Do you think that your disability impacts the relationships with people?

@ilenia5, I feel somewhere yes

I don't have any relationship. so it does not.

@ilenia5

Hi! I love that question because i feel somewhere along the lines, it does for me a whole bunch. I am also a straightforward person along with being diagnosed with multiple mental issues, very serious ones. So it does make it hard for people to distinguish between if i am being "mean" when i am actually just being honest. I rather be honest with someone even if it hurts their feelings, instead of lying just to make them feel better. But that's just me, I am all about knowledge & honesty in life, to say the most :) My intentions have always been Good ones & i let others know that because i want to be honest with others. Socializing is really big in the world for everyone, even sign language for some others so yes it does make an impact with my mental illnesses, mine have changed me up so much i barely recognize myself anymore.

Yes it does greatly affect how I interact with others and socialize with others. It is rather fustrating that as much as I try and I educate them they still don't understand or are not willing to accomodate and do not understand.

It happened to me a lot and still does effect me, as my disability is a physical tremor, my friends that are seemingly long lost now always reassured me that my disability wasn't an issue but it feels it was because I felt and still feel I'm being treated differently or ignored just so the activity can end quicker.

The newer people and friendships I'm forming since starting counseling aren't as worrysome, but still it is hard if in an online setting to explain things the right way because you can't see or hear mannerisms or nuances of speech.

As for the more intimate relationship types, when ever it comes to explaining why I don't drive, have my license or use public transport as my main mode of getting around and even my disability its self, I'm always finding that when I do tell a woman this they freak out and go silent so I then go away from the experience feeling I'm being ignored in the same way as my friends have done.

- Ink

I think it affects my relationships but not in an obvious way. Because I'm high functioning, most of the time I think people forget I have an illness. Or if I mention I'm tired, I just get the "omg, I'm sooo tired too. I got like, no sleep last night." Most people don't make the connection that I'm tired from fatigue caused by the illness, not from staying up late.

It's also a misconception of what my illness is, and what it does to someone, and I know I can do more to educate the people in my life. At the same time I also want them to take the initiative. So, I guess it does impacts my relationships.

It really affects my interactions with doctors and other related professions.

For more personal relationship, yes. Some of how it affects me isn't really super obvious, but living with health issues my entire life certainly is a factor in who I am, and that would include how I relate to others. At other times, it's much more obvious, when I'm tired and cut things short, with mood swings, etc.

Yes, definitely. Having to rely on others for physical assistance alters the dynamic in nearly all my relatonships. I hate being dependent on others, and when someone close to me gives the slightest signal that I am bothering them because I need something I become very sad. Also, my occasional desire to be an anonymous face in the crowd doesn't get realized too often.

On the other hand, it does do two positive things: 1- I think it gives me a degree of empathy that I might not otherwise posess; and 2- it puts me in close proximity to others. Sometimes I do wish I could just be alone... but in reality I will never go to bed or get out of bed without closely interacting with another person. When I am lonely, I at least have someone physically present, and usually emotonally present as well.

@ilenia5

I'm always nervous about bringing up my conditions when dating. They often want to do super strenuous things with me for a first date and it's kind of awkward. I feel like they wouldn't want to be with me, that I'm a burden, although I look after myself, but most guys are super adventurous and want to climb mountains and things.

It can cause some frustration between me and my dad because he's often quite distant and doesn't know much about it. I think he just feels I should get on with it.

@ilenia5 I think after quite a lot of experience in terms of people I do and don't get along with, I'm good at figuring out if maybe somebody is uncomfortable around me for the way I look or generally doesn't want to be associated with me. For me, the people I don't know are uaually the ones that don't get along with me straight away as they don't know me fully yet. Due to the way I look, most people will judge me pretty much from first impressions, wheras my closest friends know me inside out. Thanks to the impressions I sometimmes, my disability can put me back a bit in social situations, like a party or gathering. But people that get to know me quickly realise that I'm totally diffrent from my face.

Thsnkd for the interesting question, it's my first time on this group so YAAY! Have a lovely day!

Serena x