

[stainedtea]

hate when my brain turns to mush and my muscles hurt despite me literally doing next to nothing

I just wanna walk to the bathroom without feeling like I’m swaying

[purplesaline]

What is an autoimmune disorder?

Okay so think of it like this. Imagine a little 600 sq ft apartment. That's your body. Viruses and Bacteria are like thieves breaking into the apartment.

Obviously this is bad so you decide to get a guard dog to protect you. This is your immune system. Some people have a little pug, which isn't the most effective, and some people have a German shepherd or a rottweiler and they do a pretty good job.

Some people, though, have a border collie or a malinois that only gets one short walk per week and is left in the 600 sq ft apartment all alone for 10+ hours a day. These are the people with autoimmune disorders

[kores-pomegranate]

Just a quarterly update and reminder that existing with mental illness is really hard. Existing with chronic illness is really hard. Existing with both is really hard, and most people with chronic illness don’t get to exist without some kind of mental illness on top of it.

I have cyclothymia (which I just call bipolar for expediency’s sake), AuDHD, probably some type of connective tissue something or other, an autoimmune disorder, and chronic migraine.

When any one of those things flares up, they all flare up. Over Thanksgiving, I had a flare in my autoimmune disorder that triggered a depressive episode and migraine. I’ve spent the last several days feeling like I’m barely hanging on. Some small corner of my brain has known since Thursday that something is up, and I keep reminding myself that this is temporary and that I won’t always feel this bad.

But dear god, sometimes it is truly exhausting to know that while I definitely won’t always feel this bad, there will be moments throughout my life where I will feel this bad, or worse. I’m tired of everything being hard. I’m tired of feeling stressed and lonely and sad. I’m tired of feeling unsure of if my feeling of loneliness is because I crave more attention than is realistic to receive, or if I’m actually asking myself to be okay with a level of isolation that isn’t okay.

Today, my soul and my body feel heavy. Hopefully, tomorrow will be lighter.

[shapedforfighting]

The hardest part of coming to terms with having an autoimmune disease for me has been recognizing and accepting that I can no longer do everything I want to do. Nor everything I may want to do in the future. I can't have it all anymore. I have to choose.

[petiolata]

Going to see a new specialist today. Mentally preparing myself to be mansplained and gaslighted, maybe treated to completely unconcealed disgust over my minor bodily imperfections.

Like yeah it might go fine and they might be qualified and treat their patients decently, but it's such a tossup even with a woman doctor, and with a male doctor it's been like...99% of them have been an ass in some way.

So, best to expect the worst. Then the blow doesn't sting as much when it's given. And if it's not, holy shit, what a pleasant surprise.

[cosmiccripple]

asked my friends to wear a mask around me when they're sick and now it's a big thing. i even said i would give them the mask to wear (even though i cannot afford to be providing them daily masks as well as my own) and they're objecting. i just wish they'd fucking care that their cold can derail my whole life.

[esotericalqueer]

no need to credit, just don’t claim my work as you’re own!

[weirdbrainweirdbody]

Why I hate how dandruff is presented

You've all seen the jokes- old man with dandruff, shaking his head and a cloud of snow falls down, dandruff just being there for a laugh... It's never treated as anything serious, ever. It's just a joke! And just a joke about old men at that.

I'm 17 years old. I've had dandruff since I was at least 11. I've been made fun of all that time for the white flakes that are a constant on my head.

I just saw dandruff as a joke, too.

At most, it was just my scalp being a bit dry, so it needed a moisturising shampoo.

Yeah.... Turns out I have scalp psoriasis. I'm in near constant pain, which gets worse whenever I'm ill or stressed, because psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. My immune system is attacking my own skin. It's gotten to the point where shampoo doesn't help. I'm just in pain, always. I'll have a doctor's appointment where we can discuss options soon hopefully.

It's painful enough that I end up with scabbing all over my scalp from scratching. I pull my hands away and my nails are bloody from repeatedly picking and itching the scabs.

So no, not just a funny joke.

When I mentioned how painful it was to my friend, (only referring to it as dandruff rather than psoriasis) he said "I didn't realise dandruff could be painful!". In fact, several conditions that can cause dandruff have the fact that they're itchy or sore in their their symptoms list- eczema, dermatitis, and of course psoriasis.

And yet people just see dandruff as a joke. Even now, I feel anxious writing this- I feel like someone's gonna read this and think 'why are they getting so serious about dandruff? Lighten up!'

Sure, for some people it's not painful. Just flaky. But even then, they can experience the same social issues I did- I still remember a pair of kids seeing my large white skin flakes on my dark hair and exclaiming that I had nits (lice for Americans), and running away shouting at me. I hate that it's treated as a joke, or stigmatised, and seen as just an old man thing.

It's an actually serious issue for so many people. Why isn't it treated as such?

[flametheskull-art]

A comic about Autism. I hope some of you can relate.

[renlo]

Pardon the lack of art! After a few years of wondering, I learned this week that I do indeed have an autoimmune disease. Ironically, I learned that many things that I thought were normal were symptoms, lol. Turns out that waking up with gritty eyes and randomly having a mouth that feels like the Sahara desert is... not entirely typical.

There are labs pending to see if there are comorbidities, but apparently for now I just need to let my body get the rest it wants, take eye drops, and watch out for inflammation. But I'm apparently healthy otherwise!

An unexpected outcome of this year is that my husband and I have both learned that we have (mild, but still potentially disruptive) chronic illnesses, so a good bit of time has been spent just figuring out how to navigate them. Thank you all for your love and support! <3

[wuppydog]

ok so this might be really specific to just me idfk

but does anyone else diagnosed with Sjögren’s Syndrome have these moments where your mouth is super dry and you go to swallow what little spit is in there & it’s like your throat closed up & it feels impossible to swallow & like you’re either gonna choke or suffocate until you then take a drink of something & then it’s fine?!

bc that’s been happening to me a lot lately (been taking my thorazine more frequently & a major side effect is dry mouth so it’s made my Sjögren’s flare up really badly).

it gives me so much anxiety & I have a mini panic attack every time it happens bc it literally feels like I’m gonna die cause I can’t swallow, thus I can’t breathe.

pls someone tell me I’m not alone with this lol 🥲