Am I Disabled? | Owning Crohn's disease | Invisible Disability in the Workplace #crohns

Getting to a place in my life where I was comfortable owning my disability took a minute. It still surprises me the ingrained bias towards disabilities that I was carrying until I had to fight that dissonance within myself.

Being disabled isn't a walk in the park but it can be especially scary if you have an invisible disability. Mostly because we never know the terrain. Will we have people who ask rude and invasive questions? Or will self awareness and mutual respect win the day?

Getting to a place of acceptance has brought me peace. I'm grateful to have access to an accommodation plan and protections for my job should I have a flare.

Join me this week and every week on the rocky road of adulting with a disability.

#crohnsdisease #disabilitypride #invisibledisability #chronicillnesslife

Soundtrack (Epidemic Sound):
Fall into Place - Daxton, Wai feat. Andrew Shubin

Chapters:
00:00 - Am I Disabled?
00:41 - Invisible but Ever Present
01:30 - Disability Ownership
02:38 - Filter or Bust
03:38 - Weakness...naw bruh
04:40 - Eyebrow IYKYK
05:30 - Ambulance
06:02 - Mindset Shift
07:01 - Negarive Bias
08:01 - Barriers
09:20 - Brylee Break

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Good causes:
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation

Equality Federation:

It Gets Better:

Gill Foundation:

The Trevor Project:

National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network:

GLSEN:

Black Lives Matter:

The Conscious Kid:

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[PenumbraMineMMWard]

I think the "You don't look disabled." is the most invalidating thing but I find myself always responding, "I'm having a good day today."

[AuthorDLTillery]

Speaking facts! Agree 100%! My mom has had to go through this with her many disabilities. All disabilities do not have a face but those with them do have a face, people need to recall that.

[reginaduke]

Another profession: nursing. My BFF had to give up 12 hour shifts. Then she went to 8 hour days, but when she's in a flare, like now, she is miserable, sick, barely able to move, unable to eat, and this time, she actually quit her last form of nursing. Home care. She was down to one patient, once a week. She just told me a few days ago that she had quit that job.

[catpawrosales]

I'm navigating this acceptance thing too, and working on feeling comfortable saying, yea I'm disabled too. Coz I wasn't always. And that's hard to deal with. When it comes to people who knew me 15 years ago, or longer. Or the ghosts in my head looking at me accusingly like *YOU FAILED* (implied *you didn't try hard enough to recover/stay healthy, it's your fault*) And when it isn't said openly, out loud, it's difficult to stand up for your self verbally. The words are just hanging in the air, you made the wrong choices in life, you didn't do enough. We know better what you should have done....
And I haven't worked out how to shut them up, and not feel like I have to justify myself to them, over and over.

[AuthorJCCarpenter]

I love this video so much! You know it took me so long to be okay with saying "I'm disabled" and it is because of the stigma society sometimes places on you once you say that. I didn't want to have to admit that I was in that box and that I was now limited. I wanted to believe I could do the things I had once been able to do with no problem but can't now because of the RA and the chronic pain issues. Had I had something like this to watch a long time ago maybe I would've gotten out of my head about it a lot sooner than I did. But you know what they say, better late than never. Thank you for being the voice that so many of us needs to hear and sharing your journey with us! Love you friend! ❤❤

[esthermarieandujar]

If non-disable peeps were as resilience, understanding, and badass humans as disable people this world would be so much better.

[JoeyPaulOnline]

The whole you don't look disabled, had that even in chair and on oxygen 😅 Love that you've managed to find acceptance and grown from that. Adore these vlogs! ❤

[AuthorMorganLee]

Love this! Invisible disability is still disability! Disability isn’t inherently negative, it’s society and abelism that makes disability negative.

I couldn’t/didn’t work when my disease wasn’t in remission so I’ve never actually sought out accommodations for it. But the job I have now is a lot more flexible and chronic illness friendly when/if my disease ever decides to pop up and say hey I’m gonna set your bowels on fire😅

Fun fact: I got cussed out by my cousin for saying I’m disabled. I don’t talk to that one anymore lol.

[suzieque]

You have the most perfect ears I've ever seen....they don't stick out at all... they're just perfectly lovely

[MargaretPinard]

Yeah, a grief process to admitting a certain vision of life will have to change. You're well set to make the new vision pretty spectacular, though, friend 🌈🦄💜💙❤

[StephanieWhitson]

I get the whole “you don’t look like you have that” and then if my husband who is a double amputee uses electricity scooter In the store or uses the handicap parking spot and he happens to be wearing long pants he gets questioned sometimes too.
All that to say, I think my kids experience with our disabilities in the family has helped them be more accepting of other people’s different behaviors and abilities.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts in this video.

[ricklaurie]

Were any eyebrows harmed during the making of this video?

[labyrinthofallthings]

If it is affecting your daily life its a disability. Your crohns is affecting your life Barrett. Disabilites aren't often visably seen most are internal and it doesn't discount an indivual whether is visable physically or not. Just because you and I don't share the exact disabilty doesn't make you less in your own health dilemma. I know this isn't easy to come to terms with. Even as someone whose lived their whole life as disabled woman. I can say it's taken a lot of internal work since childhood to come to terms that this is what it is and I have to figure it out and adapt to what I'm given.

[RichardHolliday]

If you think your university finance job is tough, you’ve clearly never run a furniture store before… 😜

[RichardHolliday]

This was an interesting conversation and important to have as I feel it helps society start to better understand “hidden disabilities” with less of the prejudice that exists. Do you feel there’s been progress since your diagnosis? I think even the terms “disabled”, “handicapped” or “less able” are inherently loaded with negativity. Maybe you struggled embracing that because it meant admitting you’re “lesser”?

Also you’ve gotta look at the perks where they are, like being able to park in those juicy parking spots… 😂