MHAW: Does a disability/condition affect your body image?
It's Mental Health Awareness Week from 12th - 19th of May in the UK and is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation. The theme for 2019 is body image - how we think and feel about our bodies.
For those with disabilities or conditions it can be hard to maintain a body that society or themselves sees as attractive. People with conditions such as under-active thyroid or polycystic ovarian syndrome can struggle with weight gain whilst those with connective tissue and fatigue conditions can struggle to exercise due to pain and thus put on weight.
Some disabilities or birth defects that result in the loss of a limb or body part can make someone self conscious about being stared at or bullied for their difference. Whilst burns and scars from operations, self harm or accidents can have a similar effect.
If you are comfortable share your stories below and make sure to check out the rest of the threads that tsr is featuring as part of MHAW Here
For those with disabilities or conditions it can be hard to maintain a body that society or themselves sees as attractive. People with conditions such as under-active thyroid or polycystic ovarian syndrome can struggle with weight gain whilst those with connective tissue and fatigue conditions can struggle to exercise due to pain and thus put on weight.
Some disabilities or birth defects that result in the loss of a limb or body part can make someone self conscious about being stared at or bullied for their difference. Whilst burns and scars from operations, self harm or accidents can have a similar effect.
If you are comfortable share your stories below and make sure to check out the rest of the threads that tsr is featuring as part of MHAW Here
Great thread, Cavy! 
Not very well tonight but if I forget, please poke me tomorrow to add my story 
Not very well tonight but if I forget, please poke me tomorrow to add my story 
Quite a lot in my case, though I'm getting a lot better about not obsessing over it. Because I have chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, I can't be very active at all. I can't walk far or exercise much, and I can't eat as well as I'd like because I just don't have the energy to prepare fresh meals with healthy ingredients the majority of the time nor shop regularly enough to keep up with buying fresh foods. This makes it really hard to lose weight, as I'm sure you can understand, but it's really hard not to fall into the pressure of feeling like it's the most important thing in the world either
At school, I was badly bullied (verbally and emotionally, not physically thank goodness) by lots of different people because of my appearance: namely, my curly hair. With hindsight, I think this time partly laid the foundations of my mental health problems, in that I became (understandably) quite paranoid about people's motives. Everytime I heard laughter, I "knew" that it was people laughing at/about me 
I would skulk around the school, hiding in corners (even hiding behind bushes on the way to school once) to avoid certain people 
Spoilered for talk about weight
I would skulk around the school, hiding in corners (even hiding behind bushes on the way to school once) to avoid certain people Spoilered for talk about weight
Spoiler
Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd
Great thread, Cavy! Not very well tonight but if I forget, please poke me tomorrow to add my story
Not very well tonight but if I forget, please poke me tomorrow to add my story I would not go around inviting people to poke you. People will get the wrong impression.
Hoping you're well, btw.
Original post by Notoriety
I would not go around inviting people to poke you. People will get the wrong impression.
Hoping you're well, btw.
Hoping you're well, btw.
This is a very valid point
Thanks for that! 
Not so well this end but hope you're doing alright
My view towards it would be those who have a type of disability or condition that affects them physically or mentally should be seen as normal people who do not have a condition or a disability. Anyone on TSR who suffers from anything that affects their image..YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, I'm not saying that because it seems like it is the right thing to say but because it is the right thing to say. What difference does it make from someone who has a burnt mark/moles or any other facial traits from someone who has a face devoid from any of it? there are no differences, it is individuals out there who make it seem as if it is a problem but honestly it cannot be helped. People who are on wheelchairs, do not have a limb or have a illness internally that has affected them..they are still people who have feelings, emotions and their own rights. I am going off topic here but in regards to the thread question, yes if you have a disability or a condition then it will affect your image but it is something to be proud of because not everyones image is perfect and anyone who has a disability or a condition then you are the most strongest people out there to go out everyday and have people staring at you, comenting and such but at the end of the day, you are the strong person and you should be proud!
