I love my friends, and I love my family, but oftentimes they act like I need to try harder, or take some ibuprofen and suck it up. Even in a family of left leaning people, who are all ND, I am treated differently.
My younger brother has incontinence issues and my other siblings tend to bully him for it ruthlessly, going so far as to tell his friends about it as if it's some moral failing.
I have very progressed mobility issues, and still my friends and family act as if I do not, or treat them as exaggerated.
I am autistic. I stim, my family and friends act as if it is gross or embarrassing.
I have tourettes, I ticc. My family and friends act as if it is embarrassing for them to be near me, and I am told to cut it out, or to calm down.
I have P-DID. I am unable to speak to my family about this, as they believe my trauma and pain are not enough to "count". That the trauma OF pain is not traumatic enough.
It tends to be the younger, left, alternative, progressive, "activist", queer, ND, who treat disabled people as worthless, as uncomfortable, as if their "comfort" matters more than my livelihood.
I hold nothing against my family, and nothing against my friends, but it is up to them to realize and reform those ideas.
To all able-bodied people, to all people without a stigmatized disorder/disability, to all the people who call themselves an ally, a supporter, to all the family members and friends:
You are not immune to ableism.
You are not immune to being an asshole just because you have anxiety, ADHD, LSN autism. You are not better than high support needs people, psychotic people, physically disabled people, people with stigmatized disorders and disabilities.
You are not better than the teen with fibro.
You are not better than the adult who uses AAC.
You are not better than the kid with a rollator.
You are not better than the person with psychosis.
You are not better than the autistic person with HSN.
You are not better than the person in a power chair.
You are not better than the person with a G-bag.
You are not better than the person with a feeding tube.
You are not better than the person with hearing aids.
You are not better than the person with visual impairments.
You are not better than the person with seizures.
You are not better than, worth more than, or deserved more than a disabled person. No matter how uncomfortable they make you.
You are not better than us because you're "special".
You are not immune to ableism.