Tag: political

Thank you president Biden

As much  as I  am relieved that we can get past the question,  is Biden too old to serve a 2nd term?  The irony isn’t lost on me there is very much a double standard at play because Donald Trump  is only 3 years younger. After the debate many people and media panicked; Granted president Biden did not have the best night .   I genuinely do think it would be difficult to respond to a pathological liar at any age. 

The reality is I believe ageism and ableism played a key role in the end of the Biden candidacy/ i also think Biden stutter altered public perception negatively.  Joe Biden is a decent man. He came into office at a very difficult time in history and served us well.

 That said,  I very much believe ending mask requirements at  the very least in healthcare settings was a big misstep on the biden administration part. The public emergency has ended. This in  no way means covid is gone.  Covid is airborne and there needs to be more done in terms of prevention, as well as to help those living with long covid. Covid is mass disabling event. I know many would rather say covid is over, because that would be more simple. In reality life and the world we live in is anything but simple.  As a person living with cerebral palsy I don’t have the luxury of pretending covid is over, nor do others living with chronic illnesses. Not to mention the US healthcare system is ill prepared to handle a major global pandemic and the long term after effects that we are currently seeing. I say this as a person who is currently under the care of an infectious disease doctor for antibiotic  resistant urinary tract infections. Just a piece of advice, protect yourself and your loved ones by Wearing a mask.  

I also believe that Biden should no longer be supporting Israel with weapons. I support the people of palestine. Although I realize undoing long-standing alliances is easier said than done. 

With all that said,  I can not support Donald Trump given what he stands for.  He openly mocked a reporter with cerebral palsy. Holds vile attitudes toward women.  He proudly takes responsibility for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. 

In the 2 years since Roe was overturned I have been  troubled that some in our government feel they have the right to control women’s reproductive rights and healthcare. In part because I have a mild  bleeding disorder that is similar to hemophilia. As a result I experienced menstrual cycles that lasted months at a time. This greatly impacted my quality of life as I also had extremely bad menstrual cramps.  After many years of my doctors doing their best to get my bleeding under control with medications used to treat bleeding disorders, along with oral contraceptives to suppress my period to no avail.

There came a point when my hematologist stated he believed my menstrual cycles were not controllable in part due to my brain injury that caused my cerebral palsy. Stemming  from my premature birth. Knowing full well my underlying brain injury is permanent. I came to the difficult realization something had to give.  Unbeknownst to anyone initially I started doing my own research about what my medical options were online.  At this time I was 14 and knew how to use google.  It was at that point I discovered what a hysterectomy was. Given I was told that my bleeding disorder was genetic and can be passed on. I didn’t like the thought that if I had a daughter, she may experience the difficulties and pain that I was.  I should also mention that during this time my muscle spasms caused cerebral palsy were becoming difficult manage with oral spasticity medications and we were looking into if an implanted medication pump was an option as it is delivered directly into the spinal cord via a implanted spinal catheter as  opposed to going through the bloodstream. It is called a baclofen pump, at age 17 I had my first pump placed.  

 I came to the emotionally challenging conclusion that in my case a hysterectomy was my best option. I sat on it for six months before going to my  mom who had no  idea I knew what was. We then went to my gynecologist who we had been working with closely to get my menstrual cycles controlled,  I shared with her the conclusion i had come to, I had just started a new medication to suppress my period, She asked my to wait another six months and if i was still bleeding she would support my decision to have a hysterectomy.  

There was some reluctants given I was 15 at the time.  Also sadly  there is a dark history in this country of forced sterilizations of people with disabilities. Fortunately my doctors took the time to truly listen to me and realized this wasn’t the case and it truly was a quality of life issue. In 2004 two weeks into my freshman year in high school I had a partial hysterectomy. Only leaving in my ovaries.  At the request of the hospital my mom did have to sign the consent form given was under 18.  Therefore both my and mother’s  signature was on the consent  form.

I share all this because I want all women to have the freedom to make their own choices about their own bodies with their doctors. Our government should have no say when it comes to that. This will not be the case should project 2025 take effect.

I also want all LGBTQ+  people to have access to gender affirming care and to be able to be their authentic selves . 

Joe Biden did a selfless thing on Sunday by stepping aside and endorsing Kamala Harris. Thanks to him we are well on our way to having our first female president. It is up to us to do the rest this november

We are a culture in crisis



Trigger warning:
Suicide discussed if you struggling please reach out for help ithere is no shame in seeking help and support. Please know you are not alone ❤️ there are people that want to help. If you have experienced a suicide loss please know you’re loved one’s death is not your fault. . Suicide is not 100% preventable. Although I still encourage people to seek help and there is no shame in doing so. Suicide occurs for multilayered reasons that very are complex aand complicated.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The resources and information on this page are designed to help states, territories, tribes, mental health and substance use disorder professionals, and others looking for information on understanding the background, history, funding opportunities, and implementation resources for strengthening suicide prevention and mental health crisis services

FRIENDS FOR SURVIVAL

We are a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt charitable, national non-profit bereavement outreach organization available to those who are grieving a suicide death of family or friends. We also assist professionals who work with those who are grieving a suicide tragedy. Friends For Survival, organized by and for survivors, has been offering suicide bereavement support services since 1983. All staff and volunteers have been directly impacted by a suicide death
https://friendsforsurvival.org/
Offering Help After A Suicide Death
(916) 392-0664
Toll Free: (800) 646-7322

