When your disability decides to transform into a tornado and tear through your safety net, how do you bounce back?
Sometimes this tornado can be physically seen by others. Other times, it manifests as verbal warfare within the mind. In my case, having Bipolar Disorder is mostly invisible. The times it shows up physically though, it's like a storm goes on non-stop for weeks. When those weeks are over, it is clean-up time but...
Where do I begin? Have I done a well enough job at putting speed bumps on my road?
Did I utilize my toolbox to the best of my ability?
Mental health is a tricky one. We all experience the good and the bad days. People with Bipolar Disorder experience very intense mood changes. In my case, it took over three weeks to recover from a depressive episode. My room got messy. I missed some days of work. Eating became difficult. Sleeping was the only time I felt okay. I tried to explain the chaos and the pain to the people around me but it felt like I was speaking a foreign language. Regardless of the support and the love my safety net tried to provide, I felt alone and misunderstood.
If this feeling feels familiar to you, let me assure you that you are not alone. Let me also assure you that there is hope. Being misunderstood can be alleviated with proper education. After making it through the most recent depressive episodes, I learned a few things about myself.
1. I am resilient beyond comprehension. Having a disability can make someone feel otherwise but the fact that we can rise above its definition and stigmas is to be admired.
2. Happiness can be conserved within my mind and heart. Holding on to the excitement, hope, and love can help carry the weight during dark times.
3. Patience truly is a virtue. Cleaning up the tornado's mess allows your resilient spirit to shine through. The key to cleaning up the mess is patience.
If you feel alone, please remember that you are not alone. Somebody does care even if that somebody is you. Making it through each day one foot at a time can be just enough to remind yourself that brighter days are ahead, even if they are just existing in your consciousness or dreams for the time being. .jpg)
A doodle by Paige Masson of a woman in a blue dress with a pink belt and yellow hair with thoughts shaped like flowers flowing from the top of her head. On one side of her is "Mania," colored in yellow and reflecting sunshine tornadoes. On the other side, blue for "Depression" with black tornadoes and blue background. Always split in half by the two emotions."
Voices & Stories How do you bounce back?
By Paige Masson • Posted on October 19, 2022
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[id] => 23
[date] => 2021-02-22
[status] => Active
[new] =>
[title] => ACC's Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program provides peace of mind during precarious times
[author] => Anonymous
[article] => I'd like to thank you very much for the Personal Protective Equipment and backup battery the ACC provided for me and my family. You and your awesome Disability Disaster Access and Resources program have provided much needed peace of mind during precarious times. For that, I’m humbled and very grateful. Thank You!
Prior to contacting the ACC, I was genuinely concerned about what I'd do if the power ever went out at my home. However, it wasn't until recently that it was announced there were going to be scheduled rolling "blackouts," that my concern significantly escalated. I've been a CPAP user since 2010 after suffering viral congestive heart failure. My life literally relies upon its use while I sleep. I began researching options and priced various systems, but ultimately couldn't afford them or concluded they weren't feasible for my home. The backup battery (also a power inverter) ACC provided allows me to power my CPAP. It can also charge important electronics such as cell phones, tablets, rechargeable flashlights, and laptops. I have incorporated my new backup battery into my family's disaster preparedness planning and feel confident we would persevere through most short-term events.
I'm a U.S. Air Force veteran with a service-connected disability and also a medically retired (broken back) law enforcement officer of more than 30 years. I live on a monthly fixed income, which makes large purchases difficult. The ACC has restored a previously lost sense of security to my daily living! I'm genuinely humbled. Lauren's patience, compassion, and smooth facilitation throughout the entire process has been a Godsend! I'm forever grateful and thankful.
Anonymous, Consumer of Lauren Utterback, Independent Living Advocate
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[1] => Array
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[id] => 28
[date] => 2021-04-15
[status] => Active
[new] =>
[title] => What was I to do if the power went out?
[author] => Anonymous
[article] => These people are amazing and it is well worth your time to check them out. As a senior sometimes it is just plain strange because there are times when you may wonder if the modern world remembers the past at all and you may wonder where to turn for help, or with questions for people of our ages. Here is my story: The storms were coming and the weather reports were saying the power may be turned off or could be interrupted.
That was a big concern to me as I use oxygen at night and a nebulizer twice a day (that's a machine to take meds for the lungs). What was I to do if the power went out? I saw a commercial on TV about the Access Central Coast and thought, well, what the heck? I will call them. Now, without complication ACC delivered a battery that can be used in case of a power outage. Just plug your equipment into it and bingo! You are safe to use your equipment no matter if a storm comes.
The lady I worked with is Lauren Utterback and she is so professional and personable that you don't feel any discomfort at all asking for help.
If you need help as a senior or disabled person certainly give them a call. It will be worth your time.
-Anonymous, Consumer of Lauren Utterback, Emergency Preparedness Services Manager
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[2] => Array
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[id] => 11
[date] => 2022-10-19
[status] => Active
[new] =>
[title] => Disability in the News: Veterans exposed to toxins receive unencumbered access to coverage from the VA
[author] => Jamie Zimmerman
[article] => Disability is in the news with a major win for veterans. The U.S. Senate approved providing health care and benefits for millions of veterans injured by exposure to toxins in burn pits in Iraq and Agent Orange in Vietnam.
It has been determined that the PACT Act will now cease to force veterans to prove their disabilities and illnesses were caused by exposure to toxins in order to get medical coverage from the VA. The PACT Act is the biggest expansion of care in VA history. This change will alleviate a layer of hardship for veterans and improve access to the support they deserve.
The story of the PACT Act in the news is an example of the mission of full access that we work toward every day, amplified and utilized on a macro level.
To read more on the PACT Act go to:
https://www.npr.org/2022/08/02/1115325176/pact-act-veterans-burn-pits-toxins-passes-senate
)
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More Voices & Stories to Read
ACC's Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program provides peace of mind during precarious times
By Anonymous
• Posted 2/22/2021
What was I to do if the power went out?
By Anonymous
• Posted 4/15/2021
Disability in the News: Veterans exposed to toxins receive unencumbered access to coverage from the VA
By Jamie Zimmerman
• Posted 10/19/2022