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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[title] => Note to Readers About the Word “Ableism”
[author] => Jacob Lesner-Buxton
[article] =>
Note to readers about the word “ableism”. In short, the word ableism means discrimination against people with disabilities.
An example of ableism is a two-story office building without an elevator. The designers of the building consciously or unconsciously assume that people with mobility issues wouldn’t need to access the top floor of the building. Their ableist assumptions caused them not to build an elevator.
Another example of ableism happened at Cal-State East Bay earlier this year. A group of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities enrolled in a certificate program were denied a chance to participate in the school's commencement ceremony.
While the school claimed that only those who were receiving degrees were allowed to cross the stage, activists provided examples of others who received certificates who were allowed to take part in past ceremonies. They suggest that the school administration was acting on an ableist assumption that students with disabilities weren’t supposed to graduate from college. Despite public pressure, the school administration still wouldn’t let the students cross the stage.
We hope that through reading these articles, you begin to notice ableism in society and look for ways to advocate against ableism by becoming an ally to people with disabilities.
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[date] => 2021-02-11
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[title] => ACC staff and consumers talks about ACC services and successes
[author] => Anonymous
[article] =>
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[date] => 2021-02-22
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[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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More Voices & Stories to Read
Note to Readers About the Word “Ableism”
By Jacob Lesner-Buxton
• Posted 12/21/2025
ACC staff and consumers talks about ACC services and successes
By Anonymous
• Posted 2/11/2021
ACC's Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program provides peace of mind during precarious times
By Anonymous
• Posted 2/22/2021