The last few days have been particularly difficult. I am writing with a heavy heart and anxious mind. I have a family member who’s mental health and well-being is in crisis. I have been feeling as if the other shoe is going to drop if something does not change soon. The cold hard reality is you can’t force someone into treatment for the disease of alcoholism or other types of mental health treatment. Nor is suicide 100% preventable as we would like to believe like many suicide loss survivors I have at times struggled with questions of ‘Is there anything I could have done differently?” That could have prevented the nightmarish reality of my father dying by suicide in 2012, Deep down I know I couldn’t and understand that sadly I know that our estrangedment was necessary to protect myself from his unhealthy behavior.

It is heartbreaking to know that my cousin is in such emotional pain he feels it would be better to take his own life. It takes me back to when my dad first walked out and the reality of his bipolar illness was finally acknowledged, and I had no idea what to do other than the overwhelming feeling I had to protect myself given the way his life was spiraling out of control. On a side note based on my experiences in childhood it is best to be as honest as you can with children about a family member’s mental illness or suicide death in terms that are age appropriate denying the issue only compounds the issue later on.

In the years since my dad’s suicide I have done what I could to educate myself and advocate for those of us who live with mental illness and have experienced a suicide loss. I will admit as a person who lives with severe anxiety I sometimes feel like my efforts are insignificant and a drop in the bucket to what our culture truly needs in terms of the mental health crisis that our nation and world is facing. Particularly given I am not a mental health professional, sometimes I don’t know what the fuck I am doing. As I write I am not at all sure what the completed piece of writing will look like. If I am being honest I am writing as a means to manage my anxiety and process my trauma. As difficult as it is to write about the pain of having a family member who is struggling and feeling absolutely powerless as to how to help and knowing deep down a tragic outcome may be inevitable.The circumstances are already tragic although he still living,I realized i needed to do something healthy and constructive, Given my neurological systems trauma based responses it was clear I couldn’t avoid my feelings even if i wanted to doing so would only make things worse.
We are experiencing a mental health and cultural crisis the likes of which our society and world has never seen. In years since Trump was elected I have wondered how we got here as a country and society.Although Trump lost the election and the election was free and fair as it was probably our nation’s most scrutinized elections: yet nearly half the country has fallen hook line and sinker for Trump’s election lies. As I began writing this the story of Paul Pelosi being attacked during a home invasion had just broke The hammer wielding attacker uttering the phrase ‘where ‘s Nancy? Which was also chanted during the violent insurrection that took place on January 6th although some have chosen to whitewash the violence of that day, calling it a visitors day.

Denial is a very dangerous and deadly thing in terms of mental illness as I watched how my father’s life ended under the tragic circumstance of suicide. I deeply fear I will have to live through a tragic outcome with my cousin that he will not be able to come back from. The collective denial of what used to be the Republican Party: has become the extreme cult of trumpism and has had violent and deadly consequences for world, society and culture. It still boggles my mind that Donald Trump was able to be elected and cause such chaos within our political system and put our very democracy at risk. The notion that we had a president that has multiple accusations of rape and his vile attitude towards woman has been well documented, you need not look any further than the access Hollywood tape. Disgusts me. He has espoused hate and prejudice towards every minority group. The sad part is that is why he got elected. He certainly was not qualified, not to mention malignant narcissist who is very emotionally unwell.

Now we are living in a society where a whole political party is trying to dismantle fundamental human rights and vital social support. Many people do not have access to adequate healthcare which has only got worse since the pandemic. Some people have chosen to believe the pandemic is over. It is not in any way over this denial of reality that is putting everyone’s health at risk. Particularly those of us who live with chronic conditions, The Covid-19’ pandemic will affect our world for generations to come in ways we can’t possibly fully understand yet. This narrative that everything is suddenly back to normal is just flat out false., although I suppose it is easier for some to live in denial than fear the unknown. For me I would much rather live in reality then live in a world of denial at least that way I can do what I can to bring about positive changes in our society. We are in desperate need of quality mental health services and support. We already did not have enough pre pandemic. The need has only grown exponentially.
I recently found out through the experience of a friend that if you need in patient psychiatric hospitalization and you have medical equipment such as a wheelchair you can’t be admitted to a psychiatric as the wheelchair is considered a liability to the hospital,I later confirmed this with my psychologist, she said she has seen patients with something as simple as a CPAP machine: which is used to treat sleep apnea: wait in the er for a very long time because the CPAP Is considered a liability. There are very few medical/ psychiatric beds available meaning if you have any chronic condition you may very well be shit out of luck. This is an incredibly ableist view and policy. Given that most Americans are not the ideal specimen of health.

This all while we are living in a backdrop of people who would rather tear things down in terms of social supports and services instead of building things up, Having the attitude that people should be able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps is an extremely callous and cold view of the world. It is a denial of the human struggle, That is real even if it differs from your own life experiences. With ten day left until the midterm election I hope with use the voices as well the votes to reject the denial that has come with trumpism. Because as i said denial is a very dangerous thing