Original post by chelseadagg3r
Quite a lot in my case, though I'm getting a lot better about not obsessing over it. Because I have chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, I can't be very active at all. I can't walk far or exercise much, and I can't eat as well as I'd like because I just don't have the energy to prepare fresh meals with healthy ingredients the majority of the time nor shop regularly enough to keep up with buying fresh foods. This makes it really hard to lose weight, as I'm sure you can understand, but it's really hard not to fall into the pressure of feeling like it's the most important thing in the world either
Thank you for this chelsea
as someone who struggles with weight but for different reasons i can relate to a lot of that people really do act as if the world revolves around weight Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd
At school, I was badly bullied (verbally and emotionally, not physically thank goodness) by lots of different people because of my appearance: namely, my curly hair. With hindsight, I think this time partly laid the foundations of my mental health problems, in that I became (understandably) quite paranoid about people's motives. Everytime I heard laughter, I "knew" that it was people laughing at/about me I would skulk around the school, hiding in corners (even hiding behind bushes on the way to school once) to avoid certain people
Spoilered for talk about weight
I would skulk around the school, hiding in corners (even hiding behind bushes on the way to school once) to avoid certain people Spoilered for talk about weight
Spoiler
thank you for this TLG seems like weight is a common one so far, is such a shame that people are so quick to judge overweight people without thinking of the back story that may have contributed to it 
Original post by ayyyy.x
My view towards it would be those who have a type of disability or condition that affects them physically or mentally should be seen as normal people who do not have a condition or a disability. Anyone on TSR who suffers from anything that affects their image..YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, I'm not saying that because it seems like it is the right thing to say but because it is the right thing to say. What difference does it make from someone who has a burnt mark/moles or any other facial traits from someone who has a face devoid from any of it? there are no differences, it is individuals out there who make it seem as if it is a problem but honestly it cannot be helped. People who are on wheelchairs, do not have a limb or have a illness internally that has affected them..they are still people who have feelings, emotions and their own rights. I am going off topic here but in regards to the thread question, yes if you have a disability or a condition then it will affect your image but it is something to be proud of because not everyones image is perfect and anyone who has a disability or a condition then you are the most strongest people out there to go out everyday and have people staring at you, comenting and such but at the end of the day, you are the strong person and you should be proud!
Thank you for this lovely post
totally agree with everything that you said 
I had eczema really bad as a kid (still flare sup every now and again, but it is mostly settled). My arms and chest had lumps and pockmarks that I stressed about all the time until I was probably about 15, and stressed about more infrequently after that. Tattooed over most of them now, which is a happy coincidence 
Original post by gjd800
I had eczema really bad as a kid (still flare sup every now and again, but it is mostly settled). My arms and chest had lumps and pockmarks that I stressed about all the time until I was probably about 15, and stressed about more infrequently after that. Tattooed over most of them now, which is a happy coincidence
Aww that's so lovely that you have kind of reclaimed those areas
what sort of tattoos do you have? am hoping to eventually get some of my 200 scars tattooed with my artwork one day Original post by CoolCavy
Thank you for this lovely post totally agree with everything that you said
totally agree with everything that you said One thing I will add is that my feelings about my body image was also affected when I was using a wheelchair, and still is when I use crutches. Having a very visible disability, in some ways, was a bit easier in that I didnt feel as questioned when I used things like accessible toilets or priority seats on public transport but there was no way to hide it. It felt like everyone knew at least some of my business, whether I knew them or not, and clothes aren't usually designed with disabilities in mind. I couldn't wear long dresses or skirts in a wheelchair because it's get caught in the wheels. I didn't like to wear anything low cut because everyone standing could see down my tops. Not to mention that sitting isn't exactly the most flattering position a lot of the time, and with crutches I have to wear gloves because they hurt my hands, even if it's the middle of summer and I look a bit daft. You stop being the girl with really long hair or the boy with piercings and become the one in the wheelchair or the one with the crutches or the cane
Yes. I don't know how to describe it all or how controlling it is, but I have a disfigurement, it is on my face so my self esteem is very low. I don't want to talk about how this happened or describe it in detail. I generally prefer the word 'injury' because I think the word 'disfigurement' scares people.
I feel like I'm less of a person because of it and I do struggle to keep going day to day. It happened when I was 19 so I know what life is like without it and I do feel like I'm treated differently because of it. Sometimes I have seen people who knew me before this happened and the comments can be very hurtful and destroy what is left of my confidence.
I'm working on it all but it's a slow process. Most days I just don't want to face the world.
I feel like I'm less of a person because of it and I do struggle to keep going day to day. It happened when I was 19 so I know what life is like without it and I do feel like I'm treated differently because of it. Sometimes I have seen people who knew me before this happened and the comments can be very hurtful and destroy what is left of my confidence.
I'm working on it all but it's a slow process. Most days I just don't want to face the world.
Original post by CoolCavy
Aww that's so lovely that you have kind of reclaimed those areas what sort of tattoos do you have? am hoping to eventually get some of my 200 scars tattooed with my artwork one day
what sort of tattoos do you have? am hoping to eventually get some of my 200 scars tattooed with my artwork one day I don't think it was even a conscious thing, but it was pointed out to me (by my nan of all people) a while ago. I guess arms and chests are the first places to fill with tattoos, but there might have been some subconscious thing in there. Believe it or not they are all 'religious' tattoos of various Buddhist icons/people, ha
Oooh yes I will add something. 
Maybe later when I'm on a computer though.
Maybe later when I'm on a computer though.
